This was my exp.

oh yeah once i totally surrendered is when the good stuff started happening to me. It is awesome.

There is an awesome power in believing in a higher power it is out there for all of us.

I only began to understand this concept a couple of weeks ago.....still digesting it, but it's an eye opener.

That told me "You got to surrender to Win' look at Japan now , at the time 1985 they were on top of the world economically . Made sense to me.... Surrender to what - The thoughts an actions that I could lick what I was suffering from (Alcoholism)) without admitting total defeat (Alcoholism) and seeking the help I need (including other like minded people)
Billy

By surrendering and understanding powerlessness, you actually regain your power!

The power to remain teachable!!!!For me!!!!

Jack, & Billy, So true on both accounts.

cableDude - 3.2 months - hope you aren't picking on anyone in particular ;-)

also .. so I presume you managed to get sober in one clean sweep and transformation? good for you. for others its a learning process - one common enough to be told at AA even by the 'old' timers.

so please don't generalise and say that The Sober distance themselves from those still trying to get Sober. That belies the support I've found here at DS, other too.

The most important thing that enabled me to admit my powerless was knowing that there was a solution available that worked and I could either admit powerlessness and have access to the solution or carry on trying on my own power.

I had done the latter for years and years and knew the results so in the end surrender looked like the best option.

It was also so important for me to understand that there was powerlessness after a drink when the phenomenon of craving kicked in but more importantly that I was powerless before I picked up a drink due to the mental obsession. That meant that I would never reliably be able to stay away from alcohol based on my own will. Therefore I desperately needed some other way to stay sober.

OK, so I am powerless, I know that now, but even though I believe in a "high power" I do not know if that can cure me of the desire, the wanting to escape...I do not get it really!

Ashley, belief in A HP is a great start. The rest of the steps will enable you to really get connected to that power and allow it into your life so you can recover.

I didnt know if I believed that at the beginning either. The only thing I had to go on was that there were a lot of people saying that it had worked for them and no one, not even me, was saying that my way worked.

So I followed what they said they had done to recover, even though I wasnt sure it would work for me (at one point I was even intending to do the steps to prove I could be THE ONE who did not have a spiritual experience, how screwed up is that).

I did take the steps and just like everyone said it did work for me, so even though I doubted and didnt understand at the beginning the only thing that could really prove it to me was doing it myself. And as I say I had the basis that everyone who had done it said it worked to give me the courage to try.

Who on e board right now agree with this state we are totally powerless over alcohol?

Just curious.

I for one..

I am powerless over all things. I can only learn from my mistakes so today I am doing just that. Thanks gim

The concept of powerlessness I learned in AA keeps me Grounded....Yes I agree