How Do You Complete Alcoholics Anonymous Step 5?
Admit the nature of your wrongs to another trusted person. Often, this person is your sponsor.
Be as honest as possible with that person and look at who you are and who you would like to become.
Be vulnerable and don’t hold back.
It brings out our humility.
In this step, we: “admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” The process of working Step 5 is incredibly simple. We openly share the content of Step 4, which required, “a searching and fearless moral inventory.” This involves coming to terms with the flaws which preceded our alcoholism and that which came as a result of it. Step 5 works when we are honest with ourselves, another person, and with our Higher Power.
Admitting responsibility for our worst deeds can be challenging and frightening. As human beings, we are very protective of our egos. We seek quite consciously to inflate our egos by feeling better about ourselves and avoid anything that will deflate it.
We have essentially admitted our wrongs to ourselves in the previous steps. In Step 5, we share that inventory. However, Step 5 reminds us that this process is never fully complete. We must continue to examine our faults honestly and completely throughout this process. If this means we need to go back to the inventory of our flaws and misdeeds again, we should do so fearlessly before proceeding with the next step.
Admitting our wrongs to God
Admitting the nature of our wrongs to God may sound straightforward, but it involves a complicated spiritual process. Having trust in something greater than yourself is considered essential for returning sanity in the unmanageable life of an alcoholic. This can be a traditional deity, a spiritual entity or a social one such as the. More when we were in the throes of addiction, we may recall petitioning for favors and making deals with God which we did not intend to keep.
Step 5 is part of a process designed to create an honest and open relationship with our Higher Power. We admit the extent of our shortcomings and unacceptable behavior, without minimizing or exaggerating. We do not do so to petition our Higher Power into providing us with a service. We are on our way to a healthier spiritual life.
At this early stage of our spiritual development, we should focus more on giving our Higher Power an unvarnished look at us. The establishment of a full and healthy relationship with our Higher Power awaits us in the later stages of the program. .
Admitting our wrongs to another human being
We may feel shame at the prospect our worst shortcomings with another individual. However, in reality, this is a crucial step towards overcoming shame. Once another individual has been exposed to all of our secrets and still accepts us, an amazing thing happens. The power regret held over our lives diminishes. It is an important part of the process by which we understand; that despite our flaws, we deserve to be happy, joyous and free.
It is therefore very important to pick the right person to share your past with. Our sponsor is the natural and most obvious choice. But if you feel you prefer another individual, that is fine too. Some choose a clergyman or even a stranger.
It is our task to make the account we give to our Higher Power and a trusted person as complete as possible. Do not keep particularly painful or humiliating recollections to yourself. If you do, it will just delay your recovery.
There is a great deal of liberation that comes with Step 5. After all, there is a reason confession is an important part of many religious traditions. The power of sharing is also at the core of many psychological and psychiatric treatments. It is generally and widely acknowledged that sharing your past regrets with a trusted individual can wield great spiritual and emotional benefits.
Many people report an all-encompassing sense of freedom is achieved as the baggage of shame is removed from them. Some of us find we can lift our heads high for the first time in years.
Also, this step helps us relieve the sense of isolation that accompanied our alcoholism and behavior which may have led us into this self-destructive path. After sharing your deepest secrets and shame, you may feel a closer communion with both other people and your Higher Power. If you build on this closeness, you may never feel truly alone again.
It is important to enjoy your achievement in having come this far. Remember to not rest on your laurels. There is still more work to be done on the way to recovery and well-being with happiness and joy.
Tradition 5
Short Form:
Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
Full Form:
Found in the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions text
p, 150-154.
Concept 5 Throughout our world services structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail, thus assuring us that minority opinion will be heard and that petitions for the redress of personal grievances will be carefully considered.
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