Hey everyone, I’m Vance Johnson, a former NFL athlete and current recovery advocate for the Vance Johnson Recovery Center. Continuing our conversation about the 12 steps, I’d like to take this time to talk with you about the second step of recovery. The second step of Alcoholics Anonymous says that, “We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” Let’s talk about what “power greater than ourselves” means and how you can successfully maneuver this step.
The second step of the 12-step program piggybacks off the success of the first step. Unless you have genuinely admitted to being powerless when it comes to your addiction, you will not be open to letting a higher power help. As a Christian, my higher power is God. I give the glory to God every chance I get because He was able to show me the way to salvation through sobriety. It wasn’t an overnight process, though.
Before my absolute devotion to Christ, we argued. In the depths of my addiction, I was convinced that God turned away from me. I still believed in Him, and I never blamed God as many do; I just hid from Him in my sin. Eventually, I was able to admit fault in my addiction and finally see God for what He actually was, a power greater than myself. That’s when I let go and let God.
Coming to the realization that you are giving up control to something bigger than yourself can be scary, especially if you have not had a relationship with a Higher Power. But don’t let this deter you from the program. Not everyone has to choose a higher power like God, (though I do recommend Him) you can also find sanity in someone you admire, nature, balance in the universe, karma, spirituality, or science. You can even identify AA as a higher power. It is a congregation of millions of people who have solved their addiction problem, and isn’t that something bigger than yourself?
The goal with this step is not to determine what the Higher Power is, but to be open to something greater than yourself restoring your sanity. If you are still having trouble identifying your Higher Power, don’t be afraid to discuss it with other members of your support system.
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The Vance Johnson Recovery Center is an addiction treatment center in Las Vegas, Nevada. My team and I make it our personal mission to treat every patient with compassion and respect as we help them begin on the road to recovery.
Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction? Drug and alcohol addiction can feel impossible to overcome, but our Las Vegas rehab is here to help. You can contact our admissions specialists at 1-888-82-VANCE, or you can fill out our online contact form. Remember, addiction recovery is always closer than you think.
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Original Author: Vance Johnson
