Weekly Focal Point:
“Owning our own story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
-Brene Brown
12 Step Series
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
Freed from the obsession with another person, we could focus our attention on ourselves. We looked at how our lives had become unmanageable. How did we change our negative attitudes? How did we find the path to self awareness? What actions did we take to change ourselves for the better? How and where did we get the help we needed? Our answers lay in taking the Twelve suggested Steps toward recovery, which had been used successfully by others with similar problems. We began with the Cornerstone of them all: Step One. Some order came out of chaos. It became easier and easier to accept the idea we could take charge of ourselves. Each time we detached we moved forward. With our admission that we lacked power over alcohol, that we lacked the ability to direct other people’s lives, and that our lives were unmanageable, we became ready to look beyond ourselves for the strength we needed to live a new way of life.”
(Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, pg. 9)
The Three C’s of Alanon
We Didn’t Cause It
Step one states, “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.” Addiction is a chronic disease, and there is nothing we can say or do to stop our loved ones from using or drinking.
We Can’t Control It
Step two states, “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” We realize there is nothing we can do to control addiction. Instead, we seek a power greater than ourselves to rely upon, just as our loved one is doing.
We Can’t Cure It
Step three states, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” After we realize there is nothing we can do to control the addiction, we can begin putting it in the hands of our Higher Power.Considerations for the Week
1. Have I prayerfully considered the possibility that I need a support system of my own such as an Al-Anon Family Group or other fellowship to help me successfully navigate the journey in family recovery?
2. Does my past experience of attempting to overcome the effects of substance use disorder on my own been beneficial to me? Am I now willing to take new actions to produce new results?
3. Do I believe that I am a person worthy of healing and experiencing a life of freedom?
The Family Afterward Meeting
Our next Family Afterward Meeting will take place on May 23, 2023 at 7 PM CST via Zoom. Please join us for a topic discussion meeting.
To join click the link below!
Passcode: 11503
To stay up to date on current events, our monthly Family Afterward meeting, and to build relationships with others who have a loved one in recovery, feel free to join our private BRC Healthcare Family Afterward Facebook page.
To contact a family recovery coordinator or to volunteer to submit a “Family Success Story” spotlighting your experience, strength, and hope, !
BRC Monthly Speaker Meeting
BRC Healthcare’s monthly speaker meeting is back! Join us June 10 for food, fellowship, and speaker Courtney W. Doors open at 6 PM with the meeting beginning at 8 PM. This event is open to the general public and all in the Austin recovery community. We look forward to reconnecting with each of you in Mark Houston Hall.
For those of you who are unable to attend locally, livestream over Zoom will be available.
Please note that our Zoom link has been fixed.
Passcode: 11503