Step One For Drug Addiction Recovery: Guide, History & Worksheets

By Aaron C.

Study Guide to Understand Drug Dependence and Addiction With All Twelve Steps and Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Copyright

Sober Living Treatment TM

2018 Edition

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission in writing from the publisher

Printed in the USA

In memory of all those whose lives ended while in addiction, who never discovered this spiritual path to recovery.

This book belongs to _______________

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction

Chapter 2

The Oxford Group

Chapter 3

Step 1

Chapter 4

Work Sheet For Step One

Chapter 1

Introduction

This book is going to offer help in understanding how to apply the Twelve Steps to your life to recover from drug dependence on narcotics, prescription drugs, alcohol and in some form or fashion all addictions. This book is also going use some Cognitive Behavior Therapy “mindsets” to teach you what to look for so that you don’t keep repeating the same things. Once you can detect the negative mindsets you are getting trapped in, you can retrain your mind to reframe your thinking habits. You just have to unravel the cognitive distortions and restructure your thought process by journaling. This guide will help open your mind to see how you can rescript your thoughts into more positive and open ones.

Underneath all addictions is a mental obsession that begins in the mind and turns into a compulsive behavior that can rage out of control. At a certain point the body gets involved and needs the effect of the desired “feeling” brought on by the mind or mood altering substance. Now you have an “obsession of the mind and a need from the body”.

When your body’s cells can’t function without a drug or substance, your central nervous system becomes physically dependent. Your body cries out with painful withdrawal symptoms. It can be as subtle as the need for the fake dopamine that amphetamines deliver or as physical as opiate withdrawal symptoms that include: muscle aches, racing heart, fever, excessive sweating, hypertension, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, stomach cramps, not being able to sleep for weeks in certain cases and depression. For Benzodiazepines also known as “benzos”, you can die if you try to stop cold turkey from a seizure or heart attack if your dependence has been years in the making. The same can be said for alcohol withdrawals. Please seek professional help from your doctor or an established drug treatment facility on all drug detox and tapering matters. This book is meant to help you learn how to live a spiritual life to help you stay clean and free from drug dependence and can help with any other addictions. This book is relevant for newcomers and to help more experienced members develop a deeper understanding of the Twelve Steps. This book contains information that can be used as suggestions and guides on how to find sobriety and recovery by working the Twelve Steps. It does not contain the sobriety and recovery by itself, that will come from you. Your personal experience from doing the work will bring the sobriety and recovery. You have to choose to be willing to do it. I created this guide to be synergistic so you can get involved also. By doing that you can add to these guides, delete from them, or use them as they are.

By working the Twelve Steps to the best of your ability, and repeating them when necessary, you do even more than keep your addictions in remission; you can enjoy a new freedom from the underlying issues. Being dependent on hard drugs, prescription drugs, alcoholism, overeating, gambling, and other addictions are but a symptom. Lets attack the root cause as well.

There is a section that goes over the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps, from the Oxford Group, to give a deeper understanding of the process. At the end of this book there are worksheets provided to answer regarding your personal addictive behavior that will help you get deeper into your triggers and how you have reacted in the past.

Before we get to The Twelve Steps For Drug Addiction Recovery, we have to decide to be committed to being rigorously honest. We also have to be receptive and have an open mind. And finally, the biggest one, we have to have willingness. We have to be willing to accept things, have the willingness to be humble and be willing to take these Twelve Steps, One Step at a time, One Day at a time.

Chapter 2

The Oxford Group

The history of the Twelve Step program started with Alcoholics Anonymous and can be traced back to the Oxford Group.

The Oxford Group was started in the early 1900’s. The founder, Dr. Frank Buchman was a Lutheran minister who experienced a spiritual transformation in a vision where he saw the face of Jesus Christ and realized how his anger and resentments had separated himself from God’s unconditional love. He surrendered his will to God and started to share his experience with others. Dr. Buchman’s work and following grew, and the fellowship groups eventually made it to Oxford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Williams and Smith and Vassar. The fellowship outreach was conducted through house meetings and members were encouraged to find and work with other people in their communities who suffered from similar problems.

Bill Wilson, one of the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, traced his path to sobriety through the Oxford Group.

Ebby Thatcher was an old friend and drinking buddy with Bill Wilson. Thatcher was restored to sobriety through the Oxford Group and shared the principles with Bill Wilson.

In that first meeting with Ebby Thatcher, while Bill Wilson was still drinking heavily, Bill Wilson scoffed at the idea of God. But he noticed that Ebby was changed from the inside out. He was intrigued and attracted to this transformation.

