Women who suffer from addiction of any type feel isolated from others who care about them. It is difficult for women to believe they have worth when they have failed time after time to keep promises to their children, family, work or school and themselves due to their addiction’s grasp on them.
When you don’t have the tools, knowledge and support of others, you are doomed to repeat your mistakes and behaviors. We as human beings do what we know. If we are in emotional or physical pain, we want that pain to stop. We use the tools we have to make the pain stop. What happens when the only tools you have are drugs, alcohol, cutting, abusive relationships and other harmful behaviors?
Let’s pretend for a moment that you have a personal box of tools that is yours to use to take care of yourself. Which tool will you use when you make a mistake that costs you the trust of someone important to you? Which tool will you use when you are feeling overwhelmed and life just feels too hard? Which tool will you use when you are bored and nothing is fun anymore? Which tool will you use when you have feelings of guilt and shame? Which tool will you use when you know that you have messed up too many times and you are sure that no one will forgive you?
You need new tools. The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are those tools. After racking your brain trying to find answers to all of your troubles, is it possible that the answer is that simple? The answer is “Yes.” Read the first three steps below.
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable. You have identified a problem (insert problematic behavior here) which is out of your control and life has become unmanageable.
Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. You realize you must do some things differently because what you have been doing has not worked.
Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. This is not about religion. It is about you asking for help and when it is given, you accept the help.
Incorporating these Steps into your life will give you a life that you have only dreamed about but have not been able to accomplish on your own. These Steps are simple but they are not easy. New Directions for Women is based in the 12 Step Princples of Alcoholics Anonymous, and we can help you begin your recovery journey in our safe and healing sanctuary. Call us today at 800-93-WOMEN or contact us on the Contact Form to the right of this page to talk to one of our caring Admissions Counselors today.
