Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
The final controversy in Step 2 is in the use of the phrase “restore us to sanity”. Is the alcoholic mentally ill? If so, what is the nature of this illness? For most addicts and alcoholics, the absurdity of their situation is no secret – they are compelled to continue self-destructive and unsatisfying behaviors even while recognizing that these are not what they wish to do (recall the concept of powerlessness). What could be more insane than continuing to inject oneself with poison? The use of defense mechanisms, denial, and distorted thinking are all evidence of an irrational mind-set.
However, this can be a focal type of insanity. This insanity primarily pertains to the addict’s relationship to the drug of choice and to the ancillary behaviors. Most alcoholics and addicts encounter moments of violating one or more of their “I never” rules: I never steal from my family, never lie, never cheat. As these personal mores are violated, one can easily view this as a clear form of insanity. In other ways, alcoholics and addicts may be able to function normally and think rationally; however, in areas that are directly or indirectly connected to their addiction, their thinking is dangerously skewed.
– A Clinician’s Guide to 12 Step Recovery, p. 42
When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God. This applies, too, to other spiritual expressions which you find in this book. Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you. At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things which then seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth, but if we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere. So we used our own conception, however limited it was. We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. – “Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?” As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.
Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, page 47
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