Step 4 A A.: Taking Your Fearless Moral Inventory FHE Health

It’d be easy to blame someone or something else, but when you make the decision to drink and drive, you accept those consequences as the risk. For many in step four, that’s another crucial component in compiling a moral inventory, it’s seeing the objective wrong. In this case, the wrong was, you broke the law and didn’t want to be punished; ultimately that’s selfish behavior. List any thoughts, experiences, memories, ideas, beliefs, or observations from your entire life that currently cause you negative emotional or mental experiences.

She was very different from me in that she was fun and outgoing and popular. The only problem is that this is when my drinking started taking over and I wasn’t growing.

Online Store

Time requirements and writing ability may also hamper a participant. Time spent leading up to this attempt should focus on identifying factors in daily life that may indicate personal character strengths or weaknesses. Writing ability may be removed as a factor by using a computer typing program or asking a friend to assist with taking dictation. If you are unable to confide in a friend, a neutral party such as an AA sponsor or other community member can assist as well. Amanda is a prolific medical content writer specializing in eating disorders and addiction treatment.

• When we reach this stage of asking “What is step 4 in AA,” the answer lies within ourselves.
• By doing this I was in some manner working on taking the 12 steps, and it was well over a year before I ever missed a meeting.
• They are stuck in a vicious cycle of “stinkin’ thinking” that justifies their substance abuse and addictive behavior.
• It can feel overwhelming, insurmountable, even impossible, but it’s not.
• Resentment is literally to feel again , and it was the fuel that fed the fires of my alcoholism.

At this point it has probably become pretty clear to you that recovery is a process of steady personal growth and enlightenment that feels so good, you probably wish everyone you knew were doing it! Although you may be pink clouding it, and enjoying the clarity that comes from sobriety, the truth is that our past addiction crippled our ability to reflect honestly about our lives.

h Step Guide

They were my inspiration, my hope and my strength, and it was they who ultimately prepared me for this step. Paradoxically, the resentments that were killing me were also the key to my recovery. They provided an easy and simple way to constructively review my past.

• It’s the Step that requires you to take a long, hard, honest look at your character flaws.
• These AA myths are, unfortunately, what prevent some people from attending a meeting and giving it a shot.
• Making an inventory can seem daunting, as it means you need to re-examine your past in an honest way, even those events and feelings you usually avoid thinking about.
• To make matters worse are all the different worksheets, questions, suggestions, formats and instructions we’re given when attempting to actually write out our step four inventory.
• After doing my first fourth step, the world did not come to an end and I did not drink.

Statutes on group therapy do not encompass those associations that lack a professional therapist or clergyman to whom confidentiality and privilege might apply. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. But if you find yourself procrastinating, consider how you’ll feel when you’re done writing these things down. Many people say that they feel a profound sense of freedom and relief. Although it’s uncomfortable, facing your past can give you the strength to keep pushing forward as you carve out a new life for yourself.

Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Reviewing my sex conduct and my past relationships was helpful, but I don’t think it made things easier as I started dating in sobriety. I was in my late twenties and early thirties going through what I should have experienced what is alcoholics anonymous during those high school years. I was two years sober and she was someone I knew either from an old job or from college. I believe it was the first time that I had ever gone on a date without needing a drink to get through it.

I think Step Four in particular requires some preparation, a process to follow. There were a few steps I needed to take before I was ready to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself. Step 4 of Alcoholics Anonymous requires a very careful personal inventory of character assets. AA understands that this can be a difficult process, and many AA groups offer workbooks to help members work through this step. AA encourages individuals to write down their discoveries https://ecosoberhouse.com/ during Step 4, as writing them creates a concrete form and helps solidify the concepts involved in the mind of the participant. Additionally, one may also find it effective to classify certain aspects of their character, usually by connecting them with adjectives provided in AA workbooks. It can also be helpful to reach out to your AA sponsor, your alcohol addiction support group, a trusted friend or family member, or a therapist to help in completing this step.