This is a tough one. A fearless moral inventory of myself. Of all the obvious issues, the underlying issues are the buried treasure…
It ia brutal…but what is harder…doing it…or living the life you will have by not doing it.
Finished step 3 myself, still need to discuss it with my sponsor. So then also step 4, mixed feelings about it….
Yeah it was a tough one for me as well, I sat on it too long and ultimately relapsed on step 4 my first time around. But really all it is is a list, don’t overcomplicate it, but dig deep. You can always revisit it as well. Keep at it. You got this
Man. If you are totally honest with yourself, this was one of the best steps for me. Definitely helped me be more self aware of my behavior as an alcoholic. Not drinking behavior, but the behavior of an addict. You can find really great worksheets online that lay out the process. Some have references to the big book as well.
Be thorough, be honest, and be emotional. It’s healthy and an integral part of the process.
All the best my friend
i take my guys through BB how it works and ive found reading it through a few times helps them to understand what is needed to complete this step and im on hand with any questions as their sponsor ,and then they can fill in there work sheet on this step , there is a prayer and promises with this step wish you well
It took me a good few weeks to do. I remembered quite a few things randomly during that time. I also worried about not doing it well enough and it not “working”. But I think giving it your best shot, and then moving onto Step 5 is important.
I took a couple weeks on step 4. I wanted to be thourough. My sponsor told me it doesnt have to be perfect. It was eye opening to see a common theme in my list.
I used the big book, 12 x 12, and a Hazelden guide…that was handy
https://www.hazelden.org/store/item/1366?Fourth-Step-Guide-Journey-Into-Growth
It doesnt have to be perfect. Do your best and BE HONEST. I learned alot about myself from step 4. More than therapy that ive been in for years lol
Ain’t that the truth!!!
Loved these responses. I’ll only add that many old timers in my home group have done Step 4 more than once as they grow in sobriety. I get held up on doing it perfectly, completely ignoring progress rather than perfection. It’s a very courageous step to take.
It took me a while to do mine
It wasn’t impossible just hard work