Step 4 A.A.: Taking Your Fearless Moral Inventory | FHE Health

What is Step 4 in A.A.?

While every step in the 12-step program presents a unique set of challenges, Step Four in Alcoholics Anonymous has gained notoriety as being the “scary” step. This is the step that requires you to take a long, hard, honest look at your character flaws. It can feel overwhelming and frightening but can also serve as a powerful tool you can use to maintain your sobriety.

At this stage in your recovery, you’ve already worked through Steps One through Three. In the process, you’ve accepted that you’re powerless over alcohol or drugs, that God or your personal higher power could help you achieve sanity and that you’ve put your faith in your God or higher power. The idea is that you’ve been sober long enough to honestly and humbly examine how you came to be an addict, what kept you addicted and what needs to change in your life moving forward.

Let’s examine a Step 4 resentment example and give you the tools to pursue your own.

What Does “Make a Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory” Mean?

Working Step Four means examining how your own thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviors have made you an active participant in your own addiction. Taking personal responsibility is difficult for anyone, but for addicts, it’s especially tough.

One of the common traits of all addicts is a tendency to see themselves as victims. They’re stuck in a vicious cycle of “stinkin’ thinking” that justifies their substance abuse and addictive behavior. This can mean anything from feeling the need to drink to deal with a stressful workplace to using to numb the pain of a dysfunctional marriage or getting high to cope with memories of an abusive childhood.

Step Four requires you to break down your thoughts and life experiences, looking at critical issues, including feelings of resentment, harm you’ve caused others, your feelings of fear and your sexual conduct. This includes listing all the ways you’ve avoided taking personal responsibility, misdirected your anger, felt ashamed by things you’ve done or failed to do and let fear rule your life.

Creating a comprehensive personal inventory of all the situations, thoughts and feelings that fuel your addiction and perpetuate unhealthy behaviors gives you the perspective you need to take ownership of your problems and stop blaming others.

Once you’ve made that list, you then need to look at each item and ask yourself what your role was in the situation. What did you do to contribute to your addiction? What were you thinking and feeling?

Remember, Step Four isn’t about finding solutions. It’s about self-reflection, honesty and taking responsibility for yourself.

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How Do You Complete Step Four?

Like all the other steps in a 12-step program, there’s no right or wrong way to complete Step Four, and that can be frustrating for program participants. In fact, the actual process used to work Step Four is one of the most debated issues among fellowship participants. The bottom line is that you’re free to use whatever process works best for you, as long as you’re completely truthful with yourself and trust in the steps.

There are a number of suggested methods, guidelines and even digital templates you can use for reference. Your sponsor may have a particular way they recommend, and your recovery community is a good source for finding a way to work Step Four that fits you.

The important thing to keep in mind is that you’re creating a written record that serves as a cornerstone for your entire recovery journey. Many addicts keep their journal from Step Four their entire life, using it as a tool to keep themselves grounded when they find themselves reverting to old negative thought patterns and destructive behaviors.

Honesty is Critical in Step Four

Regardless of how you choose to complete Step Four, always remember that you need to be thorough when writing down your inventory. Your writing ability doesn’t matter, and the more time and effort you put into this, the more likely you’ll avoid falling into old patterns of destructive thoughts and actions.

It’s not uncommon for addicts to take weeks or even months to complete their work on Step Four. That’s okay. After all, this isn’t a race.

There’s no reward for plowing through your steps. Given the fact that work on Step Four can be emotionally draining, bring up painful memories and even trigger problems with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, it’s critical that you take the time to work at your own pace.

Make sure you have the support you need in your life, lean on your sponsor and be aware of yourself while working Step Four.

And don’t hold back. Failing to be fully honest about your shortcomings is another form of self-sabotage, and it only serves to undermine your success in the 12 steps of AA.

Questions to Ask Yourself in Step 4

Addiction is a mental condition driven by many factors, including fear and resentment. You may use alcohol and other drugs to contain the pain and anger you feel toward some people, things and situations. Similarly, fear can be an enemy to your sobriety, as you may feel the urge to drink or use something stronger when you’re afraid or anxious.

Taking a fear and resentment inventory in Step 4 of the 12-Step Program is crucial to discovering the negative thought patterns contributing to your addiction.

Taking a Resentment Inventory

To create a Step 4 resentment example, write down the name of the person or thing you’re angry with. Provide a brief explanation of the event that led to your resentment and how it affected you. Finally, look beyond your hurt and analyze your role in the situation.

These questions can help you flesh out all your 4th Step resentment inventory examples:

What did I say or do before the event in question?
What happened during the event?
What did I feel or do during and after the situation?
Which parts of the situation are entirely my fault?
Do I use the situation to justify my negative feelings and actions?

Creating a Fear Inventory

A fear inventory is an analysis of the things that hold you back, both in the recovery process and in other areas of your life. Fear can make you pause, freeze or regress to bad habits. Facing your fears uncovers your true desires and helps you devise ways to fulfill them.

Some contents of the fear inventory in AA are derived from the 4th Step resentment inventory examples. Look at the answers you provided in each Step 4 resentment example you listed to see where fear drove the actions that led to your pain and anger. You should also look beyond the resentment inventory to see the role of phobias and anxieties in your current life.

Ask yourself:

What is the name of this fear?
Why do I have this fear?
How does it affect me?
How and why do I keep feeding this fear?
Why do I want to avoid this fear?
How can I get past this fear?

Why Is Step Four Important for Recovery?

Step Four is important for recovery because once completed, it’s virtually impossible for an addict to revert back to blaming other people for their addiction, destructive behaviors and everything that’s gone wrong in their lives.

Success in recovery depends on taking full ownership for your actions, and completing a moral inventory is a critical part of this process of accepting personal responsibility. Step Four isn’t about feeling bad. It’s about learning what led you to where you are and understanding what changes you have the power to make in your life.

Begin Your Recovery Journey at FHE Health

When you’re ready to take control of your life and get the help you need to deal with your alcohol, drug or behavioral addiction, call the team at FHE Health. For those seeking addiction treatment, our team includes compassionate, experienced addiction experts who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide you with information about our fully accredited and licensed life-saving treatment programs.