Step 6 — Ready for Change – Sarah M. – Wilson House Big Book Workshop Retreat – 2025

About This Speaker Tape

Sarah M. and Finn dismantle the mechanics of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Step, moving from the liberation of the 'integration step' to the gritty reality of character defects. Sarah maps out how the Fifth Step acts as a bridge, closing the gap between the public mask and the internal wreckage to stave off depression.

The conversation shifts to the Seventh Step, where they argue that most defects—arrogance, anger, and control—are merely armor for deep-seated fear. Sarah shares the specific pain of her husband's relapse on opiates and the shame of being an addiction psychologist whose own home had imploded. They challenge the room to stop dismissing their feelings and to stop clinging to the 'victim' identity, arguing that true freedom requires a willingness to be vulnerable and to stop using the past as a shield.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Laughter: Discussion of the 'Ask It Basket' and the man jumping into shark-infested waters.
• 3:12 Reading of Step 6 and 7 passage from page 76 of the Big Book.
• 6:40 Sarah discusses the Fifth Step as the 'integration step' to resolve the discrepancy between the public mask and internal shame.
• 10:15 Finn shares a story about the anxiety of being slightly dishonest during his Fifth Step.
• 15:30 Sarah describes the 'lightning bolt' feeling of love and purity after completing the Fifth Step.
• 21:10 Analysis of character defects as manifestations of fear, specifically focusing on controlling behavior.
• 30:45 Sarah shares the wreckage of her husband's opiate relapse and the professional shame associated with it.
• 36:20 Discussion on the Seventh Step prayer and the difference between religious Higher Power and a Higher Power.
• 42:15 The 'Six People' exercise: Asking others what needs improvement and what gets in the way of closeness.
• 48:10 Sarah's clinical breakdown of 'activations'—how a wrong coffee order at Dunkin' Donuts can trigger childhood trauma.