Our AA Step 1 Worksheet and PDF Resources

Get a Firm Foundation for Alcoholics Anonymous Step 1 With Our Support

Our AA Step 1 worksheet and PDF resources are helpful when trying to take the first steps of recovery. Many struggling with alcohol addiction find it challenging to start healing. Alcohol use has been a focal point, a best friend, and a coping tool.

But Step 1 of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) offers a structured starting point, challenging new AA members to confront how alcohol has impacted their lives.

The Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada team has successfully guided countless past clients through the whole recovery process. As a Joint Commission-accredited treatment program, we understand the nature of addiction and seek not only to help clients stop drinking, but to dig to the root cause of their issue and treat it at its source. Our whole-person approach may include recovery meetings and support groups, with many clients attending AA during treatment.

Whether you are starting your recovery process with AA alone or are beginning professional treatment, our worksheet and positive affirmation PDF are tools to support your journey.

Our AA Step One Worksheet: Admitting You Are Powerless over Alcohol Use

AA Step 1 asks those new to the Twelve Step process to start admitting powerlessness over alcohol use and that their lives had become unmanageable.

The exact program language in the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book reads:

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.” – AA Big Book

5 Prompts to Admit Our Lives Had Become Unmanageable and Admitting Powerlessness

Our first step worksheet asks you to reflect honestly and consider your powerlessness over your drinking problem. You will answer these questions:

• What substance or behavior do I struggle with?
• Did I ever plan to control or limit my use?
• What rules did I try to set for myself?
• What actually happened when I tried to control it? (This will serve as your “unmanageability list.”)
• What outcomes followed when I tried to stop or limit myself? (AA calls this a “consequences list.”)

Writing down the answers to these questions helps you understand the concept of giving up control and asking for help. This is a key step when you are ready to start healing from substance use.

Helpful Tips for Completing Our AA Step One Worksheets

• Be completely open; it requires brutal honesty to write detailed reflections on your past actions and their consequences.
• Use specific language, including examples of times when alcohol has caused chaos or loss. Commonly, this may include job loss or failed relationships.
• Remember that this exercise is for your benefit alone. Nobody will “grade” your answers. You can share them with your therapist or sponsor if you like, but you don’t have to show your work to anybody.
• Save your worksheet to reflect on later. They will help you measure your progress throughout your journey.

Positive Affirmations for Your Recovery Journey

We’ve also created a list of 15 positive affirmations to remind you of your inner strength as you start working on sobriety.

While saying affirmations is not officially part of the AA program, this one step can still help people struggling as they work to replace self-loathing with self-esteem.

Say these out loud or write them on paper. Keep repeating them until you believe in your own self-worth

PDF: 15 Positive Affirmations (Download and Print)

• I am honest about how alcohol has affected my life.
• I am willing to admit when I have lost control.
• I am open to seeing patterns I once denied.
• I am learning that asking for help is a strength.
• I am allowed to begin again without shame.
• I am becoming aware of what is unmanageable for me.
• I am choosing truth over excuses today.
• I am not alone in this recovery process.
• I am capable of facing reality with courage.
• I am learning to release control that no longer serves me.
• I am willing to take the first step toward healing.
• I am open to guidance beyond my own thinking.
• I am responsible for my recovery, not my past.
• I am gaining clarity through honesty and reflection.
• I am worthy of support as I begin recovery.

Tips for Using Positive Affirmations

Engagement with positive affirmations can feel a little odd at first, especially for people with mental health challenges like substance use disorders. Follow our tips to make self-affirmation feel more natural:

• Start small. Try reading or jotting down just 2-3 affirmations a day to start with.
• Saying affirmations out loud? Smile at yourself in the mirror as if you’re greeting a friend as you read them out.
• If you prefer to write the affirmations in a journal, note each one 3 times to reinforce the thought.
• Print our PDF and post it somewhere that you will see the affirmations every day.
• Continue to practice. Like every new skill you try, this activity takes practice.
• Focus on making small daily progress, not perfection.

Why are affirmations so effective? They reinforce self-love. If you keep saying these kind words to yourself, you will eventually believe them.

Alcohol Abuse and Starting the Recovery Process

Substance abuse usually starts slowly and becomes addictive behavior over time; it rarely develops overnight. With ongoing alcohol or drug use, drinking patterns worsen and become inappropriate coping tools.

