09/15/2026
In AA talk, this is about the spiritual hole we kept trying to fill with outside things.
In active addiction, “enough” didn’t exist. One drink or drug led to another. The same could happen with money, relationships, s*x, attention, or possessions. We believed the next thing would finally make us feel whole but any relief was temporary, and the emptiness always returned.
The Steps teach us that the real problem wasn’t only the substance. The substance was our solution to a deeper problem: fear, resentment, loneliness, selfishness, shame, and spiritual disconnection. Once alcohol or drugs stopped working, they became another problem we were powerless to control.
This connects directly to the first three Steps:
1. Step One: I admit that I’m powerless and that running my own life has made it unmanageable.
2. Step Two: I become willing to believe that a Power greater than myself can restore me.
3. Step Three: I stop playing God and turn my will and life over to His care.
Recovery doesn’t mean we never feel empty again. It means we no longer have to fill that emptiness with things that destroy us. We pray, work the Steps, call our sponsor, attend meetings, help another alcoholic, and trust God with the results.
The AA message is simple: I couldn’t fix myself with more. I began to heal when I surrendered. The hole I tried to fill with addiction can only be healed through God, spiritual growth, and service to others.
Meeting question: What am I still reaching for today instead of reaching for my Higher Power?
