| 1 2 St e p s & 1 2 Tr a di ti o n s |
| The follo wing is an exce rpt from "44 Ques tions " Copy right © 1952 |
| W ha t ar e th e 'T w el ve St ep s' ? |
| The "Twelve Steps" are the core of the A.A. program of personal recovery from alcoholism. They are not abstract theories; they are based on the trial-and-error experience of early members of A.A. They describe the attitudes and activities that these early members believe were important in helping them to achieve sobriety. Acceptance of the "Twelve Steps" is not mandatory in any sense. |
| Experience suggests, however, that members who make an earnest effort to follow these Steps and to apply them in daily living seem to get far more out of A.A. than do those members who seem to regard the Steps casually. It has been said that it is virtually impossible to follow all the Steps literally, day in and day out. While this may be true, in the sense that the Twelve Steps represent an approach to living that is totally new for most alcoholics, many A.A. members feel that the Steps are a practical necessity if they are to maintain their sobriety. |
| Here is the text of the Twelve Steps, which first appeared in Alcoholics Anonymo us, the A.A. book of experience : |
| The 12 Steps |
| 1. We admitted we were powerles s over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanag eable. |
| 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselv es could restore us to sanity. |
| 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we underst ood Him. |
| 4. Made a searc hing and fearle ss moral invent ory of oursel ves. |
| 5. Admitte d to God, to ourselve s and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. |
| 6. Were entirel y ready to have God remov e all these defect s of charac ter. |
| 7. Hum bly aske d Him to rem ove our short -co ming s. |
| 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. |
| 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. |
| 10. Continu ed to take personal inventor y and when we were wrong promptl y admitte d it. |
| 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. |
| 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. |
| W h at ar e th e 12 Tr ad iti o ns ? |
| The "Twelve Traditions" of A.A. are suggested principles to insure the survival and growth of the thousands of groups that make up the Fellowship. They are based on the experience of the groups themselves during the critical early years of the movement. |
| The Traditions are important to both oldtimers and newcomers as reminders of the true foundations of A.A. as a society of men and women whose primary concern is to maintain their own sobriety and help others to achieve sobriety: |
| T h e 1 2 T r a d it i o n s |
| 1. Our commo n welfare should come first; personal recover y depends upon A.A. unity. |
| 2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. |
| 3. The only requir ement for A.A. memb ership is a desire to stop drinki ng. |
| 4. Each group should be autonom ous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. |
| 5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. |
| 6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose. |
| 7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-sup porting, declinin g outside contrib utions. |
| 8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-profess ional, but our service centers may employ special workers. |
| 9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve. |
| 10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. |
| 11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films. |
| 12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personaliti es. |