Practicing Step 1 in stroke recovery is the activation point of building a psychological immune system. By accepting that my stroke changed my life forever, I could then begin adapting to the injury without exhausting myself in a constant fight against reality. Admitting powerlessness and unmanageability over my neurological injury took two years. In both alcoholism and stroke recovery, denial delayed healing. No matter how hard I tried to act normal, I was only making things worse. Step 1 interrupted that pattern. Once I accepted my disability, I could start healing physically and psychologically.

Each day I make decisions based on today’s brain, not yesterday’s. I must accept my fatigue, visual overload, and pacing as reality not failures. This is the same muscle I built in sobriety, accepting that alcohol was not an option and building a life around that truth. Acceptance stabilized life, strengthening my psychological resilience allowing for healing, adaptation, and hope.

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