Well, stop it.
If I know something is a character defect, I have all the information I need. There is no analysis necessary. I become willing to have God remove it (because it's a character defect, so I'm going to want to have it removed), pray to God for its removal, then look at the remaining Steps. Make amends: by pouring my energy into the activities I should have been carrying out and neglected due to the acting out; pour myself into Steps Ten, Eleven, and Twelve.
I must then substitute other things for the acting out.
Some options:
- Fulfilment of obligations / performance of chores and minor tasks
- Practical service in the home or for others in our environment
- Go to a meeting & share solution
- Listen to AA tapes / spiritual talks
- Dive into intensive spiritual reading (Emmet Fox, Ernest Holmes, Anthony de Mello, Joko Beck, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, A Course In Miracles) and into practical implementation of the principles outlined
There is no need for acting out. When I act out, I'm doing it because I'm not willing to turn over that moment to God. The forms of self are irrelevant. The fact of self is the problem.