Twenty years later Bill Wilson described his conversion experience after the event by saying, “My depression deepened unbearably and finally seemed to me as though I were at the very bottom of the pit. I still gagged badly at the notion of a power greater than myself, but finally, just for the moment, the last vestige of my proud obstinacy was crushed. All at once I found myself crying out, If there is a God, let Him show Himself! I am ready to do anything, anything!

Suddenly, the room lit up with a great white light. I was caught up into an ecstasy, which there are no words to describe. It seemed to me, in the mind’s eye, that I was on a mountain and that a wind not of air but of spirit was blowing. And then it burst upon me that I was a free man. Slowly the ecstasy subsided. I lay on the bed, but now for a time I was in another world, a new world of consciousness. All about me and through me there was a wonderful feeling of Presence, and I thought to myself, ‘So this is the God of the preachers! A great peace stole over me and I thought, no matter how wrong this seems to be, they are still all right. Things are all right with God and His world.”

Bill Wilson began to know a new peace as he surrendered his will to God. A quote from the “The Promises” in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous relates the fruition of this experience here:

“…We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others…”

At this phase of Bill Wilson’s development, he was ready to move forward. He studied what had worked to transform Ebby and began to learn.

The Oxford Group’s teachings rested on the following Six assumptions:

1) Human beings are sinners.

2) Human beings can be changed.

3) Confession is a prerequisite to change.

4) The changed soul has direct access to God.

5) The age of miracles has returned.

6) Those who have been changed are to change others.

Bill Wilson incorporated into A.A.’s philosophy the Oxford Group’s five procedures, which were:

1) Giving to God.

2) Listening to God’s direction.

3) Checking guidance.

4) Restitution.

5) Sharing, both confession and witness.

Bill Wilson attended Oxford Group meetings and based much of the A.A. program on this framework. While trying to attract more followers to sobriety from 1935-1937, Bill Wilson attended Oxford Group meetings in New York led by Samuel Shoemaker Jr.

“It was from Sam Shoemaker that we absorbed most of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, steps that express the heart of A.A.’s life.

In another Bill Wilson quote he said, “The early A.A. got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgment of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Group and directly from Sam Shoemaker, the former leader in America, and from nowhere else.”

Bill Wilson distanced himself from the Oxford Group in order to reach out to other groups who were uncomfortable with a religious, evangelical emphasis. Even so, most of the traditions of the Oxford Group continue in the A.A. approach and the Scriptures remain the foundation for recovery for many of those in A.A. and all the other Twelve Step programs.

Now that we have some of this history that relates to the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, it is important to note that each person can choose their own conception of a Higher Power.

The Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous was adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous in hopes they might broaden the perspective on addiction. It was founded in 1953 in California. In 1960, there was 1 N.A. meeting in the world. In 1978, there were fewer than 200 registered groups in three countries. In 1993, more than a dozen countries had over 13,000 groups holding over 19,000 meetings. In 2007, there were over 25,065 groups holding over 43,000 weekly meetings in 127 countries.

There are many other Twelve Step programs that cover eating addictions like: Food Addicts Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous & Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous.

There are many other Twelve Step programs that cover the family: Al-Anon/Alateen, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Nar-Anon, Families Anonymous, Parents Anonymous & Co-Dependents Anonymous.

There are many Twelve Step programs for Sex and Love Addictions: Love Addicts Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexual Compulsive Anonymous, Sexoholics Anonymous & Sexual Recovery Anonymous.

There are many other Twelve Step programs for other addictions like: Cocaine Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Dual Recovery Anonymous, Nicotine Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous, Heroin Anonymous, Marijuana Anonymous, Methadone Anonymous, Pills Anonymous, Prescription Anonymous, Hepatitis C Anonymous, HIV AIDS Anonymous, Recovering Couples Anonymous & Workaholics Anonymous.

This book is unique in that while using the Twelve Step Programs that include Alcoholics Anonymous, there will also be a Cognitive Behavior Therapy approach to the worksheets. The addiction mentality centers in the mind so dealing with certain mindsets that hurt recovery is the goal. Certain mindsets like “All or nothing thinking” are responsible for continual relapse. When the addict can see that this mindset can be changed to being more open, so then can the behaviors.

An example of “All or nothing thinking” can be that a drug addict can have the mentality that “If my wife won’t reconcile with me, I’m not going to stop using drugs.” Or, “If I don’t get this job, fuck it I’m going to get high.” The addict has to change that thought process to “Even if my wife won’t reconcile with me now, I can get sober and be in a better position than I would be.” Or, “If I don’t get this job, I can find another one.”

These are pretty extreme cases of the addictive thought process but lets look at a more subtle one.

