Step One - Powerless over Alcohol/Gambling, Lives Unmanageable, How to Stop Drinking and Betting

When you're caught in the relentless grip of addiction, the path to reclaiming your life can seem shrouded in shadow. That's why we've dedicated our latest episode to illuminating the steps toward recovery and rebuilding self-esteem, guiding you from the harrowing admission of addiction's power to the liberating establishment of structured, goal-oriented living. We peel back the layers of these complex challenges, offering insights into how acknowledging the problem sets the stage for tangible improvements in health and wellbeing. Through heartfelt anecdotes and the transformative potential of spirituality, we aim to empower you to take that brave first stride toward a more fulfilling existence.

Venturing further into the heart of recovery, we cast a light on the critical roles of spirituality and structure, even when these concepts can seem elusive to those who are agnostic. We introduce the recovery growth scorecard, a revolutionary approach to rewiring your brain for positivity and joy, and discuss practical strategies that can usher in life-altering changes. From exercise and prayer to journaling and setting goals, we chart a course that transcends the trap of powerlessness, steering clear of the pitfalls of relapse. Whether you're a long-time listener or a newcomer seeking a beacon of hope, this episode promises to be a steadfast companion on your journey to recovery.

Chapters

• 0:02 Steps to Recovery and Self-Esteem
• 10:47 Spirituality and Structure in Recovery

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

How to work. Step one. We keep hearing those words powerless, unmanageability, admit. Welcome again to another episode of the 1% in recovery podcast, where we love distress, to laugh every day, work hard, work hard in your relationships, in your jobs and in your recovery, and to love unconditionally. All can be done every day, especially if you just want to have a wonderful day. That's how you do it. Now out the recovery growth scorecard. The scorecard free. It is free. Just go to the website, wwwlifeiswonderfullovelove. Download it. Get the natural dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins into your life. You've got to start to rewire your brain, especially since now we're talking about step one and we're dealing with how to stop drinking and gambling and drugs. You've got to do things differently and it's going to be a struggle at first. That's why I try to make it as easy as possible to kind of get over the hump. As you're thinking this whole thing about not drinking, not gambling. You can also book a call with yours truly and we can talk about a step. We can talk about recovery relationships Also. Just book it on the website.

Speaker 1: 1:44

Now let's just jump into this week's episode of the 1% in recovery podcast. Going back, we're going to review the original 12 steps and a lot of different concepts, because a lot of people just spend way too much time. I don't know who's telling these people that you have to spend months, almost even a whole year, especially on step one, and not truly understand what you're doing. I get it. When we first walk into 12-step rooms, we are trying to figure out why am I here? Do I need to truly stop drinking? Do I truly need to stop gambling? I can tell you straight out the answer is you have to do something. Right now, your life is shit. There are things that need to change in terms of your mental health, your physical health, your spiritual health, your financial health, your emotional health. There are so many things that need revamping. We can probably talk about anybody in the world that at some point in time, there is some aspect of their life that is unmanageable. But for the most part, we are going to deal with the people that are drinking too much, gambling too much, and you've got to take it easy Now.

Speaker 1: 3:15

In the beginning, too many people start figuring out and trying to tell people you have to admit that you are powerless over alcohol and gambling. First of all, no one wants to admit anything when they first walk into a meeting. I didn't. I can guarantee you almost 99% of the other people don't want to admit. They may know they have a problem. They may see all the evidence time and time again. Because we all try to stop drinking and gambling and drugging on our own with not good results.

Speaker 1: 3:49

We went back to the drink, the bet or the drug and we went back to some other types of consequences, either with the law, with destroying property, having arguments again with spouse, girlfriend, family, things about our health so many other things, things about our finances, things around our job, where we're not paying attention, where we're about to get fired, or we're about to go bankrupt, or we're having issues. And the reason we're having issues is because when you're in your addiction, you cannot focus. When you cannot focus, you cannot do anything well. And when I was talking about you've got to work hard, you cannot work hard and do an addiction. In the beginning I had to say just stop for 24 hours and see how you sleep. In the essence, that's all that matters in the beginning. Don't drink, drug or gamble and see how you sleep. You may still be anxious because of the debts or the legal issues or the constant tension and fights in the household and your relationships. But here's the thing when you are not under the influence of alcohol, you can get some REM sleep. When you're not obsessed with gambling, you will be able to get REM sleep, and that is a gift unbeknownst to you, and also the same thing with drugs. And so you begin truly by working step one.

