How the Steps, Higher Power, and the Fellowship helped this member find his path to recovery, one day at a time.

Tonight, a tragic plane crash dominates every news network. The world is in shock. Why? Because plane crashes are rare—they don’t happen often, so when they do, it’s overwhelming.

But what about a car accident on the Belt Parkway? I barely react. I see crashes all the time—they blend into the background of daily life. The first time I witnessed one up close, I was shaken. But the more I saw, the less I felt.

That’s just what happened in my addiction.

At first, acting out felt like a plane crash—something rare I swore I’d never do again. But when life became stressful and those same emotions resurfaced, the thought of doing it one more time didn’t seem as extreme. The second time was easier. The third, even easier. Eventually, what once felt catastrophic became normal. Like passing another wreck on the highway, I stopped noticing the destruction. At some point, my addiction became the only way I knew to cope.

And this is the insanity of my addiction. No matter how much pain it caused me, my mind convinced me that this time would be different. Left untreated, my disease took full control. Any willpower I had faded, and I became completely powerless.

This is why I need the Twelve Steps. If willpower were enough, I would have stopped long ago. The only way I can stay sober is by letting my Higher Power take the wheel. My recovery isn’t about fighting harder—it’s about admitting, surrendering, and trusting God to guide me one day at a time.

I won’t pretend this is easy. Every day is a struggle. I’ve come so close to acting out many times this past month. Some days, I feel like I can’t hold on. But when I’m at a meeting, I’m in a good place. I find strength in the people who understand me, in my loving wife’s support, in the Steps, and in knowing I’m not alone. I recently got a sponsor and started the work. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I’m grateful for today. And today, I’m sober.

For those who have never experienced addiction, this is how it happened to me. It’s not that I didn’t want to stop—it’s that my addiction numbed me to the very thing that was destroying me. But as someone in recovery, this is my reminder: no matter how powerless I may feel, I’m never hopeless. With God’s help, I can stay sober one day at a time.

The only way I can stay sober is by letting Higher Power take the wheel.

No matter how powerless I feel, I’m never hopeless.