AA Promise #4: You Will Know Peace
The 12 Steps of AA provide those in recovery with an action plan for building an alcohol-free life. The AA Promises list the benefits a person will see along the way. In other words, AA Promises are “promises” the program makes to anyone who makes an honest effort at working the steps.
As foreign as the notion of peace may seem in this day and age, AA Promise #4 clearly states “You will know peace.” While the events and circumstances that take place on any one day may be hectic and chaotic, the peace this promise speaks of has more to do with a person’s inner state of being than his or her outward circumstances.
Understanding how the 12 Step recovery approach helps you cultivate peace of mind and heart can go a long way towards getting the most out of what recovery has to offer.
Call our toll-free helpline at 888-905-9004 (Who Answers?) for help with finding a treatment program that’s right for you.
The Effects of Alcoholism
Breaking free from the addiction mindset will give you a sense of inner peace.
The temporary state of calm and contentment that alcohol produces comes at a high cost. With each drink, alcohol’s overall effect weakens brain functioning, and in the process turns a normal functioning brain into an alcohol dependent environment, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
By the time alcoholism takes hold, these fleeting states of calm and contentment get harder and harder to come by as the brain can no longer respond to alcohol’s effects like it once did. In effect, alcoholism leaves you in a state of chaos and inner turmoil.
The 12 Step Recovery Path
Building an alcohol-free lifestyle means replacing the chaos and confusion of addiction with a mindset that can support and maintain sobriety on a day-to-day basis. According to the journal of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, the 12 Step program approach encompasses a step-by-step plan for working through the underlying issues that fuel drinking while developing a desire to manage everyday life without the need for alcohol.
The peace that AA Promise #4 describes develops along the way as a person breaks free from the addiction mindset.
AA Promise #4
Cultivating Stability
Alcoholism takes root as a person falls into the habit of turning to alcohol to cope with life’s challenges. In the absence of healthy coping skills, alcohol offers a quick an easy way to manage life’s ups and downs.
The 12 Step approach offers a proven plan for equipping those in recovery with the habits and tools needed to maintain abstinence on an ongoing basis. In the process, the makings of a healthy, stable lifestyle start to replace the chaos and confusion of addiction.
Emotional Balance
Emotions play an active role in fueling drinking behaviors. While alcohol may calm the storm for a while, it’s aftereffects leave a person more emotionally unstable than ever before.
AA Promise #4 helps you develop a sense of emotional balance by helping you stay focused on the things you value most.
Having a Plan That Works
Overcoming alcohol addiction takes considerable focus and effort. Without some type of plan or guidance in place, it can be easy to get confused and frustrated.
The peace that AA Promise #4 speaks of results from feelings of safety and stability that develop once a person starts to see the program working in his or her life.
If you need help finding an alcohol rehab program, we can help. Call our helpline at 888-905-9004 (Who Answers?) to speak with one of our addiction specialists.