
Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
Step 4. made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Basically we make a list of ppl who had affected us good and bad.
We shall start with grudges ok.
Take a paper write down the persons name then next to it what they did to you and how it made you feel. You continue this until you have listed everyone.
Next take another paper write we call this list grateful. Again write down person name then what did they do to make you feel good, how this affected you.
Once you have compiled this list. You are on your way.
If you want to know more in depth. Drop me a line or chat okay.
I believe it's pages 68-69 in the BB that explain the right way to do your 4th step. All I want to add is that you write it one column at a time, don't go across the whole page line by line.
Don't over-complicate it. Use the big book as your template. Make sure you do this with your sponsor and get them to give you the worksheets. It's NOT a life story, it's just lists of names and boxes to tick and a few words of explanation - maybe 12 words or so per resentment/sexual conduct & harm to others/fears. My sponsor gave me prompt lists to help me too. It is really pretty straight forward. Don't make a massive deal of this. You could easily complete the task in a week if you dedicate a couple of hours a day to it.
The lifestory bit comes in in step 5 which you should do with your sponsor immediately at the end of step 4.
Listen to what Joe and charlie have to say on the matter too: http://silkworth.net/freestuff.html
Don't rely on the 12x12 as your only aid. The big book is more useful in my opinion. In all likelihood step 4 will bring up emotional stuff for so don't stay in that space too long - get it done and move on. Get down everything that comes to mind - if you happen to miss stuff, don't worry you can go back and do another step 4 at a later date when you need to.
That is what I have been told by a good sponsor and basically what i am experiencing right now. I'd love to hear other views on the matter though and will watch this topic.
I did step 4 10 years ago with the guidance of an old timer who vouched for the BB
The important thing is to do it vertically one column after another. The nature of my wrongs were a revelation to me. It still helps me today when I do my step 10 on a daily basis. I readily recognize the nature of my wrongs - self seeking, etc. when I have a conflict with someone.
You may want to do an inventory of your qualities as well as your character defects.
Honesty is of utmost importance.
Some people attend step 4 workshops.
I was advised not to take more than three weeks. Sitting on an inventory can be harmful. So we get on with steps 5.
Be blessed