A drug addict can have the mentality that “I don’t have a problem with alcohol” and have a hard time allowing Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or their literature to help them. Yet if they open their mind and see what is inside they can find similarities, like other members who are in the meetings who were also addicted to drugs as well. I’m bringing up this point because this book will use the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous as well since that is where the history of the Twelve Steps originated after the Oxford Group.

All I am asking you as the reader to do is have an open mind and be willing to learn more about yourself by doing these exercises. Maybe you will get this sobriety thing right away. Maybe a few seeds will get planted and you will grow a little. Maybe you will help another person and save their life. There could be a mother out there whose kid you helped stay alive to then help another person along the road of life.

Chapter 3

Step 1

 “We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.”

The first thing we have to do is admit we need help. We have to admit that there is a problem and that our life is evidence of that. We have to stop believing any lies or rationalizations that our life is fine if this or that would happen the way we imagine it should. It might be a relationship cycle that keeps happening over and over again that brings the realization that something must change. It might be that you can’t seem to hold a job because you can’t wake up or stay motivated. Maybe you lost custody of your child and you are finally waking up to the fact that doing drugs has brought you to this current spot and you want change. It could be more subtle, and be a dependence on prescription drugs like Adderall, Lorazepam, Oxycontin or other drugs that users can say are “medicines” because they are prescribed legally. But prescription drugs can ruin your life just the same as illegal drugs because they act on the brain in much the same way. The Amphetamine in Adderall can keep the brain from producing Dopamine just like Methamphetamine does. Lets take subtle one step further and remove any mind or mood altering substance because even sober your life can be unmanageable when you try to force your will on something you are powerless over. We are powerless over people, places and things. We can’t have expectations on how things should go. Otherwise, even if we are clean for a while, some of our behaviors can act out and make our lives unmanageable again. When we become trapped in obsessive, compulsive, self-centered habits again, it leads to a revolving door that takes us back to mental, spiritual and emotional insanity. We have to find acceptance. To do that and get this step down we have to SURRENDER.

For almost everyone who comes to the first Twelve Step experience the immediate problem is DENIAL. When we are in denial, we are unable to see the reality of our addiction. We minimize its effect on our life and will explore a Cognitive Behavior Therapy mindset that covers this soon. In denial we blame others to justify why we do what we do. We justify that we need the drugs for mental health reasons to function properly. In denial, we can compare ourselves with other “real” drug addicts whose addiction seems way worse than our own. For example, I might be using a prescription drug like Adderall and saying I’m alright because I’m not smoking or shooting methamphetamine. I agree that you aren’t as bad off as that kind of addict but is your life still becoming unmanageable? Are you now also taking an anti anxiety medication like Lorazepam or Xanax so you can sleep at night? One of the easiest ways to see if we are in denial is when we find ourselves giving plausible but untrue reasons for our behavior.

The most important word that represents Step One is Powerless. In the Big Book of A.A. on page 24 it tells us, “The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically non-existent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against that first drink.”

To study Step One in depth, lets break this down into two parts.

The first half of Step One is:

We admitted we were powerless.

Nobody wants to admit defeat, yet that is exactly what we have to do, face that we are beat. This has to be a blunt recognition and absolute awareness.

You not only have to admit being powerless over alcohol, drugs, people, places, things and outcomes, you have to admit that this is a permanent situation. No matter how long you stay sober, this awareness cannot waiver.

In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in the second edition, in the chapter, MORE ABOUT ALCOHOLISM, it tells us, “We have to concede, to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics, this is the first step of recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.”

In a previous paragraph in the same chapter it says, “The idea that somehow, someday he (she) (we) will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.”

So our biggest problem and first hurdle that must be conquered, is surrender. We have to surrender our will power. We have to stop fighting. We have to admit that we just can’t put poison in our bodies, whether it be liquor or any other mind altering substance.

This is considered the most vital step in Twelve Step programs. If an individual does not accept this First Step it will not be possible to benefit from the rest of the program. This is because the blunt recognition of being powerless and that our lives have become unmanageable, are what motivates us to make radical changes to our life. You literally turn 180 degrees at this point. When you understand this segment, you began to realize what contrary action means in your life.

The Big Book of A.A. gives us two examples that illustrate what happens when we don’t get the First Step right.

Jim was a war veteran who owned an automobile business and was a great salesman. He was a great guy who was smart and appeared totally normal, “except for a nervous disposition.”

Jim was a late bloomer as far as his drinking career went. He didn’t start drinking until he was 35 years old. He began to become violent during his drinking bouts and ended up in a mental asylum where he met members of Alcoholics Anonymous for the first time.

