Symptoms of Alcoholism
Instead of social drinking you often find yourself drinking ________
alone or in secret
A study found that people who started drinking alcohol before the age of ___ were much more likely to have an alcohol problem later in life
15 years of age
"False Evidece Appearing Real" can paralyze you with inaction, interfere with your ability to think cleary, overshelm you with stress, or give you an excuse to relapse.
FEAR - can keep you from moving forward with recovery
In this Step is that it is possible to gain strength, inspiration, and guidance from something outside of and greater than one’s self
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
What are you focused on during the 1st stage of recovery know as ABSTINENCE
Avoiding Substance usage
Task that are specific and concrete - chang in behaivor
Results are seen relativey quickly
Change in daily routine occupies most of your time
You no longer have a interest in _________
hobbies, activities, or interest you used to enjoy
5 times more likely
A blanket term for a number of negative emotions and beliefs - resentment, impatience, self-pity, self-delusion
Toxic Attitudes (or negative attitudes)
In this step, the addicted person has to accept the fact that their addiction is beyond their control.
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
What are you focused on during the second stage of recovery known as LIFESTYLE CHANGE
Focus on relapse prevention
Tasks involve decisions about relationships, residence, leisure, job, and family
Results take somewhat longer - changes are more involved and may involve affect others
Building long term foundation occupies most of your attention
You find yourself having problems with _________ as a result of your drinking
Relationships, Money, the law, work
6 times more likely
A study found that " the lack of endorphin is hereditary, and thus there is a genetic predisposition to become addicted to alcohol"
Ignoring problems and hopin gthey will just go away.
Avoidance
In this Step, you continue to eliminate opportunities for denial by taking an honest – and sometimes uncomfortable – at yourself, your behavior when drinking/using, and the effect it has, both on yourself and upon others.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
What are you focused on in the third stage of recovery known as SELF-KNOWLEDGE
Focused on long term issues - truma, psychological disorders, unresolved conflict
Tasks are more involved and require significant time investment such as psychotherapy
Results are less secific - they involve internal change
Understanding one's life occupies your attention
You may store your alcohol in ___________
You have stashes in unlikely places
Some _____ hormores are linked to alcoholism. If our levels of anxiety are high some people may consume alcohol in attempt to blank out the upheaval.
Stress hormones
Inflexibility
In this step, you have to acknowledge the role you may have played in hurting others. When you become willing to repair the damage you have done, you again reduce the destructive pain, anger, hurt, and resentment that addiction causes.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
What are you focused on in the fourth phase of recovery known as SPIRITUALITY
Focus on "Who am I' - the meaning of life, purpose or mission in life, long term goals
Tasks are very involved - may involve religion, finding a mentor, self-reflection
Results take a lifetime - these questions are ongoing
Gaining a sense of identity occupies your attention
You have difficulty being able to ____ how much _____ is consumed.
You may _________ out and not be able to remember chunks of time.
limit
alcohol
black out (or pass out)
If you suffer from ___________ you may use alcohol as a form of self-treatment. On the other hand alcohol use may lead to ___________, rather than vice versa.
Depression
Clinging to old, dysfuncial ways and beliefs that help enable your addiction in the first place
Insisting you you are ALWAYS right
For this step, there are few things that you can do that can better serve your own sobriety then by working with others who are still struggling.
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
These stages are not forced - you do not decide which stage you are in
These stages are gradual - you may not notice you are in a new phase until someone tells you
Each stage builds on the last stage
Different people get stuck at different stages - you can learn from someone whose recovery is more advanced than yours