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Who Answers?Step 6 NA – Creating a Drug-Free Mindset
Step 6 – “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”
Up to this point, Steps 1 to 5 have laid the groundwork for change to take place. With Step 6 NA, it’s time to ask for help with making these changes.
Asking for help from a Higher Power may be a stretch for some depending on how a person interprets the notion of a Higher Power. Likewise, the phrase “defects of character” can come off as somewhat offensive, but defects of character are what play into addiction-based urges.
Understanding how the issues involved with Step 6 NA help you create a drug-free mindset can help you make the most of this stage of the recovery process.
Call our toll-free helpline at 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) if you need help finding a drug rehab program that meets your needs.
How Step 6 NA Helps You Develop a Drug-Free Mindset
Asking your Higher Power for guidance is an act of humility.
Over the course of months or years of drug abuse, a person develops a mindset that’s come to depend on drugs to cope with daily living. This type of dependence is what drives addiction-based urges long after drug use stops.
According to Mayo Clinic, addiction recovery has as much to do with eliminating drug-using behavior as it does developing a drug-free mindset. As the 12 Step program approach emphasizes the importance of seeking guidance from a Higher Power and from others, Step 6 NA entails drawing strength from your Higher Power to change for the better.
It helps to keep in mind that your Higher Power can be anything that motivates you to succeed in recovery, be it God, Buddha, your children or any other ideal that holds utmost importance in your heart.
Humility
Just the act of asking a Higher Power for help creates an attitude of humility and openness for change. Considering your Higher Power embodies the types of values that most support drug-free living, this change in attitude opens the door for growth and healing to take place.
In essence, a humble heart leaves little room for negativity to impede your progress in recovery. In the process, the destructive thinking that fuels drug-using urges turns into feelings of hope and belief that a drug-free lifestyle is possible.
Focus
The pressures of daily life can make it all too easy to get caught up in concerns that work against one’s recovery efforts. Not surprisingly, much of the difficulty involved with staying drug-free lies in maintaining a clear and steady focus on your recovery path, according to Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.
Step 6 NA emphasizes the importance of developing faith in the values represented by a person’s Higher Power. Over time, this faith starts to shape the types of attitudes and behaviors that support a drug-free lifestyle.
Honesty
Being ready to ask a Higher Power to help you change requires a willingness to be honest about your motivations and intentions from day to day. Whereas the addiction lifestyle worked to bury difficult emotions and insecurities, Step 6 NA puts the focus on being true to yourself and to others.
If you’re struggling with an addiction problem or need help staying drug free, call our helpline at 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) to ask about 12 Step program treatment options.