Step 5

🗣️ Step 5: Admission and Connection

Official Wording:

“Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

🌌 What It Means

After taking stock in Step 4, Step 5 is about sharing those truths. This might be with a sponsor, a spiritual advisor, or someone you trust deeply.

It involves:

• Owning your story—not just in silence, but aloud.

• Inviting empathy, accountability, and grace.

• Releasing secrets and self-judgment through connection.

This isn’t confession in a religious sense, unless you want it to be. It’s about being seen—fully and bravely.

💬 Why It Matters

• It interrupts the cycle of shame and isolation.

• It reminds you that you are not alone—others have struggled too.

• It creates the first real moment of healing through connection.

📝 Journaling Warm-Up

Before sharing, you might explore:

• What feels hardest to say aloud—and why?

• Who in your life could receive your truth without judgment?

• How do you imagine feeling after the conversation is done?

🧘 Visualization – The Listener

Picture yourself sitting across from someone you trust. They’re calm, grounded, present. You begin to speak, slowly at first, unsure. But they don’t flinch. They don’t interrupt. They nod with kindness. When you finish, they say, “Thank you for trusting me. I’m still here.” And you realize: You’re still whole. Maybe more whole than before.

🪷 Preparing Your Truth: Gentle Steps Toward Sharing

1. Choose the Right Listener: Someone trustworthy, compassionate, and willing to simply receive your truth. It could be:

• A sponsor or mentor

• A spiritual guide

• A therapist or recovery counselor

• A close friend or family member (if they’re emotionally safe)

2. What You’ll Share: Pull from your Step 4 inventory—particularly:

• Key resentments or fears

• Patterns you’ve seen in yourself

• The ways addiction distorted your behavior or relationships

• What you wish you’d done differently

💌 Optional: Write a Letter Version

Even if you don’t send it, writing a letter can help shape your thoughts.

text

Dear [Trusted Person or Higher Power],

I want to share the truths I’ve unearthed through my recovery journey. These aren’t easy to say, but I know holding onto them only keeps me stuck.

I’ve hurt people, including myself. I’ve acted out of fear, addiction, loneliness, and confusion. I’ve resented those who tried to help me. But beneath all that, I’ve always hoped for healing.

Today, I admit the exact nature of my wrongs—not as a confession, but as a step toward freedom.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for still being here.

With courage,

[Your Name]

🧘 Affirmation for the Moment

“I am strong enough to speak my truth. I am worthy of understanding and acceptance. I share not to be judged, but to be free.”