Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous: Admit Powerlessness

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its 12-Step method gives those struggling with alcohol addiction a roadmap to recovery, often by encouraging them to acknowledge their addiction and to work towards sobriety. Step 3 of the 12 Steps focuses on encouraging one to acknowledge what they can and cannot control, and to seek help when needed.

What Is Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?

Step 3 of AA encourages those to make, “a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.” Some may initially have a hard time with this step, largely due to the way it is worded. Those who do not believe in God or have conflicting feelings of religion may initially shy away from AA Step 3.

However, this step isn’t meant to be a religious obligation. Instead, Step 3 of AA is meant to help people rely on something other than themselves to help them abstain from drinking alcohol. This can mean seeking help from friends, family, licensed professionals, religious beliefs, or anything that can help one ground themselves and work toward sobriety.

Understanding Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous

Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous can be one of the most difficult to grasp. It’s important to understand this step in context. Step 3 is the third of three steps meant to help one give up the illusion that they are in control of their drinking. Many who struggle with alcohol addiction often believe that they can control how much they drink or how they behave while drunk. In a sense, they may deny that they have a problem.

The first 3 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous gradually help shift one’s thinking about their drinking. First, one must admit that they have a problem – that they don’t have the personal power to stop drinking. Then, they must come to terms with the idea of seeking a higher power to help them live a better life.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, the higher power doesn’t have to be God, although many people interpret higher power to mean God. It can be anything that sparks inspiration to achieve a sober life. Then and only then can one turn over their will and life to the care of this higher power.

How to Complete Step 3 of AA

Completing Step 3 of Alcoholics Anonymous can look different for everyone. It may include tasks such as understanding what is and isn’t in your control, cultivating a positive attitude, and/or being more open to guidance.

1. Understand What Is and Isn’t in Your Control

Those struggling with alcohol addiction may cover up feelings of being out of control by attempting to control everything in their lives, including their own drinking. Some drink to forget that other painful things in their lives are beyond their control. One way to use Step 3 of AA is to lean on what you have learned from the previous two Steps. Then, consider if you have truly have the power to control certain aspects of your life, such as your drinking. Learning to let go of things that are beyond your control may help some to reduce their desire to drink.

2. Cultivate a Positive Attitude

The feelings behind alcohol addiction are usually painful; often, those struggling with alcohol addiction feel they can’t deal with pain, anger or frustration. As a result, many may turn to drinking as a coping mechanism to relieve themselves of these feelings. By learning to turn over these feelings to some sort of higher power in Step 3 of AA, people may begin feeling more capable of dealing with life’s challenges, which can help alleviate the compulsion to drink.

3. Be More Open to Guidance

Many find it difficult to accept help because of their need for control. Those struggling with alcohol addiction sometimes spend energy resisting therapists or counselors’ suggestions instead of making changes in their lives. Step 3 of AA suggests that one should instead be open to help from whatever source it comes, which has likely been helpful in the first two Steps and will continue to be as you move through the remainder of the Steps.

Challenges of Step 3 of AA

With every Step may come some challenges, as the process of the 12-Steps requires continued dedication and work. For some, common challenges associated with Step 3 of AA often include:

• Continuing to grapple with the idea of a Higher Power, as presented in Step 2.
• Fearing giving one’s “life and will” over to their Higher Power.
• Difficulty accepting the severity of their situation.
• Trouble igniting their own self-will.

Thankfully, AA is the perfect place to discuss these challenges and garner support, as those in your meeting group have likely experienced the same feelings. Be open about how you are feeling and allow the advice of others who are ahead of you in the Steps to resonate.

Get Support for Step 3 of AA

As you go through the Steps, it is vital to remain connected to people who understand. Therefore, do your due diligence early on in your recovery by attending more than one local AA meeting. Do not write off a certain meeting after going to just one of them, but instead go to a few in a row to see if it’s a good fit for you. Continue to go to various meetings until you find one where you feel comfortable and supported.

If you already have an AA meeting that you attend regularly, consider looking for a sponsor. Ask others in the group who is available for sponsorship and work with them to succeed through this and the remaining Steps.

Start the Recovery Journey

Help for alcohol addiction is easy to find, but it is not always easy to ask for. Overcoming an addiction to or a dependency on alcohol can be a long and sometimes frustrating process, but if you’ve made the decision to stop drinking you’ve crossed the most important hurdle in your recovery.