1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. …
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (Big Book)
Unmanageability is the corollary of powerlessness. If alcoholism could require me to drink and then continue to drink, I am not in charge. If I am not in charge, I cannot manage my own life. Note the rewording in the book itself. Our lives had become unmanageable is referring not to any intrinsic 'unmanageability' of 'people, places, and things' or to any actual consequences that might have manifested. It is not referring to any other personal defects or shortcomings. It is the automatic consequence of powerlessness over alcohol. An active alcoholic is not in charge of their life.