What is the moral inventory we are asked to take in Step 4?

It is written.   It is one thing to reflect on who we are, what we have done, and why we have become what we are. It is quite another to write down these truths. Putting it into words pins it down and makes it real in a way that mere reflection never does. And, of course, once we have committed something to paper, we can then go back and deal with what we have come to know about ourselves.

It is specific.   Don’t just write about the fact that once you start shopping, you can't stop ( and so end up buying what you don’t need and can’t afford). Be specific. Describe actual shopping binges.

It has to do with our addiction.   While there is great power in keeping a journal that touches on all aspects of our lives, this particular inventory needs to focus on the addictive issue that binds you. Here is where it be necessary for you to look into the personality, dynamics of people who wrestle with your specific problem. For example, there are certain issues with which “Adult Children” typically struggle. (“Adult Children” is a term used for those individuals raised in dysfunctional families who have brought certain disturbing personality traits into their adult lives.) The issues Adult Children need to focus on in their inventory include their fear of authority figures, their need for approval, their need to be needed, and their frozen feelings. What are the issues characteristic of people with your problem?

It needs to be balanced.   Certainly you need to focus on character defects that have led to faulty perceptions and self-destructive behaviours. But also note your strengths. Just as you will want to rid yourself of negative behaviours, you will also want to build up your positive qualities. Often you will find that a weakness is also a strength. For example, Adult Children have a deep need to help, others – so much so that they give up their own lives for the sake of others (to their personal detriment). This is clearly a weakness which they must overcome. But the other side of the picture is that Adult Children are often health-care professionals, therapists, and clergy who have used this tendency in good and positive ways. The key is balance.

It is individual in nature.   There is no single way to write out a “moral inventory”. Some people will simply list their traits, negative and positive. They will then reflect on how each of these relates to their addictive behaviour. Others will write a history of their addiction, noting what has happened over the years, why, and how this has affected themselves and others. Still others will use as a guide the personality characteristics of those suffering from their addictive pattern, writing out how each expresses itself in their own lives. How you do this inventory is not as important as the fact that you do it.

Step 4 doesn’t have to be done all at once. Begin with what is clear. Work on small sections of your life. Let one memory trigger others. Take your time, but start it.