The Exact Nature Of Our Wrongs (The Daily Trudge)

The Exact Nature Of Our Wrongs (The Daily Trudge)

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety?

This RAW Recovery installment, part of the Trudging Together series, sits squarely in that question by zooming in on Step Five: “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” The host, Dion, keeps things relaxed and human from the start—dad jokes, chatting about cats, and a bit of gentle grumbling about harm reduction arguments—before easing into a very real conversation about why Step Five matters so much.

You’ll hear how Alcoholics Anonymous views this step as “more necessary to long-time sobriety and peace of mind than this one,” and why so many people try to dodge it by doing a half-hearted Fourth Step. Dion talks through the fear of telling someone “the good, the bad, the ugly, the embarrassing, the things that might land us in jail,” and explains how secrecy fuels guilt, anxiety and that familiar alcoholic loneliness.

He jokes about giant resentment lists—some with 52 names, some with 84—but uses them to make a serious point: if a name pops into your head, it belongs on the list. As he puts it, “You spot it, you got it.” The episode also ties Step Five to very physical consequences of untreated stress: neck pain, stomach issues, irritable bowel syndrome. Dion insists that finally sharing those buried memories can feel like a literal weight coming off the body.

One of his strongest themes is forgiveness: first forgiving yourself, then feeling forgiven by your Higher Power, and only then being able to forgive others. This is aimed at anyone working a 12-step programme—especially those stuck around Steps Four and Five—and at people who feel like they still don’t truly “belong” in recovery rooms. If you’ve been putting off that honest conversation, could this be the nudge you need?