I first heard this saying right when I needed it most - when I was in the middle of my 4th step and I thought I was losing my mind. I remember sitting in my Wednesday night meeting after just having done some writing on it and I literally thought my life was coming apart. That's when someone shared this and at once I was filled with hope and thought maybe, just maybe, I'll actually survive this.
 
The 4th step not only shakes our very foundation, it shakes loose the crap, the shame and the secrets that weaken it. It is this sober examination of our core defects of character that cause us such an overwhelming amount of pain, and once we begin looking at our part in things, it's no wonder we feel our very lives are being turned upside down.
 
The good news is that a thorough 4th step is actually the very thing needed to turn our lives right side up. Before my 4th step, it was all your fault, and because I couldn't control you, I was the victim. But by seeing and taking responsibility for my part, which I do have control over, I can now make changes thereby giving me control and hope over my future. The 4th step indeed made me crazy at first, but then it set me free.