First Step Worksheets

Suggestion

"The Steps shall set you free, but first they'll piss you off." (modern, anon.) Don't be surprised if you get very angry while working through these worksheets.

Look over page 3 of these worksheets and see if you understand what the First 
Step is getting at. If you don't understand, fill out the rest of the pages in this guide anyway; you'll be discussing all of this with your sponsor. 

Here's your first opportunity in the program to be fearless and honest. You don't have to fill in every blank or write well (in recovery you get no points for grace and style), but work hard to find plenty of examples. Make sure your notes are clear, so that you can understand them later in your recovery, when you may want to review these sheets. People often review their First Step worksheets on their one-year anniversary and notice how far they have come in their understanding of the disease of alcoholism/addiction.

You don't have to show these worksheets to anyone--they are to help you understand your personal experience with alcohol or drugs. However, you will probably want to discuss with your sponsor some of the incidents on these worksheets.

In addition to doing these worksheets, read:

•	Alcoholics Anonymous (the "Big Book"), Chapter 1 (16 pages)

•	Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions (the "12 & 12"), Step 1 (4 pages)

•	Hazelden Step 1 Guide, first 14 pages. Do not answer the questions in the rest of the book; these worksheets replace those in the Hazelden guide. You can buy the guide at recovery bookshops such as Serenity Books. Any questions? Ask your sponsor.
	
These worksheets are not officially produced or approved by Alcoholics Anonymous.
Step 1

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—

—that out lives had 
become unmanageable.

	Concept 1	Concept 2	Concept 3

Powerless over AMOUNT
of alcohol I drank

Once I started drinking, sooner or later I couldn't control or limit the amount I drank, and...

	
Powerless over the bad results of my drinking

When I drank too much I couldn't control or limit the bad effects which flowed from my drinking, and...	

	
Those results were unacceptable

As a result of my drinking, some aspect of my life became unacceptable to me.	

If I could be a control drinker and drink moderately...

	
there wouldn't be any bad effects of my drinking...	

no problem.	

But I have tried over and over to control the amount I drink, and I have been unsuccessful...

	
but if I could avoid the bad results which come when I drink...	

no problem.	

But I have tried over and over to control the bad results which come when I drink, and I have been unsuccessful...

	
as a result my life is: unmanageable
or
unacceptable to me
or
unbearable.

On the way to a slip, I rationalize:

"I can have just one
(a few) drinks."

(wrong)

OR	
"I am smart enough (learned enough in AA) that I can now avoid the harmful results which used to come with my drinking."

(wrong)

OR	

"My life wasn't that bad."

(wrong)

Concept 1:  POWERLESSNESS over AMOUNT of Alcohol Consumed

1.1	Have you ever tried to stop drinking/drugging completely? Give examples:
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________
	
1.2	Have you ever tried to limit or control the amount of alcohol or drugs you used by limiting dosage (for instance, promising yourself or someone else you would have only 2 drinks at a party)? Give examples:
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________
	
1.3	Give examples of how you tried to limit or control the amount of alcohol or drugs you used by switching drinks (for instance, switched from straight liquor to a mixed drink or beer, or switched to a drink you do not like):
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________
	
1.4	Give examples of how you tried to limit or control the amount of alcohol or drugs you used by limiting the time for drinking/drugging (for instance, decided not to drink before a certain hour in the day):
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________	
1.5	Have you ever awakened in the morning after drinking/drugging and found that you could not remember some part of the evening? Give examples:
a. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Concept 2:  POWERLESSNESS over BAD RESULTS from Drinking/Drugging

2.1	What have you done to try to drink without bad results (for example, to drink only at home, or not to leave the house after starting to drink)
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________
	
2.2	What have you done to try to limit or avoid the bad effects of drinking/drugging on your health (for example, take medication for alcohol-related high blood pressure or stomach problems):
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________
	
2.3	How else did you try to control the results of your drinking/drugging, and were you successful?
a. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
b. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
c. 	__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
	What was the result?

a. 	________________________
________________________
b. 	________________________
________________________
c. 	________________________
________________________

Concept 3:  UNMANAGEABILITY:  
the Unacceptable RESULTS of My Drinking/Drugging

3.1	What was it in your life that was unacceptable to you and brought you to Alcoholics Anonymous?
a. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________	
3.2	What crisis other than the one that finally brought you into AA would eventually have occurred?
a. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________	
3.3	How has drinking/drugging affected your self-esteem, self-image or self-respect?
a. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________	
3.4	Have you ever gotten into physical fights as a result of your drinking/drugging?
a. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________	
3.5	Have you ever lost a job or a promotion as a result of your drinking/drugging?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.6	Have you ever lost a lover or significant friend as a result of your drinking/drugging?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.7	Have you been hospitalized (regular or psychiatric) as a result of your drinking/drugging?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.8	Have you been very depressed and/or felt life was not worth living (alcohol and other drugs often cause severe depression)? Have you attempted suicide?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.9 How has drinking/drugging affected your goals for your life, and the progress you have made to achieve them?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.10 How has drinking/drugging affected your health (heart, liver, stomach, skin, nervous system [peripheral neuropathy, or tingling/pain/numbness in fingers or toes]?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.11 Give some examples of your drinking/drugging putting your life or the lives of others in danger?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.12 What is it about your behavior when you drink that your lover/family/friends object to most?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.13 Has any physical abuse happened to you or others as a result of your drinking/drugging?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
3.14 How has your drinking/drugging adversely affected you even when you are sober?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSIONS

4.1	What convinces you that you can no longer use alcohol or drugs safely?
a.	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
b. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
c. 	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
4.2	Are you admitting or accepting? What is the difference between these two things? How are you accepting through your behavior?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
4.3	Are you an alcoholic or chemically dependent person?  ____
	
4.4	Give 15 reasons why you should continue in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous?
1. _____________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________
	3. _____________________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________________
	5. _____________________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________________________
	7. _____________________________________________________________________________
	8. _____________________________________________________________________________
	9. _____________________________________________________________________________
	10. _____________________________________________________________________________
	11. _____________________________________________________________________________
	12. _____________________________________________________________________________
	13. _____________________________________________________________________________
	14. _____________________________________________________________________________
	15. _____________________________________________________________________________