Step 1 Work

Workbook-guided writing for Step 1. The goal is not journaling for its own sake; it is producing a clean sponsor-ready artifact from your answers.

Step 1

We admitted we were powerless over gambling, that our lives had become unmanageable.

Answer what you can. Your work autosaves in this browser. Use the sponsor packet preview at the bottom to copy a clean artifact when you’re ready to review it with a sponsor.

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Exercise 1: The Twenty Questions

As you write your answer to each question, pay particular attention to any defensiveness, guilt or hesitation on your part.

If a question pushes a button, there’s probably something there that needs to be looked at honestly and squarely. Write about it in detail; talk about it with your sponsor and with others in a Steps Meeting.

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

3. Did gambling affect your reputation?

4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or solve financial difficulties?

6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

7. After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possible to win back your losses?

8. After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and win more?

9. Did you often gamble until your last Pound was gone?

10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

12. Were you reluctant to use gambling money for normal expenditures?

13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?

14. Did you ever gamble for longer than you had planned?

15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness?

16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?

17. Did gambling cause you have to difficulty in sleeping?

18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune with a few hours of gambling?

20. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

Exercise 2: Moving Toward Acceptance

The cycle of unmanageability: we think, “It will be different next casino visit, next poker game, next bet.” Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

1. Illustrate the progressive nature of your addiction.Document specific examples from your life that show how your addiction escalated, and how each attempt at controlling it failed.

2. The illusion of control over our gambling.What behaviours, choices or actions perpetuated your illusions that you had some control over the outcome of your playing or betting? What were the results?

3. The illusion of control over our addiction.What gambling-related behaviours perpetuated your illusions of control over your growing obsession? Examples: limiting casino visits, never using credit cards, limiting ATM use, leaving with winnings, big shot behaviour.

4. The illusion of control over our lives.What behaviours or actions perpetuate your illusion of control over outcomes in everyday life? Examples: attempting to control people or events, if/then thinking.

5. Letting go.Write about surrendering the illusion that you can or should be able to control gambling. The truth is, we are powerless over the addiction. It controls us until we surrender.

Exercise 3: Reality Check

1. You may have admitted that you are powerless over gambling, but have you fully accepted it?Write about any lingering doubts, fears, qualifications, justifications, guilt, blame or rationalisation you may have.

2. Write about any withdrawal symptoms you may be experiencing.These may include thinking problems, memory problems, emotional extremes, sleep disturbances, physical sensations, or stress sensitivity.

3. Think about the idea of meeting power vs. willpower.Is the Meeting a power greater than yourself? Write about specific examples where meeting power succeeds and your own willpower fails.

Exercise 4: Empowerment

Accept Powerlessness, and You Empower Yourself. There are certain things in our lives over which we have no power or control, like time, the actions of others, and the weather.

1. Be honest with yourself: are you ready to add gambling to the list of things you cannot control?

2. List at least 20 things in your life that are within your control/power.Which of these things will you draw upon most to aid in your recovery?

3. What is the most meaningful thing you learned about yourself through working Step 1?

4. What is one thing for which you’ve become grateful while working Step 1?

5. What is the kindest thing you’ve done for yourself recently?

Sponsor Packet

Questions / notes for sponsor

Step 1 Sponsor Packet
We admitted we were powerless over gambling, that our lives had become unmanageable.

Source: GA Writing The Steps workbook
Prepared: 5/31/2026

Exercise 1: The Twenty Questions

Exercise 2: Moving Toward Acceptance

Exercise 3: Reality Check

Exercise 4: Empowerment

Questions / notes for sponsor:
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