Why does that happen?

Alcohol becomes the go-to for managing stress and difficult emotions. With ongoing alcohol use, the brain starts perceiving alcohol as a treat, responding by sending out reward chemicals. Eventually, it looks forward to alcohol and primarily releases those chemicals only for alcohol, unseating rewards for the everyday pleasures of life.

The recovery process starts when a person recognizes that alcohol use is out of control. Recognizing unmanageability due to powerlessness is the main goal of step 1.

Addictive Behaviors Give the Illusion of Control

Addictive behavior tells clients that they can regain control “next time.” They tell themselves that they’ll have just one drink or believe their self-imposed limitations will finally work. But they are powerless and break those self-imposed rules. This leads to lost control and confusion about what to do next.

At AA meetings, members recognize that addictive behavior patterns do not represent a moral failing. Rather, they indicate the power of alcohol has, the addiction outweighing their desire to build a better life.

We ‘Admitted We Were Powerless’ Without Losing Hope

Here’s something that many people misunderstand at their first AA meeting. Admitting we are powerless over alcohol does not release one from responsibility. Instead, it acknowledges how alcohol has seized control of decision-making in ways that willpower alone will not fix.

Admitting all the ways that drinking affected relationships, finances, and well-being is an important part of working toward AA’s eventual spiritual awakening.

Demystifying the Alcohol That Our Lives Revolved Around

For most seeking peer support, alcohol has become the central force of daily life. Such people have started making decisions about work and relationships based on drinking patterns.

People may miss family functions, miss work or school, or end relationships to drink. Recognizing this influence of alcohol can help AA members recall the things that really matter in life.

Creating a Consequences List for Drinking That Shows the Truth

Question five of our worksheet helps you start considering a consequences list – a summary of the outcomes of alcohol addiction. For many in AA, the list can include:

• Broken trust of loved ones
• Financial instability
• Physical and mental health issues
• Legal problems
• Job or career loss

Writing these consequences on paper makes your personal outcomes clear and tangible.

Why is Step 1 the Foundation of the AA Program?

Step 1 is a major part of the AA program, setting the very foundation of the entire recovery journey. The admission that one is powerless over alcohol shows a willingness to change that’s necessary to continue.

Later in the program, participants will admit the presence of a Higher Power and humbly ask for help. You can’t take an honest personal inventory and heal broken connections unless you are willing to change. That change starts in Step One.

Working Step 1 with a Sponsor or in a Peer Group Setting

Step 1 is challenging, and you may not be able to complete it alone. Many AA members review their worksheet with a sponsor or therapist. Sponsor’s suggestions can give you great insight and help you with a better understanding of how your sober new life might look.

Seeking an Accredited Treatment Program for Alcohol

AA can be a stand-alone recovery path for some people. But others require the assistance of a professional treatment center to have better outcomes. Below are some important questions to ask when weighing rehab options:

Does the Rehab Center Have a Track Record of Effective, Lasting Recovery?

Not all treatment centers use the same methods. Look for an alcohol rehab center like Icarus Nevada, providing clients with evidence-based, holistic, and personalized programming. If you believe your drinking comes from a traumatic experience, ask about whether the treatment center can offer trauma-informed services.

No two people experience substance use disorder exactly alike; avoid cookie-cutter programs to get real results.

What Levels of Care Does the Rehab Offer?

Most people seeking support choose outpatient services at Icarus Nevada, either our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). We also have an Inpatient rehab option for people with the most intensive alcohol rehab and recovery needs.

Are Rehab Costs Covered by Health Insurance?

Yes! Sometimes, costs are reimbursed at 100%, depending on your specific policy language. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, insurance companies are required by law to treat mental health equally to physical health issues.

If you are unclear about your plan’s mental health benefits, call our admissions team. We will discuss your plan benefits with you and have any required conversations with your insurance provider on your behalf. This service allows you to focus on preparing for treatment.

Connect with Icarus Nevada for Lasting Alcohol Recovery

Icarus Nevada is here to help, whether you have tried Twelve Step programs with only minimal success or you are brand new to recovery. We have worked with many who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse, helping them open new opportunities and live a happy, sober life.

Call us today to explore your custom treatment options. All calls are confidential, so please don’t hesitate – reach out now for our confidential support!