The #RecoveryFirst Podcast "Over What, Exactly, Am I Powerless?"The #RecoveryFirst Podcast "Over What, Exactly, Am I Powerless?"
The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast by Freedom Recovery Services of Greenville
Mike Todd reflects on what it means to be powerless in recovery, speaking candidly about grief, control and acceptance. He shares how simple actions like writing, meetings and honest conversations help him live with what he cannot change.
12:59•15 Aug 2021
Powerless, But Not Helpless: Mike Todd on Control, Grief and Action in Recovery
Episode Overview
- Admitting powerlessness over people, outcomes and opinions is presented as a central part of ongoing recovery.
- Grief over the death of a beloved dog highlights how hard it can be to accept situations that cannot be fixed or controlled.
- Writing, attending meetings and speaking with a sponsor are shown as practical tools for processing emotions and staying grounded.
- Frustration with unethical recovery housing and treatment centres is acknowledged, while stressing that others’ ethics cannot be controlled.
- Taking simple actions – going to a meeting, picking up a pen, calling someone – is described as a key way to move out of anger and into growth.
“"Over what exactly am I powerless?"”
This bonus share from The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast drops in on host Mike Todd as he reflects from his porch, pen in hand, asking a deceptively simple question: "Over what exactly am I powerless?" Across a short, heartfelt talk, Mike walks through the many areas where he’s had to admit he’s not in charge: other people’s actions, what others think of him (and what he imagines they think), loved ones and pets passing away, even his wife’s medical issues.
What drives someone to seek a life without trying to control everything and everyone? He shares the recent loss of a much-loved family dog, describing how hard it was to accept that "at some point she said, you know what, I've had enough" and that he couldn’t fix it. You’ll hear how this question hits the core of his recovery.
Mike talks openly about struggling with people moving on, frustration over unethical treatment centres and recovery houses, and his temptation to control it all. Yet he keeps coming back to admission and acceptance, saying, "Admitting takes action" and stressing the basics: writing, meetings, talking to a sponsor, and staying honest with the men who keep him accountable.
There’s a gentle humour as he calls his workbook a "dadgum book" full of questions, while also recognising how those questions expose his attempts at control. He admits he can get angry, but insists he "can’t stay here" and needs to keep working on himself. This episode suits anyone in recovery who wrestles with powerlessness, control, and grief, or anyone supporting loved ones in that space. If you’ve ever tried to fix what can’t be fixed, you’ll likely feel seen.
It leaves a simple challenge: where might you need to admit powerlessness today, and what small action could you take instead?
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