How old were you when accepted someone else's belief that you're powerless?
You're NEVER powerless.
By definition, power means:
the ability to do something or act in a particular way
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events
...and you can do BOTH.
Your life reflects the beliefs you've settled for.
Through therapy I am finding out I felt powerless the moment my mother gave me away to a abusive drunk. Through sobriety I am accepting that I am stronger then I ever knew.
Thanks for sharing! I'm truly sorry to hear about your experience. Two of my favorite quotes are "Suffering is grace" and "Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose." I hope these quotes helpful for you as well. You have the power to change your narrative and heal your life and it sounds like you're making progress already. It's not easy, but it's simple, especially when you know what to focus on the most (i.e., beliefs and habits) and have the right systems for creating change. Keep making progress. Blessings. 
Thank you, I see you are from Virginia. I reside here now. I got clean without any support also. No medication, no doctors, and just cold turkey. I've been sober a year and feel raw but amazing! I actually started therapy last week for talking support that I don't have with family. My doctor offered me suboxone before therapy! I declined. I didn't want to handle my emotional issues with medication. I was actually shocked he offered subs with a year sober.
Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.
I become powerless when I decide to put a drink or drug in my body. I see what you are saying though and have struggled with that part of the steps. Just like AA or whatever A says you have to surender to win.
Yeah and if You're a year Sober definitely don't want to get on Subs
I found his suggestion to be unethical. I was shocked and it confirmed to me Suboxone maintenance is for the money. This medication should be short term only not suggested to anyone clean a year.
I need this hanging in front of my face daily until it sticks! Lol Love it 
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing that you ended your addiction on your own. Many people learn how to heal themselves or eventually outgrow addiction, but we rarely hear their stories because society's paradigm about addiction is still mostly based on theories from nearly a century ago. Also, your drug prescriber (doctor) doesn't surprise me. The addiction treatment industry (therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, recovery coaches, rehabs, sober living facilities, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, etc.) is a multi-billion dollar per year beast that's fueled primarily by greed. I applaud you for declining suboxone. Many people would've accepted it against their better judgment simply because their drug prescriber offered it to them. And, yes, I'm in Virginia. I'm still trying to convince my wife to move to Hawaii. 
