We admit that by ourselves we are powerless over alcohol- that our lives have become unmanageable.

Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore our sanity.

Made decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongdoing.

Were entirely ready to have God remove defects of character.

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them.

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

What percent of U.S. adults have attended AA?

What is the primary purpose of AA?

What is the most any one member can give to AA?

Key Concept: Drug use makes me feel powerful and in control while it makes me powerless

Skill needed for step 1

What are some signs that life has become unmanageable?

Key Concept: Correcting my faulty concept of God in an important recovery task

Christian version: We come to believe that God, through Jesus Christ can restore us to sanity

Euphoric Recall

Barriers to God

Meta-noia

In what step does repentance happen?

Key Concept: Keeping secrets results in slavery, while confessing brings relief and joy.

Christian version: We commit ourselves to God and desire that he remove patterns of sin from our lives.

Key Concept: I experience fulfillment when God's desire becomes my desire.

Christian Version: We humbly ask God to renew our minds so that our sinful patterns can be transformed into patterns of righteousness.

Key Concept: I can cooperate with God as He renews my mind.

What is the performance trap?

Key Concept: The essence of prayer is a loving relationship with God.

Change in attitude

Elevated stress

Denial reactivation- reject feedback from others

Post Acute Withdrawl Symptoms

Behavior change: refusing to talk in group, slack off at work

Social breakdown: spouse leaves, relationship difficulties

Loss of structure- messed up routine, oversleep, missing appointments/meetings

Loss of judgement- priorities messed up, thinking a small problem is a disaster (blinders)

Behavioral loss of control, acting irrationally without considering the consequences

Option reduction, options are limited because life is out of control

Stuck point

The relapse, slip, actual degeneration

How to reverse the process