AA Step 5: Admit the Exact Nature of Your Wrongs

Overcoming alcohol addiction isn’t easy, and it can be more challenging if you try to accomplish it on your own. 12-Step support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can play an important role in a person’s recovery from alcohol misuse and addiction.¹ Working through step 5 of AA is a necessary component of this process. This article will focus solely on helping you understand what step 5 of AA is.

What Is Step 5 of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?

Alcoholics Anonymous step 5 states that we “admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”² It is an important step because it can help with long-term sobriety and peace of mind.²

However, it can be a difficult step, as it involves completely owning and honestly acknowledging, mentally and verbally, to oneself, to God or a higher power, and to another person the specific actions, emotions, and behaviors that have caused harm to themselves and others.²

What Is the Purpose of Step 5 of AA?

The ultimate purpose of step 5 of AA is to help participants come to terms with the impact their actions have had on their overall lives, helping them fully accept, integrate, and forgive the wrongs they have done.² This process can release underlying psychological tension and fear and help people achieve a healthier, more peaceful mindset.²

The practice of acknowledging and admitting defects to another person has existed for hundreds of years, such as in religious confession, as well as a contemporary practice, such as during therapy with mental health professionals.² Unburdening oneself through discussion of personal issues and flaws with a trusted person who will listen with unconditional care and attention can help people come to terms with what they have done.² It can help them begin the process of self-forgiveness, regardless of their previous thoughts and actions, as well as reduce the stigma, social isolation, and sense of loneliness that can accompany alcohol misuse and addiction.²

How to Complete Step 5 of AA

The process of how to complete step 5 of AA is typically accomplished with the support and guidance of a trusted person who can act as the confidant to whom you confess your wrongdoings.² It may or may not be your sponsor; it can also be someone outside of AA, such as a clergy member, a doctor, or a counselor—the choice is yours.²

While many AA groups provide worksheets or workbooks to guide people through this step, what follows is a summary of how to complete it:²

1. Admit to yourself the wrongs you have done. Give yourself enough time for contemplation and write down the things that you have done to yourself or others that have caused harm.
2. Admit your wrongs to God or whatever it is that you conceive of as your higher power. You might engage in quiet reflection, journaling, or prayer, perhaps in a natural or religious setting (such as a forest, beach, or church) where you can feel more connected to the spiritual realm.
3. Admit your wrongs to another person. It’s important to find someone who you feel you can fully trust so you can unburden yourself without feeling embarrassed, judged, or ashamed.

While it’s a challenging step, you shouldn’t bypass it because it can provide you with the benefits of self-forgiveness, humility, and catharsis that can support your sobriety.² Try to relinquish any sense of fear you might have about being fully honest with yourself and someone else. Everyone has committed wrongs in their lives, but not everyone can own up to them, so give yourself credit for being brave enough to undergo this difficult part of your recovery journey.

How Step 5 of AA Fits Into Your Recovery Journey

Step 4 provides the background for step 5 by helping people make “a searching and fearless moral inventory” of themselves, and sets the stage for step 6, which states that people are therefore “entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”³ In other words, to admit your flaws to someone else, you first need to know what they are (step 4), and only once you’ve admitted them to yourself, God, and someone else (step 5) can you ask God or your higher power to remove them (step 6).

Step 5 can help with your recovery journey in several ways. For example, regardless of how distressing the memories of your wrongdoings might be, you can:²

• Learn the importance of openness, honesty, and tolerance.
• Be able to give and receive forgiveness.
• Move toward humility by recognizing your shortcomings.
• Be more willing to receive advice and direction.

All of the above are important during recovery and beyond and can help you become a stronger and more effective person in your interpersonal relationships, work, and overall life in general.^2,4,5

Overall, participation in AA not only helps you cultivate the above-mentioned qualities but also brings many additional benefits, such as:^4,5

• Reducing alcohol use and relapse rates.
• Improving a sense of self-efficacy and fostering healthier coping.
• Supporting abstinence by having a sponsor or through service to others.
• Learning from the experiences of others.
• Obtaining a sense of camaraderie with others who have been in your shoes.
• Reducing negative emotions, guilt, and shame.

How to Find a 12-Step AA Program

AA meetings are often a component of rehab, and you can find these gatherings by searching online, downloading the AA meeting guide app, or using the AA website.⁶ Participation can take place virtually or in-person throughout the U.S., so you can always find an AA meeting whether you’re away from home, traveling, or moving to a new address.⁴

AA can complement rehab by helping you practice and build on skills you learn during treatment, as well as serve as a form of aftercare to support you once rehab has ended.⁶ Depending on your unique needs and where you are in your recovery journey, you may enter different rehab levels of care, including:

• Medical detox, which can help you undergo alcohol withdrawal as safely and comfortably as possible with medical support and supervision, and often includes the use of medications.⁷
• Inpatient addiction treatment, which means you’ll live and sleep onsite at a rehab, where you’ll receive 24/7 care and support and have distraction-free time and space to focus on your recovery.⁷
• Outpatient addiction treatment programs, which allow you to live at home and provide flexible treatment schedules so you can continue to work or attend to other responsibilities.⁷
• Intensive outpatient addiction programs, which offer a more supportive form of outpatient care involving 9 to 20 hours of weekly treatment.⁷
• Partial hospitalization rehab programs, also known as high-intensity outpatient programs, which involve attending treatment most days of the week for 4 to 8 hours per day.^7,8
• Rehab aftercare, which is a form of ongoing support to help you maintain sobriety and can include groups such as AA.⁷
• Sober living, which is a form of aftercare that offers stable, substance-free housing and support to people who have completed treatment and are transitioning back to their daily lives.⁷

Start Your Recovery

If you or someone you love is interested in joining a 12-Step program or are already participating in one, you may also benefit from rehab. Rehab can help people safely stop drinking alcohol, learn ways to maintain sobriety, and establish healthy functioning in their overall lives, while also supporting a person’s 12-Step journey.⁹

Read More About the 12 Steps

• Step 1
• Step 2
• Step 3
• Step 4
• Step 6
• Step 7
• Step 8
• Step 9
• Step 10
• Step 11
• Step 12
• AA Big Book
• AA Promises
• AA Recovery Programs
• Frequently Asked Questions