Admittedly, it's hard to find someone who isn't nervous about step 5, and some people put it off as long as possible. However, this step is also one of the most satisfying steps on the road to recovery because it allows us to leave behind the past. Once you have had the integrity to be honest with God, then it will be much easier to be honest with yourself and another human being. Perhaps more than any other step in the process, step 5 provides an opportunity to begin to grow spiritually.
It provides an opportunity to unload the burdens of the past and end them. The purpose of step 5 is not to embarrass yourself in the eyes of your sponsor or whoever listens to you during the step. Instead, it's time to get rid of the old garbage and the dark secrets that we hold inside us. Very often, it was these things that made us drink or consume.
When preparing for step 5, many people describe fear. It really can be a heartbreaking process. Our pride wants us to feel that we are doing good and leaving behind all that destructive behavior. Step 4 forces us to look back and step 5 brings it to light, revealing everything.
There is also a fear that your listener will think less of you. However, you should keep in mind that they have also been there. Who knows, they may have done worse things during the days they drank and consumed alcohol, but that doesn't matter. In step 5, the focus is on you and what you've done.
If you've done your inventory thoroughly in step 4, this is just a sample of those problems. In fact, some people find that they need to take a step back and do a more thorough inventory and go back to step 5.Step 5 is also an opportunity to get to the root cause of your addiction. While it's easy to give it titles like envy, jealousy, anger or whatever, many people find that it's actually fear. It may be different for you, of course, but the point is that this step and step 4 give you the idea of discovering exactly what that is.
Instead of seeing step 5 as a terrifying experience, think about how clear your conscience will be once you've done it. Many people call it freedom and say they experience a peace and calm that they haven't felt in years. I believe that the main purpose of this vital step is to allow us (me) to realize exactly what the dominant internal forces are blocking the truth in drinking; only then will I know exactly what imperfections to ask God to eliminate in steps six and seven. But hardly any step is more necessary for long sobriety and peace of mind than this.
Just like the 12 steps themselves are in a specific order for a reason, so is the process described in step 5.In step 4, you are expected to document your mistakes in every area of your life and to deeply consider each other's role in your alcoholism or addiction. That said, everyone who follows the 12 steps of AA and similar groups understands what it means to confess in step 5, and they won't underestimate the value and reward of what you do in your recovery. According to AA, this step is important because it reveals beliefs and memories that only survive in the dark. In the third step of the AA recovery process, you ask a power greater than yourself for honesty, courage, and willingness to work through every step of your recovery.
The more afraid you are to talk about a certain act or thought in your Fifth Step, the more likely it is that confessing that particular thing will open a new gap in your denial and set you free in a new area. The person you choose to share your fifth-step confession should be someone who understands the recovery process and someone who wants to help you overcome it. In step 5, in the recovery process, the Program goes from taking stock of the past to starting to build a new and healthier future, free of addictions. .
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