No Choice
The issue of willpower in recovery is a core belief that can appear contradictory. From the mental health point of view, addiction still has the element of willpower. From this perspective, people who have crossed the line into SUD (Substance Use Disorder) behavior are still able to make the choice not to use addictive substances.
But, most people who have been alcoholic or are currently addicts know they can not stop using despite the most dire consequences. That is the point of the story, you can’t stop. But psychology/mental health’s belief is that there is a choice, and you can make the choice not to use. Experienced people know that’s just not true for them.
This is a key issue. People who have experienced addiction know through dire consequences that they did not have a choice. They always say they would have chosen not to use if they could. They tried every way they knew to make that choice not to pick up the first drink or drug. That’s how they learned that he whole point of alcoholism or addiction to drugs is that you can’t make the choice. Even if it leads to jail or death, you still can’t make the choice. Nobody ever wanted to be an alcoholic or drug addict.
And in the meantime, while you wait to be able find the ability not to pick up the drink or drug, the addiction progresses farther into the chronic stage due to your continued use. Physical and mental health suffer from the inevitable but gradual decrease in functionality and the risk of negative consequences from illegal behaviors increases.
But every now and then, a window of opportunity opens for just a short time. Something serious happens and for just a minute the alcoholic or addict sees clearly. It doesn’t happen often, often years between incidences. At that very moment, they may be able to make that decision to go into detox and begin the process of sobriety. And it begins.
Twelve Step recovery helps addicts and alcoholics stop using one day at a time. Twelve Step recovery is experiential, you can’t intuit it, you can’t learn it academically or even figure it out from the testimony of others. The only way to deeply understand alcoholism and addiction is to experience it and survive.