Sun, Aug 20, 1995

[written after reading Roget Lockard's "The earth as an alcoholic"]

two uses of the word "powerlessness"

portrait of a "controlling" man

• he tries to control people in his life because he is afraid
• he is afraid that if he doesn't control them they'll control him
• he fears they'll control him because he projects his own anger and negativism onto them
• he thinks everyone else wants to control everyone else
• i.e., he feels powerless
• he feels he has no power
  • not even any power over the processes any isolated individual must have control over; i.e., control of his basic needs (food, shelter, safety)
• this feeling has its roots in his childhood experiences
  • his parents abused their power over him; i.e., they hurt and neglected him
  • he learned to not trust them, to resent their power over him

If this man is addicted to any substance or process or person:

• the 12 steps tell him to admit he is powerless over alcohol (or whatever he is addicted to)
• this will help him deal with his addiction
• but once he has stopped drinking and so has some time and energy for other activities he is faced with the issues that he had been using his addiction to escape; i.e., feelings of shame, fear and powerlessness