What Does it Mean to ‘Surrender’ in the 12 Steps?
Step One of the 12 Steps is “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.”
This involves admitting you are powerless over your addiction and surrendering – letting go. By surrendering to your addiction, you are admitting that your addiction is out of your control, that you can’t control it anymore and that you want to stop trying to control what cannot be controlled.
When you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, you are on a never-ending quest for your next high because your addiction leads you to believe that you will not be happy without it. There may have been times where you have told your family and friends that you can stop at anytime and that you are in control. The truth is that if you were able to overcome your addiction without help, you would have by now.
Is Surrendering a Weakness?
We are taught to never give up, and that being empowered is a sign of strength. As a result, people think surrendering is a sign of weakness, admitting defeat. We all like to be in control and we feel that by surrendering we are giving up that control, or giving it over to someone else. It is a sign of vulnerability. Surrendering is not about giving up in yourself but being willing to give up your addiction and giving up the idea that you are in control of it.
Some things are too big to be able to control on our own and by surrendering, you are admitting that you cannot win the battle against addiction by yourself. It is admitting to yourself that you need help.
Surrendering Opens the Door to Recovery
When you try to fix things yourself when under the influence, you cannot recognise your limitations and your vulnerability because your thoughts change despite the terrible choices made. Surrendering is about telling ourselves that we cannot control our addiction and that we need to place our trust in someone else such as in a Higher Power or rehab counselors to give us help and advice to overcome this.
Ready to Face What You Have Been Hiding From
Surrendering is about learning how to trust, connect, and have faith that you will get better. Because substance use disorder stopped you from feeling emotions like fear of the unknown, pain, and fear, surrendering is telling yourself that you are ready to feel these emotions that you have been trying to hide from. It may be scary walking into the unknown of not knowing who you will be without your addiction but being willing to take that risk is the first step into recovery.
Founded in 1988, Castle Craig is one of the most established and respected addiction rehab centers in the UK. Castle Craig treats alcoholism and drug addiction as an illness and promote abstinence as essential for long-lasting recovery. We help patients recover through an intensive, personalised programme that combines medical treatment, 12 Step therapy, CBT and other psychiatric therapies and complementary therapies.
