This is without doubt the most important step and really the simplest, yet we balk at it. We initially shared with society the idea that an alcoholic was a bum, a hobo. Many alcoholics may become that, but they were alcoholics before they were hobos. Take a step back. Examine your life and be honest.
Alcoholics are good at lying to others and even better at lying to themselves.
The fact that you can stop for a while must be weighed up against the truth of what happens when you take the first drink. I could stop for months at a time, but I was and am an alcoholic. How can we say that we are powerless over alcohol and then stop drinking. The answer here is that we are powerless if we take that first drink. We are not powerless over the decision to take the first drink, hence the A.A. slogan - Just for Today.