The Science of Step 4 AA: How Making a Moral Inventory Supports Recovery

Having just decided to turn your will and life over to God as you understand Him in Step 3, you will now be making a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself in Step 4 AA. This step focuses on taking personal responsibility for your addiction, which empowers you to identify and make new types of choices.1

In this article:

Step 4: Why Take a Moral Inventory?

Step 4 of the 12 Steps of AA involves taking a fearless moral inventory of yourself. It means taking a good look at your character flaws and assets to figure out the root cause of your alcohol use disorder. Step 4 AA is a great way to learn why you do the things you do. You learn to be completely honest with yourself. Doing so will help you:1

  • Identify negative thinking patterns that lead to negative feelings and actions so you can foster positive changes
  • Gain emotional intelligence
  • Learn to recognize, understand, and regulate emotions to handle difficult situations, such as preventing relapse
  • Learn the tools to take responsibility for your decisions and the consequences of your decisions
  • Learn to self-manage how you react to emotions and think about consequences before deciding how to respond—dialectical thinking and CBT reframing will help you gain these tools.

Call 800-839-1686 Toll Free. Privacy Guaranteed. No Commitment.

Help is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Info iconCalls are forwarded to paid advertisers

The Four Areas to Address in Step 4

Step 4 AA provides guidelines for analyzing thought patterns that lead to poor decision-making and behaviors. Negative thought patterns can easily and quickly become perceptions of yourself. You can start believing the negative thoughts. Taking a moral inventory helps you connect thoughts and behaviors to know where to make changes.2

Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step groups, online and in-person, give access to worksheets to guide you through Step 4. There are four areas to address when taking a moral inventory, including:

  • Resentments
  • Fear
  • Sexual conduct
  • Harm to others

After addressing the four areas, acknowledge the causes of your behavior and how it makes you feel. Then, list the ways you can take responsibility and make changes.3

Resentments

You can hold resentments for any person, place, or thing. Resentment affects the seven parts of self, including:3

    • How you think of yourself
    • How you think others see you
    • Your money and possessions
    • Your relations with other people
    • Your goals and future plans
    • Your sense of security and personal well-being

vYour drive for sexual intimacy

When working through Step 4, first list your resentments or what makes you angry. Beside each one, describe what happened and why it angered you. Then write how the encounter affected your seven parts of self, and finally, write about how you are to blame in the situation. What role did you play, and what would you do differently now?3

Fear

Worksheets for Step 4 suggest answering questions about fear like you did for resentments. Write all your fears and then which of the seven parts of self were affected and how. Discuss your role and responsibility in the situation.3

Sexual Conduct or Harm Done to Others

The Step 4 worksheet for both sexual conduct and harm to others is slightly different from the other two. You should write down everything you did to harm someone else, sexually or otherwise, and the name of the person. You are not writing down how someone hurt you in these categories. Next, write down how the event made you feel and where you were at fault. Avoid focusing on shame and addiction. Instead, describe what you should have done instead.3

Tips for Completing Step 4

There are hundreds of questions to help you get started on your fearless moral inventory. Questions are broken into categories of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood and focus on relationships and experiences that shaped your character.4

Alcoholics Anonymous provides tips for completing Step 4, whether you use their list of questions or create your own. Tips include:4

  • Just start writing: Don’t worry about what you write in the beginning. Instead, practice writing so you can become more comfortable with the task. AA reports writing your thoughts on paper is a process that helps Step 4 click.
  • Be honest: Without honesty, it will be hard to move on to Step 5.
  • Keep it private: Your moral inventory is just for you to see. This should encourage you to be honest.
  • Search for serenity and inner peace: Find ways to forgive yourself for past actions and be proud of yourself for confronting your flaws.

Therapies That Support Step 4

There are ways to enhance step work so you can do a better job of completing Step 4 AA by supplementing the self-inventory process with traditional therapies. Below are therapies beneficial in supporting Step 4 work.2

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has a similar foundation to Step 4 AA. CBT reframing focuses on examining past behaviors and past experiences, changing negative thought patterns to change negative behaviors, and learning skills to overcome obstacles without misusing alcohol or drugs.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of CBT reframing used to motivate change, replace negative behaviors with positive ones, regulate emotions, establish community resources, and eliminate triggers to misuse substances.5 It teaches dialectical thinking so you can view your issues from multiple perspectives, broadening your self-inventory.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy supports Step 4 when exploring past experiences and relationships. It also helps you determine reasons for emotional dysregulation and discover underlying reasons you choose alcohol or drugs to cope.2

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

Some people may find it difficult to take full responsibility for their alcohol misuse. ACT helps people recognize their contribution to their problem of misusing substances. They learn to think about the issues without feeling anxious. Committing to change follows the recognition of a problem. Paired with Step 4, you will know more about yourself, your self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, and other personal qualities.6

Mindfulness-based therapy (MBT)

MBT teaches you to be aware of thoughts, emotions, or physical symptoms that may cause triggers for relapse. Understanding triggers is part of identifying your flaws and assets in Step 4. With mindfulness, Step 4 is enhanced because you become aware of which internal and external areas need the most work.7 You can also identify your strengths and the character traits that will help you stay focused in recovery.

Find a Rehab That Uses Step Work

If you are ready to gain a better perspective on how your personal choices contribute to the development of alcohol use disorder and make better choices that lead to recovery, addiction treatment can help.

Treatments that combine the 12 Steps with evidence-based therapies, such as dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, will empower you to succeed in recovery. You can start learning more about Step 4 AA and many other treatments today by calling our confidential helpline at 800-948-8417 Info iconCalls are forwarded to paid advertisers . A knowledgeable treatment support specialist can assist you.

Resources

  1. Drigas, A. S., & Papoutsi, C. (2018). A New Layered Model on Emotional Intelligence. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 45.
  2. Marcovitz, D. E., McHugh, K. R., Roos, C., West, J. J., & Kelly, J. (2020). Overlapping Mechanisms of Recovery Between Professional Psychotherapies and Alcoholics Anonymous. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 14(5), 367 – 375.
  3. 12Step.org. (n.d.). Step 4 Questions for Adulthood.
  4. Alcoholics Anonymous Chat. Fourth Step Inventory General Guidelines.
  5. Maffei C, Cavicchioli M, Movalli M, Cavallaro R, Fossati A. (2018). Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training in Alcohol Dependence Treatment: Findings Based on an Open Trial. Substance Use Misuse, 53(14): 2368 – 2385.
  6. Osaji, J., Ojimba, C., & Ahmed, S. (2020). The Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Literature. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 12(10), 629 – 633.
  7. Grant, S., Colaiaco, B., Motala, A., Shanman, R., Booth, M., Sorbero, M., & Hempel, S. (2017). Mindfulness-based Relapse Prevention for Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 11(5), 386 – 396.
Find A Meeting Today Phone icon 800-681-2956 Info iconCalls are forwarded to paid advertisers

Where do calls go?

Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser: ARK Behavioral Health, Recovery Helpline, Alli Addiction Services.

By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. There is no obligation to enter treatment.

Not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.