Step Five
The Fifth Step In The Recovery Process
5. Confessed to God, to Ourselves, and to Another Person the True Nature of Our Missteps
Often, I hear from individuals who have just fallen back into old habits: “I was focusing on my fourth step.” It brings to mind Jim’s tale in “More About Alcoholism”. The Big Book illustrates that Jim acknowledged he was an alcoholic. He even possessed a significant understanding of his condition. Yet, he ended up intoxicated because he didn’t expand his spiritual life. I frequently ponder: Why do so many individuals relapse during those initial four steps?
The text repeatedly emphasizes that “faith without work is dead,” suggesting that this is an action-oriented program. The initial 3 steps are essentially a series of reflections. Do I accept that I am powerless over my addiction and that my life is chaotic? Do I trust that a power beyond myself can restore my sanity? Am I ready to decide to follow a path that will entrust my life to God's care as I comprehend Him? Following the third step decision, we embark on a set of directives that lead to a spiritual awakening. This crucial spiritual awakening only commences once we engage in the 5th step: “We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience.” (page 75)
What The Big Book describes resonates with my personal journey. For several years, I was in and out of meeting spaces, attending sessions almost daily, and regularly consulting with a sponsor. Still, I couldn’t maintain even a day of sobriety. I studied the first four steps and was fully aware of my addiction. I even had faith in God, yet that knowledge and belief were inadequate to achieve recovery. When I met with a knowledgeable sponsor, he clarified that as an addict, I would relapse unless I underwent a vital spiritual transformation. He showed me that steps 4-9 are a structured action plan designed to bring about this spiritual transformation.
After drafting my inventory, I felt little fear in discussing it with my sponsor. I understood it was a “life-and-death task”. There were many items on my inventory that made me feel ashamed then, but my desire to live and be liberated was stronger. Previously, I avoided eye contact when speaking to others. Completing the fifth step enabled me to meet people's gaze. There was nothing left to conceal.
– Anonymous
