Can A Power Greater Than Yourself Restore You To Sanity?

I like to think so, and so does the second step of the 12 Steps, which reads:

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

For people in recovery, this means that it’s going to take God (or a Higher Power) – not their moms, not their girlfriends, not their best friends or their doctors or their probation officers or even their sponsors – it’s going to take God (or that Higher Power) to manage their lives. To manage their addictions.

For people who’ve experienced mental health problems – or who continue to experience mental health problems – it means the exact same thing. Only, rather than managing addictions, they’re managing mental illness.

Of course, this isn’t to say your parents, significant others, friends, medical professionals, probation officers, and sponsors can’t help you. They can. But they can’t do it by themselves. You can’t, either.

That’s where God comes in.

Personal story time. Read on.

A few years ago, I went through a major…episode. Mania? Months of serious repeated lack of good judgment? One big gigantic brain fart after another? Whatever it was, I went through it. Not many people knew, because I was “in control.” I made sure everyone in my life was happy and clueless while I indulged in extreme elation and devastating depression behind closed doors.

Why ask for help? Why bother them with my problems? And hey, if they didn’t affect anyone else, were they really problems? I was in control of it all, after all.

That is, until I was out of control – so severely out of control that my life was no longer manageable – not by me, or anyone else. I had no idea what was going to happen from day to day. I feared for my future. I questioned my sanity. I wallowed in grief, misery, despair, and embarrassment.

It was during this time that I realized I was going to have to turn to God.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I believe in God – I always have. I pray. I’ve been to church more than once. I try to do what’s right and I ask for forgiveness when I fail. This isn’t a story about a girl who found Jesus or started living at the foot of the cross. I know Jesus. I always have. And I live in southern West Virginia.

But up until the point of losing all control, my relationship with God consisted of knowing he exists, knowing he created us all, and knowing he has the power to smite my unruly tail if I don’t toe the line. I prayed, too. Nightly, even. I thanked him for my family and friends and something good that may have happened to me that day (not to mention asked him for more good things to happen to me), as well asked him to please save all the children and animals and old people who are starved, abused, and neglected.

However, after the point that life spiraled out of control, my prayers changed. My relationship with God changed. Sure, for a little while my prayers consisted of begging God to get me out of the mess I’d gotten myself into, but soon they turned into prayers letting God know that I was putting my unmanageable life into His hands. Letting him know that I’d given up, that I’d recognized I can’t handle it all on my own, that I need some assistance, please.

I can’t say that life turned to roses after that. You can’t just hand your life over to God and expect things to immediately change. You have to do some work, too. I continued to pray, continued to let God know my problems were in His hands, and made real efforts to manage my problems (and not just hide them from the world).

However, I can say that once I did put my life in God’s hand – once I did give in and admit that I needed His help, while actively pursuing His help and taking the necessary steps to get help – my “sanity” stepped out from its hiding place. The burdens of my mistakes were lifted. The burdens of the world’s woes were lifted. I found peace, and in that peace I was able to work toward restoring my life.

And boy, did it feel good. I looked forward to my little chats with God. I thoroughly enjoyed relinquishing control and asking for further instructions. I felt safe, guided, and even happy in the midst of the unknown. I felt sane.

So remember, handing it all over to God (or your Higher Power) isn’t a cure all – for addiction or for mental health problems. Handing it over to God doesn’t mean you don’t also need rehab or therapy or medication or support groups or the help of all your loved ones. But it does let you know that you’re not alone in your efforts, and the power that’s now on your side is stronger than any “control” you once thought you had.

For more information about the second step, check out Mark’s Second Step Promises at A Dozen Steps.

This post is part of the b5media Health & Wellness Channel’s recognition of the National Alcohol and Drug Awareness Month. To read more, please visit 
b5Media Salutes National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

Image: SXC and Marcos Santos