Jim learned about the disease of alcoholism and the answer these men in Alcoholics Anonymous had found to stop drinking. He agreed with them, saw that they had found a remedy, but got out of the hospital and started drinking again.

Afterwards, when talking to the men from Alcoholics Anonymous again, he explained that he was pissed off that he had lost his Automobile business and was now only working there as a salesman.

Remember in the early history of the Twelve Steps in Chapter 1 where it talked about Resentments pulling us away from God? Does this sound familiar here?

In Jim’s story, talking to the A.A. men, he explained how he went into a restaurant with no intention of drinking. But while ordering lunch he had an idea that maybe he could put a shot of whiskey in his milk on a full stomach and that it wouldn’t hurt him. We know how that ends right?

For Jim, initially, he thought it worked! So he had another, and another, and another, until his journey took him right back to the asylum.

This example gets to the root of the First Step, especially when we are weakened by resentment.

Fred is our second example out of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Fred is another seemingly normal guy who has a great job as a partner in a big accounting firm, is married and has a couple of kids in a big home. The only apparent problem is that when Fred drinks, he can’t stop.

While in the hospital Fred met some A.A. guys who told him all about alcoholism and how they used to drink. Fred admitted that there were some similarities but when it got to the point of “admitting he was powerless to do anything about it” he balked. He thought he could handle it himself, with self-knowledge and his own willpower.

Here Fred was, with a doctor telling him he had a drinking problem and other men in recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous telling him their experiences, and he couldn’t admit he had a problem that he was powerless over.

So, I guess you can predict what happened? Yep, Fred ended up back in the hospital from drinking and not being able to stop after that first drink.

Fred explained his story to the same A.A. guys who had talked to him before. He said that everything was great for a while. He was able to stay sober on self-will. Then one day he went out of town to obtain a government contract for his business. He secured a great deal and closed the contract and was very pleased with himself. In his own words he said, “It was the end of a perfect day, not a cloud on the horizon”.

Then, an idea.

He thought an after dinner drink might be a good idea. He gave in to that thought like a knife cutting through warm butter. After his first drink, he decided another drink was also a great idea! He continued to have great ideas until he ended up back where he started, completely defeated, again!

Afterward, he remembered that the A.A. guys had told him this would happen to him. That no matter how well he thought he was doing, he would drink for some trivial reason. In his own words he said, “As soon as I regained my ability to think, I went carefully over the evening. Not only had I been off guard, I had made no fight whatever against that first drink. This time I had not thought of the consequences at all. I had commenced to drink as if cocktails were ginger ale…” Fred continues later saying, “I knew from that moment that I had an alcoholic mind. I saw that willpower and self-knowledge would not help in those strange mental blank spots. I had never been able to understand people who said that a problem had them hopelessly defeated. I knew then, it was a crushing blow.”

In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, it tells us that if we are alcoholic, self will or self-knowledge will at some point fail us. We will go out and drink. On page 37 it says, “In some circumstances we have gone out deliberately to get drunk, feeling ourselves justified by nervousness, anger, worry, depression, jealousy or the like…”

Does this sound familiar to you? If it does and you have felt that “Incomprehensible demoralization” that comes after drinking or using, know that you are not alone. But you can’t beat this thing on your own. You have to find God and lean on His power not your power.

The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous tells us the only proven defense has to come from a Higher Power. On page 42, It promises that Spiritual solutions will solve all of my problems. On page 43 it ends with this, “Once more: the alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.

This leads us to the second half of Step 1.

“…That our lives had become unmanageable.”

The reason that we must examine this half separately is because that is where our selfish and self-centered nature can be found.

For many people, it is easier to admit being powerless over alcohol or drugs than it is to accept that their lives have become unmanageable. To admit that is to admit that our thinking is just plain off. We have to admit that we can’t even manage, or to put it more bluntly, be in charge of our own life. This is where denial usually steps in to rear its ugly head.

When in active addiction, the alcoholic or drug addict will often point the finger at someone else. Examples can be something like this:

“I wouldn’t drink if I wasn’t so stressed out from a bad childhood.”

Or, “You would drink too if this happened to you…”

Or, “I have anxiety so I smoke marijuana to help me sleep…”

Do you see what is happening? In each situation the person with the excuse is justifying the behavior. Not only that, but the person is trying to manage their own life by using a mind altering substance to make it better. The more that doesn’t work, the more the person blames someone or something for his or her poor management skills.

This is Surrender number two. By working the Twelve Steps, we have to give that power to God and let Him manage our life.

