In Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meetings, which is the biggest movement to help deal with addiction, there is one beautiful prayer that is worthy to be said even by those who are non-believers of a higher being’s existence:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Take it line by line to uncover why this prayer is the most apt one for addicts. In AA, the first of the twelve steps to recovery is acceptance that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. What drives a person to a level beyond his control are certain elements that are genetic in nature or intrinsic to the human body’s design. Some challenge this as they wish to discover their limitations. Addiction is when one pushes past their ceiling point where they lose control. Serenity in the context of composure is needed as it is in a level- headed frame of mind that one reconciles in his mind the disorder in his world.

The next eleven steps are on tracing the roots of the addiction, and the factors that need to be reviewed to nip the problem in the bud. As in the next lines of the prayer, there are things that one can control, while there are others that are not within his scope of influence. Though genetics and human designs cannot be changed, advance science allows a person to take control of his chemical imbalances.

There are also other things that can be controlled, such as the circumstances one revolves in and the practices he has acquired from repeated acts. To turn away from habits that one experiences pleasure from and to shake away from ones comfort zone are big challenges. As one leaves his past behind, there is no clear view of what his source of happiness would be and if there is something else out there to live for. It surely demands a person to muster up all his courage to take a different path and start anew.

As the addict fights his way out of addiction by rebuilding his life, filtering of what can and cannot be brought back in his new world is critical. The set up should be carefully drawn out so that fighting temptation is limited and shared with support groups. Wisdom on what needs to be avoided completely, or just controlled will make the battle versus addiction manageable and sustainable.

Though these are the guiding principles taken from AA, it applies in all other kinds of addiction since the same rules apply. In a disorderly environment, serenity, courage, and wisdom are keys for an individual to overcome his predicament.

The prayer gives emphasis on the personal struggle as it is the biggest battle in the war on bad habits. Support groups to help through it are under played, mainly because progress and sustainability towards a cleaner, straighter life is impossible if the subject is not the driving force to improvement.

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