A Year on Step 7
A Year on Step 7By Debbie WickerDuring a recent recording session for “Recovery Now!” the internet radio show, our guest Jim mentioned that he spent an entire year going through Step 7 of the 12 Step recovery program. It seemed impossible in our modern world, that someone could actually spend 12 months working on one single step. We live in a society that demands instant gratification, so taking a year to achieve anything is hard to believe. Most people that I’ve seen in groups want the 12-Step process to work immediately, as in RIGHT NOW! They want to cut to the chase. “Give me a pill to stop the cravings…I’ll spend the next twelve weeks in AA…and “bang” I’m CURED and no longer addicted to alcohol.” Most family members feel the same: “He’s in treatment for thirty days and then he should finally be cured, I can’t believe it takes that long but I guess they must know what they’re doing.”In our high stress, over-scheduled, blackberry world the concept of spending a year on one step is almost inconceivable to most people. There are two common questions that people ask. First, how long does the 12 Step process take, and secondly, how long should I spend on any individual step? My answer to each is “as long as it takes.” So what is Step 7? It states, “Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings’ which seems easy enough how could it possibly take a year. Step 7 implies relationship with a higher power, or God, as you understand Him. It’s a partnership, if you will, and so you are asking your partner to remove shortcomings that you have previously identified, and you are giving your higher power permission to do so. There is a push-pull element to that relationship, as we are not always ready or willing to allow outside help to intervene. Also it’s a two-way relationship that may take a while to fully establish. Both sides have to be fully communicating in the relationship. That surely takes time. Although I’ve barely scratched the surface of the complexity of this step, hopefully you get the idea.In Jim’s case he spent a year coming to grips with his spiritual beliefs. Not based on what his parents told him or what someone said, or on his own anger at the concept of God; but what did he believe and why did he believe it. How can your higher power work to your benefit unless you understand that power and submit to it? I view that kind of introspection as time very well spent. Many people go through life and never decide what they believe about God and why they believe it. What is God as I understand him? Is there a higher power and can I really get help from that power?So the bottom line is as you go through the 12-Step process for yourself or to help a loved one, don’t rush. Take your time. Contemplate each step and really try to understand where you really are in the step. Find a sponsor who is caring, but also honest with you about any issues that may be blocking your progress. Try to get to a place where you’re truly Honest, Open and Willing to deal with all aspects of your recovery.The 12 Step process is used by more than 250 self-help groups, and over the years, countless thousands of people have benefited. Because the 12 Steps is based on a relationship with a Higher Power, people will only be helped if they are willing to slow down and spend time at each step to receive the full measure of the experience as they work their way through recovery.Debbie Wicker is the publisher of Drug-Addiction-Support.org and Alcoholism-Support.org, and the producer of Recovery Now! a weekly radio show on addiction recovery.For more about A Year on Step 7 to Books
Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot Addiction to Drugs in: Yourself… Your Family… Your Friends… Your Community…The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail.
Finally don’t miss the Spiritual and 12-step sections to fully explore how understanding THE SPIRIT can lead to recovery!
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