Chapter 4

Work Sheet For Step One

I want you to examine your thought process so you can learn what leads to your behaviors. When we can change our thought process, we can then change our behaviors. To begin this journey of gaining awareness and more control over our thoughts, lets look at Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist, invented CBT in the 1960’s to help his clients understand how to change their automatic thoughts that were negative and possibly based on dysfunctional assumptions.

CBT has been used to treat relationship problems, drug and alcohol abuse, anxiety and depression. This is very helpful to understand in recovery from addiction because once recovered there still can be some emotional problems that act like a cancer on your thoughts. Early on in my sobriety my sponsor told me to write a “thought record” anytime I got angry. While this helps you examine your thoughts it doesn’t go as deep as CBT which gives you a list of negative thought cycles you can see if you are getting stuck in.

Here are some common cognitive distortions to look out for:

1) All-or-nothing thinking. This is also known as “Polarized Thinking/ Or Black and White Thinking”. It really means that you are getting stuck in a mentality that doesn’t have room for a middle ground where life usually is. Life has complexities, nuances and shades of grey. We used a pretty big one in an earlier chapter, “If my significant other won’t be with me I’m getting high.” The thinking behind that can be, “I have nothing left to live for so why not get high.” That thought process has to be broken to see that “I can find joy in sobriety” or “I can become a better person sober and be in a more healthy relationship that has a better chance of lasting.”

2) Jumping to conclusions. This is a constant problem for an addict because our mindset can distort our future hope into no hope at all. An example can be jumping to the conclusion that this new relationship will end just like the last one did. “She will leave me when she finds out how screwed up I am.” That mindset can literally think it into reality. The behaviors will manifest and force her to break up with you. Or it could be that “she” was cheated on in her marriage and she “jumps to conclusions” that it will happen again just like last time. Her lack of “trust” will manifest into behaviors that harm the relationship. In both cases, we can become convinced that our fears will come true before we have a chance to find out. Instead of “jumping to conclusions” the mindset must be changed to “Each interaction in my life is different If I make it different and treat it differently.

3) Minimizing, Magnifying or Catastrophizing. This mindset can remove all the good from your perceptions and focus on all the bad. Or it can minimize all the problems. We mentioned minimizing when talking about denial. It’s a perfect example of this mindset. “I don’t have a problem with drugs because I’m not as bad as that crack smoker or heroin addict!” While true you might not be as bad, a healthier mindset would be, “My prescription medicines are hurting my relationships so I want to get more healthy.” The other side of this mindset is Magnifying or Catastrophizing everything. This mindset can hurt you because all you focus on is the problem and it gets bigger because you feed it your thoughts. To get out of this mindset you have to focus on the solution not the problem. Or focus on all the other good things in your life and magnify them.

4) Fallacy of fairness. We are often concerned about fairness. “That it isn’t fair that it happened to me!” We can go through life “keeping score” and that sets us up for “resentment”. As addicts we have to be in “acceptance” to win freedom.

5) Blaming. When things don’t go our way, there are many ways we want to explain or assign responsibility for the outcome. Sometimes we blame others for what went wrong. It becomes a cognitive distortion when we blame another person for making us “feel” or act out in a certain way because we are the only ones responsible for the way we act and feel.

6) Emotional reasoning. This is another “feeling” deal that can weigh us down. Just because you “feel” something DOES NOT MAKE IT TRUE. Clearly, our emotions are not always right when it comes to what is true and what isn’t true. Stay out of “I feel it, therefore it must be true.”

7) Shoulds. We can make up rules about how we and others should behave that are to black and white. When others break our rules, we get upset. When we break our rules, we feel guilty. We have to be in acceptance that life has a lot more gray area and mistakes will happen. We have no business taking things to personally as there are usually extenuating circumstances.

There are many other cognitive distortions that spring up as inaccurate thoughts that reinforce negative thought patterns or emotions. The solution is to become aware of them by gathering data on your moods and thoughts. By working the Twelve Steps you can also seek out the root causes of where your thought distortions originated. Even if you can’t put a finger on where they originated specifically, you can restructure your thought process to become healthier. This book and the worksheets are meant as a starting point. By going to Twelve Step meetings you can be a part of a group where you aren’t alone. You will find other people working through the same mindsets you are. Lets begin.

Step One “We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.”

Have you ever tried to stop drinking/drugging completely? Write down as many examples as you can remember:

1) ___________________________________

2) ___________________________________

3) ___________________________________

4) ____________________________________

5) ____________________________________

6) ____________________________________

7) ____________________________________

8) ____________________________________

9) ____________________________________

10)                   ________________________________

Now, what was the result from each time you tried to stop?