Speaker 1: 5:45

Now, if we go to the big book and we go to the original words of Bill Wilson, he talks so much about having a spiritual experience. Now, he had a spiritual experience before he worked step one. I had a spiritual experience before I truly came back to Houston to work step one in two different programs and to start working therapy. But it's not common it is in the minority that people have a spiritual experience before they work step one. A lot of people may have spiritual experiences as they work the 12 steps. But that's what you mean. You're going over a year and a half, two years, which most people take to do the 12 steps of recovery, when they're doing it on their own through 12 step programs, because it is directed by the newcomer, the relapser, the person that's trying to drive the bus, but they don't really know where they're going If you truly want to work.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Step one and change any behavior. The behavior is to stop drinking. I say, okay, do 24 hours, but also to start thinking about okay, what else do you want in life? I wanted to always go back to school to get an MBA. I wanted to run a marathon. I wanted to buy some property, whether it was a house, townhouse or a condo but I never had the money, the time or the energy to do that. Because when you're drinking and then when I stopped drinking and I was just gambling, you never, never have the time or the energy to fulfill goals. We all have them. We all need to have to refocus as we are dealing with this. Should I never drink again? Should I never gamble again? Well, first of all, do not say those things, because those are things that are overwhelming. What you need to say is I am not going to drink today, I'm not going to drink this week. I am not going to gamble today, I'm not going to gamble this week. Focus on 24 hours, focus on a week, because that is how you do it. You have to structure your week. That's why I fill it up with the scorecard. You go to meetings, you start working your job, your business, you start being there for the family.

Speaker 1: 8:10

Things that Bill Wilson also said is in the beginning is we may not have, you know, believed in higher powers, gods, spiritual experiences. We were drowning in desperation. That's how I see the addiction. At the very end you are just drowning in desperation about the alcohol, the drugs or the gamble, and we're trying to look at ways to get better. Now Bill Wilson specifically talks about two key things that people seem to overlook. Number one, that a lot of doctors have given up hope and they only think that they seem to think that some type of spiritual help is the only way out of alcoholism. So we're talking then, in 1938, about alcoholism and we're also he talks a lot about relapse that a lot of people are doing well, they stop drinking, but then for one reason or another, they just go on a bender, they get drunk. Could be a day, could be a week, could be several months. Some people come back, some people don't, and that is normal and that should be kind of normal for other people. But I think we don't give enough grace to people who relapse as they're trying to battle this whole idea about addiction.

Speaker 1: 9:40

What is recovery? What is recovery lifestyle? You have to understand, though the way to minimize relapse is by having goals, is by having structure, is by talking to your subconscious. I am so big because everyone who walks in in the very beginning has low self-esteem we talk about. You know, to admit you're a powerless over alcohol. What you really need to admit is where exactly is your self-esteem? I guarantee you it is. At a one or two. You feel defeated. You are depressed, especially if you're no longer drinking because the alcohol was a depressant. Most drugs are depressants. Alcohol and gambling will be a stimulant, like cocaine, and kind of pick you up. That's why the brain is, but eventually you're going to come crashing down. When you start to lose, and when that cocaine high starts to wear off, then you start also go into that depression. That will lead into your low self-esteem.

Speaker 1: 10:47

We have to do things. That's why we incorporate the scorecard to get people over the edge. The other last thing that Bill Wilson talks about it goes. Half the members were agnostic. Now you want to get people to accept spiritual experiences, higher powers, when half the people are agnostic. It is a hard concept. Now I believe truly that you have to understand spirituality as you work, recovery as you understand, recovery as you understand your new life. But it is a hard concept to get when you first walk in. Concepts that are easy to get are exercise, prayer, journaling, going to meetings, having goals, talking to your subconscious, getting a daily, weekly schedule. Have structure, because the problem is is addicts are all over the place. So, as we deal with step one, don't get so focused on powerless, on relapse, on unmanageability. Focus on the things that are going to change your life. Put a smile on your face and laughter in your soul. With that, we are going to end this episode of the 1% in recovery.