Step 2 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

Step Two can be one of the most challenging steps in this program, especially for those who start with the expectation that this step is about religion. It is also a step that many people want to quickly accomplish so that they can go on to the "tough" steps. Yet, anyone who is still acting out can benefit from further Step Two work.

"When we accept that our way doesn't work, Step Two opens the door to a new way that does. In the First Step, we admitted that our addiction was going to destroy us if we did not stop and that we could not stop on our own. We discovered that our addiction was a problem too big for us to solve by ourselves. Without some Power greater than ourselves to assist us, our situation is hopeless." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 25

What are my reactions to reading that I am powerless and that without help, my situation is hopeless? What are my feelings about trying different ways from what I have used in the past to deal with my problems?

"Belief in a Higher Power can be difficult for many of us in SAA who come to the program with a faith that was damaged in one way or another." "Whether we are atheists, agnostics, or those with strong religious convictions, we may find ourselves having reservations about the spirituality needed to work Step Two." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 26
What have been my prior experiences with religion and spirituality before I came to recovery? How have those experiences colored my understanding what the program means by this step?

Many people report that the program offered something totally outside their prior experiences. What have you heard from people in the program about their "spirituality" that is different from what you expected?

"For many of us, this starts with simply coming to meetings. We experience the group as a Power greater than ourselves that cares." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 26

Step Two helps us with two of the fundamental spiritual principles of this program, honesty and openness. We may come into this program with a financial or factual honesty; we can tell you what happened, but might be totally clueless as to why. We may have no knowledge of our feelings that are driving the addiction. We may be re-enacting abuse without a clue that it happened. We may be following the acting out pattern of a parent while professing ignorance of that parent's addiction. As we experience trying to tell our story over and over again, we may gain a level of honesty we never knew could exist.

"We need to be willing to set aside old ideas and prejudices, try new solutions to old problems, and listen to the spiritual experiences and ideas of others in the fellowship. What works for others may not be an exact fit for us." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 27
What is my experience now with sharing honestly with someone else in the program and hearing about different actions to take? How am I learning to be open to taking different actions when faced with old familiar situations?

Many of us needed to change our concept of what it meant to "come to believe". Instead of looking at intellectual concepts, we needed to look at our actions. What we do shows our beliefs far better than any statements we make.

Our addiction first sent us into the "high" and we felt like it could take care of anything. As we continued to seek it out, our experiences and unconsious beliefs about the world were woven into a system that kept us trapped in that addictive pattern. We kept acting on those beliefs when faced with stresses, difficulties, and conflicts and went back to the addiction. That left us with more shame and more stress which fed right back into that system.

In recovery, we step out of our prior experiences and act in new ways. As we listen to what works for others, we gain the hope that the same might work for us. We take new actions, see that those actions do work for us, and we start to believe.

How are these different actions (going to meetings, making phone calls, and other changes when facing my addiction) demonstrating that my beliefs are changing?