1)______________________________________

2)______________________________________

3)______________________________________

4)______________________________________

5)______________________________________

6)______________________________________

7)______________________________________

8)______________________________________

9)______________________________________

10)_____________________________________

Now, how many times have you tried to limit the amount of alcohol/drugs you partook in? An example would be: “I will limit myself to just one drink per hour.” Or, “I will only use these drugs/party on the weekend.” Give examples:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7________________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)_____________________________________

Now, what were the results of these attempts to modify or control your addiction? List the results:

1)______________________________________

2)______________________________________

3)______________________________________

4)______________________________________

5_______________________________________

6______________________________________

7)______________________________________

8______________________________________

9)______________________________________

10)_____________________________________

Now we should be getting a little closer to the disease of addiction because we are now examining our thought process. Have you used “all or nothing” thinking in your life as it relates to addiction? Dig deep and seek out any “all or nothing thinking” thought processes.

Here are some examples:

1) If my girl won’t go into treatment with me I am not getting sober either.

2) If I don’t get this job my life is screwed so I am not going to get sober.

3) If I don’t pass this test my life will suck and I am not going to get sober.

List all of your examples of “all or nothing thinking as it relates to getting sober:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)____________________________________

Now list how you can change your negative mindsets into positive mindsets that are not “all or nothing thinking” in relation to Step One. An obvious example can be, “I can stop using and admit I am powerless even if my significant other doesn’t take me back.” This is just an example. The main thing is to see how you can admit you want to stop using no matter what and conform the mindset to fit that instead of the “all or nothing thinking” thought habits. Another example can be, “I can stop using and admit I am powerless even it I don’t get that job. I can get help from my addictions in recovery meetings and find another job anyway.” List what you can think of:

1)________________________________________

2)________________________________________

3)________________________________________

4)________________________________________

5)________________________________________

6)________________________________________

7)________________________________________

8)________________________________________

9)________________________________________

10)_______________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of “jumping to conclusions”. List any of your thought processes that assumed things would go a certain way. It doesn’t even have to be about addiction. Just remember where you tried to predict any outcomes. I will give you some examples to help you start writing.

1) I assumed that my new relationship was going to end just like my last one did.

2) Because my boss at work reprimanded me I assumed I would never get a promotion… List how you have “jumped to conclusions” in your life.

1)______________________________________

2)______________________________________

3)______________________________________

4)______________________________________

5)______________________________________

6)______________________________________

7)______________________________________

8)______________________________________

9)______________________________________

10)_____________________________________

Now lets look at the “jumping to conclusions” mindset as it relates to Step One and find ways to change the thought process into a positive mindset. I will give you some examples to follow:

1) Just because I failed at sobriety before doesn’t mean I have to again.

2) This is a new opportunity for me to do Step One right and admit I am powerless.

3) Just because my significant other isn’t getting sober with me doesn’t mean I can’t lead by example and get sober myself. List all of your examples:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)______________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of Minimizing, Magnifying or Catastrophizing. Think about all the ways you have let this negative mindset create negative momentum in your life. Here are a few examples to help you get started:

1) It’s no big deal that I got a D.U.I. because everyone does.

2) I’m not as bad as that heroin addict so I don’t have a problem.

3) An example of magnifying or catastrophizing~ Because I have this mental problem my entire life is doomed. List all of your thought processes that relate to this negative mindset:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)______________________________________

Now lets look at the “minimizing, magnifying and catastrophizing” mindset as it related to Step One and find ways to change the thought process into a positive mindset. I will give you some examples to follow:

1) I was minimizing the problems that I was having from using drugs. Now I see that these problems can turn into bigger problems if I don’t stop using drugs.

2) I was magnifying every event in my life and that brought so much pressure upon myself that I had to use drugs. I have to magnify the solutions I have instead of using drugs. I can also magnify what I am grateful for like I am alive and have choices so I don’t have to use drugs if I don’t want to.

3) A problem would get so big for me that I would magnify it and think of nothing else until I got high on dope again. Now I know that using drugs will make my problem worse, not better.

Now list all of the examples you can think of:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)______________________________________

Now lets look at the mindset that has to do with fairness. The big book of Alcoholics Anonymous tells us that we are perfectionists, highly sensitive, romantics who have grandiose ideas. That makes us score keepers who try to decide what is fair. That sets us up for resentments. Resentments are the number one offender for relapse. I will start off with some general examples to help you follow with your own:

1) Being the only sober person at my job I work the hardest and deserve the best shifts and most money.

2) It isn’t fair that my girlfriend can get high and drink and I can’t.

3) It isn’t fair that everyone else is getting high without me!

4) My friend’s life is more unmanageable than mine and his parents always help him out of trouble.

