Many people are often completely unaware they even have an addiction, let alone the destruction that’s taking place in their life because of it. Thankfully, the first step, in all 12-Step Recovery programs, helps a person deal with these things. The first part of Step One is admitting the powerlessness a person has over their addiction. The second part, which can often be much harder to face, is admitting that one’s life has also become unmanageable from doing that addiction.
So what is meant by unmanageability?
Here are just some of the warning signs for when an addiction could be causing unmanageability in one’s life:
1. Calling in sick to work regularly.
2. Leaving work early or arriving late regularly.
3. Racking up debt and failing to keep bills current.
4. Skipping household cleaning to the point where the home becomes filthy.
5. The refrigerator or home becoming filled with spoiling or already rotten food.
6. Working long hour’s daily.
7. Shopping and spending money on things not needed.
8. Overly cleaning.
9. Greatly reducing one’s hours of sleep.
10. Over-scheduling.
11. Failing to get to scheduled appointments.
12. Procrastination on normal life duties.
13. Speeding, stealing, and breaking the law in general.
14. Having to seek caffeine or other substances to keep you going for the day.
15. Having to seek pills or other substances to take the edge off for the day.
16. Loss of friendships.
17. Loss of partner, wife, or intimate relationship.
18. Being fired from a job.
19. Losing one’s own business.
20. Spending countless hours on the Internet.
21. Failing to shower and stay clean.
22. Losing one’s home.
23. Having one’s possessions repossessed.
24. Avoiding phone calls.
25. Having to lie regularly.
Over the years I have learned from so many people, the amount of unmanageability that came from their active addictions. In my case, while I was able to readily admit I was powerless over all of my addictions, I never wanted to face the unmanageability they were creating in my life. So I stayed sick and suffered the consequences.
I lost count of the number of family get-togethers I avoided to act out in my addictions. I watched my own business fail due to my addictions. I saw several long-term relationships fall apart due to my addictions. I lost many friends due to my addictions. And yet, I continued to do them until I was willing to not only admit I was powerless of those addictions, but that my life truly had become unmanageable because of them.
Today, I’m not active in any addiction and I have to thank to my Higher Power for that. And because of this, my life is not unmanageable anymore.
If your life is becoming or has already become unmanageable, you may want to look at what addiction(s) could be controlling your life. Until you admit you’re powerless over them and that your life has become unmanageable from doing them, the destruction they are creating is only going to get worse. Seek 12 Step Recovery and I promise you that your life will start getting better…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