5) My girlfriend is more powerless than me when it comes to using drugs. List all of your examples:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)_______________________________________

Now lets look at the “fairness” mindset as it relates to Step One and find ways to change the thought process into a positive mindset. I will give you some examples to follow:

1) Just because my friend’s life is more unmanageable then mine and his parents always help him out of trouble doesn’t mean that I’m any better off using drugs.

2) Just because my girlfriend is more powerless than me when it comes to being able to stop using drugs doesn’t mean I should keep using drugs.

3) If I live by my own standards and let everyone one else live by their standards I can deal with my sobriety better. List all of your examples:

1)________________________________________

2)________________________________________

3)________________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of blaming other people. Blaming everyone else is a part of the rationalization process for addiction. We blame everyone and everything for our problems but don’t look in the mirror. Here are some examples you can follow:

1) It is her fault for lying to me!

2) It is my parent’s fault for abusing me!

3) It is the cops fault for searching me illegally! List all of the examples in your life:

1)_____________________________________

2)_____________________________________

3)_____________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of “blaming” as it relates to Step One and find ways to change the thought process into a positive mindset. I will give you some examples to follow:

1) I am powerless over other people, places and things so I will work on what I can which is my sobriety.

2) It doesn’t matter if he keeps using drugs because I am powerless over his decisions but can work on my own decisions.

3) It doesn’t matter if she lied to me because I am responsible for my own actions.

4) The cop might have searched me illegally but it is my fault I had the drugs on me. List all of your examples:

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of “emotional reasoning” and see how we have been letting our “feelings” determine what our reality becomes. Just because we “feel” something is a certain way does not make it true. But when we assume it is true, we can get depressed and give up and give in.

1) It “feels” like my girlfriend is talking to other people on Facebook messenger so I might as well get high.

2) It “feels” like that person doesn’t like me so I will ignore them from now on.

3) It “feels” like my parents are going to be disappointed in me so why should I even try? List all of your “feeling” examples.

1)_____________________________________

2)_____________________________________

3)_____________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of “emotional reasoning or feeling” as it relates to Step One and find ways to change the thought process into a positive mindset. I will give you some examples to follow:

1) Just because I feel that my girlfriend is talking to other people on Facebook messenger doesn’t mean she is going to cheat on me. She could be talking to other girls or something innocent. I don’t have to give in to these feelings and become depressed and use drugs.

2) Just because it “feels” like that person doesn’t like me doesn’t make it a true statement. That person could be distracted or have their own emotional baggage that isn’t related to me at all. I don’t have to use drugs over it.

3) Just because it “feels” like my parents are going to be disappointed in me doesn’t mean that they are. They could be worried about me because they love me and I am taking it the wrong way. I will not use drugs again and give them another reason to worry about me. List all of your new mindsets for “feelings on emotional reasoning.”

1)______________________________________

2)______________________________________

3)______________________________________

4)______________________________________

5)______________________________________

6)______________________________________

7)______________________________________

8)____________________________________

9)____________________________________

10)___________________________________

Now lets look at the negative mindset of “shoulds” and see how we have been letting our “shoulds” determine what our reality becomes. Just because we think something should happen or should be a certain way doesn’t mean we are right! List all of the negative mindsets that have to do with what you think “should” happen in your life. Here are some examples:

1) My parents shouldn’t have been so abusive to me or I wouldn’t have started using drugs.

2) They shouldn’t have bullied me growing up or I wouldn’t have started using drugs.

3) The Catholic priests shouldn’t have molested all those kids if their was a God.

4) They shouldn’t have voted for that politician and we wouldn’t have all these drug laws. List some negative “should” statements that you have used in your life.

1)_____________________________________

2)_____________________________________

3)_____________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

 Now lets look at the negative mindset of “shoulds” as it relates to Step One and find ways to change the thought process into a positive mindset. I will give you some examples to follow:

1) Just because my parents abused me doesn’t mean that I should abuse myself with addiction.

2) Just because I was bullied in school doesn’t mean I should escape by getting high. List your examples of how you can change your mindsets that relate to “shoulds”.

3) Just because so many Catholic priests molested children doesn’t mean it should reflect on God. It reflects on the fallibility of people so I don’t have to use it as an excuse not to believe in God or get high because of it. List anything you can think of:

1)_____________________________________

2)_____________________________________

3)_____________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

Have you ever rationalized your drinking or drug using because you tell yourself that you are depressed or have anxiety? List examples of any negative mindsets that you can relate this to like “All or nothing thinking” ,“Jumping to conclusions”, “Minimizing/Magnifying”, “Fallacy of fairness or scorekeeping”, “Blaming”, “Emotional reasoning” and “Shoulds”. Here are a few examples to help you:

1) I have to take Xanax and smoke pot for my anxiety. This can fit into the negative mindset of “all or nothing thinking” because you can do other things to reduce anxiety like breathing exercises, working out, eating healthy and getting sunlight and vitamins.

2) I have to take Adderall and smoke meth because I’m depressed. This can fit into the negative mindset of “blaming” because you are allowing your own diagnosis of depression to justify your use of drugs. You can counter this argument with logic that meth and Adderall both steal your brains naturally producing Dopamine that combats depression. List anything else that you can relate to:

1)________________________________________

2)______________________________________

3)______________________________________

4)______________________________________

5)______________________________________

6)______________________________________

7)______________________________________

8)______________________________________

9)______________________________________

10)______________________________________

Have you ever been forced to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or any other self-help meetings because of the court for your drinking and/or using drugs? Did you react to your first couple of meetings with any negative mindsets? List examples of any negative mindsets that you can relate this to like “All or nothing thinking”, “Jumping to conclusions”, “Minimizing/Magnifying”, “Fallacy of fairness or scorekeeping”, “Blaming”, “Emotional reasoning” and “Shoulds”. Here are a few examples to help you:

1) These people are crazy! I can’t be like them! I’m not an addict or alcoholic! This is “Jumping to conclusions” that you don’t share any similarities based on hearing them share for 3 minutes one time.

2) These people are all judging me. I don’t want to share in meetings because these people won’t understand me. This can be “Emotional reasoning or a Feeling” that I will be judged incorrectly.

3) I don’t believe these people are telling the truth. I don’t believe they have been sober for that long. I think these people are being fake. This can be “jumping to conclusions” and “emotional reasoning, feelings”.

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10_______________________________________

We are done with the Cognitive Behavior Therapy section of Step One. Now a few more questions to make sure you have a deeper understanding of where you stand. With Step One we have to admit was are completely powerless over our addiction once we start using drugs, and that our life becomes unmanageable.

Are you admitting that you have a problem with drugs or any other addictions? List how you realize this:

1)_____________________________________

2)_____________________________________

3)_____________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

Are you accepting that you have a problem with alcohol and/or drugging? List how you realize this:

1)_____________________________________

2)_____________________________________

3)_____________________________________

4)_____________________________________

5)_____________________________________

6)_____________________________________

7)_____________________________________

8)_____________________________________

9)_____________________________________

10)____________________________________

What is the difference between ADMITTING and ACCEPTING? In the Bible and in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous there is a phrase that, “Faith without works, is dead.” List how are you accepting through your behavior?

1)_______________________________________

2)_______________________________________

3)_______________________________________

4)_______________________________________

5)_______________________________________

6)_______________________________________

7)_______________________________________

8)_______________________________________

9)_______________________________________

10)______________________________________

List how you can live in a way that keeps you sober and on the path you truly want to be on:

1)________________________________________

2)______________________________________

3_______________________________________

4)______________________________________

5)______________________________________

6)______________________________________

7)______________________________________

8)______________________________________

9)______________________________________

10)______________________________________

We have learned a lot more about our thought process by applying Cognitive Behavior Therapy to the Twelve Steps and how it relates to our addiction. Now I want you to monitor your thoughts like a detective so you can become more aware of the power your thoughts have on your perceptions and reality. To slam this point home lets examine a quote I have modified from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Sow a good thought, and you reap a good action; sow a good action and you reap a good habit; sow a good habit; sow a good habit and you reap a good character; sow a good character and you reap a good destiny.”

Isolation Is The ENEMY

After reading this book and working the worksheets, I want to leave you with some final suggestions. Google search, “Where are the Twelve Step meetings in (Fill in your city). For me it is San Clemente. You can choose AA, NA or any other self-help group. Find a great meeting, where other people share their experience, strength and hope. If you do this, you won’t feel so alone facing your own progress. Every day, alcoholic and drug addicts in recovery are facing issues like, divorce, the death of a loved one, the pain of not be able to find a job and a list of other life events. By being a part of these people’s lives, and watching them make it through all of these events and more, sober, it will help you get through any of the same things, sober. Remember, TRUST GOD, CLEAN HOUSE AND HELP OTHERS.

The End

Dear reader,

It is with sincere gratitude that I would like to thank you for reading Step One for Drug Addiction Recovery. I truly hope this book has been an eye opening experience and brought some value to you. If you have enjoyed this book, please consider being kind enough to leave a review on Amazon, even if you disagree or have something critical to say. It would be helpful to other readers and me. Tap this link and scroll down about halfway on the left to where it says, want to leave a review~

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