Step 1 "WE ADMITTED WE WERE POWERLESS OVER ALCOHOL AND THAT OUR LIVES HAD BECOME UNMANAGEABLE."

THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS (AA)

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS (AA)

"Alcoholics Anonymous, usually abbreviated AA, is a 12-step recovery program that has helped many people stop the use of alcohol

AA is a fellowship of recovering alcoholics who are determined to remain in recovery by abstaining from alcohol consumption.

Members will go through each step at a time by allowing every member to share his life experiences in relation to the step being discussed.

Step 1

"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable."

 The first step of AA is to admit that you have a problem.

 Those who are not ready to admit to a problem may not be able to seek the help they need, and they may be more likely to return to drinking.

 Accepting that a problem exists and facing it may be difficult, but it makes the person aware of it.

 Admitting it to other people and to yourself help to get started on your journey to recovery.

 You have to admit that you have a problem if you are ready to change, because you cannot change what you don’t acknowledge.

 You have to admit that your life has become unmanageable

 You have to admit that you are powerless over alcoholism because maybe you have tried to stop but you have no power over alcohol; it has taken over your life. You are an alcoholic;

yes you are and you have to accept that fact and get into the AA program that is going to help you start your journey to recovery.

 Staying in denial about your problem will prevent you from working on your recovery

 Recovery is work; you have to put some effort; you have to want it so bad that you will be willing to do anything to recover from alcoholism; it is about knowing what you want and staying focused on it.

Step 2

"WE CAME TO BELIEVE THAT A POWER GREATER THAN OURSELVES COULD RESTORE US TO SANITY."

 Many programs focus on participants having hope and faith that they will return to a healthy state.

 These programs may involve God, spirituality and meditation in the healing process.

 You have tried by your own to fix your life but you have failed.

 You have to let a Higher Power to help you out

 You have to surrender to the God of your understanding so that he can help to restore your sanity

 Trusting and surrendering your life to a higher power outside of yourself is the only way out.

 You have to trust him. Surrender to him to do for you what you have failed to do.

 Surrender to him to so that after he restores your sanity, he can make you the person you were created to be, so that you can start living a purpose driven life.

Step 3

"We Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

AA is not strictly a Christian organization. Different groups work with different types of spirituality and religions, and choosing the right one can help participants feel more comfortable and accepted.

Step 4

"We Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."

 A major step that happens after admitting a problem is admitting to your faults.

 Each participant in the program has to look at his past and present situations and determine any faults that he has.

 By admitting to these problems, the group and the individual can try to fix them.

Step 5

"We Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our mistakes."

 Knowing what you have done wrong and admitting it are two very different things.

 Admitting past errors and wrongs to a group and receiving support to change your life is a part of AA that all participants go through.

Step 6

"We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character."

 Once you've admitted all the problems and faults of character, it is time to let go and accept that it is time to change.

 Accepting responsibility for the change is part of this step.

Step 7

"We Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."

 Since a major part of most AA groups is spirituality, this step focuses on healing, prayer, meditation, hope and faith.

Step 8

"We Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all."

 Sometimes, people come to AA thinking there is no way back from their current situations.

But, that isn't always the case.

 By making a list of all the people harmed by the alcoholism and being willing to try to make amends, a participant is accepting responsibility and understanding what has been wrong in his life.

 This step is more about the planning and acceptance of making amends rather than completing the task.

Step 9

"We Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."

 In many cases, admitting you're wrong, apologizing and informing a person that you're getting help is enough to have that person's support.

 However, sometimes people have been seriously hurt or are in a position where an apology or trying to make amends would make a situation worse.

 Through the group, decisions can be made as to who will be best served by trying to make amends and who may be more hurt by it than anything else.

 For instance, during your addiction you may have hurt or offended some people and this may be something a person wants to apologize for, but not all people will be ready to hear an apology.

Step 10

"We Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it."

 A major part of the program is continuing to take responsibility for your actions.

 If you fall back into drinking, it's important to stop and admit it.

 Relapses are normal, and the group can be supportive while you're healing.

 Admitting trouble with quitting, or trouble with other parts of your life, are not signs of weakness. It is meant to help keep participants on track to a healthier lifestyle.

Step 11

"We 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 he power to carry that out."

 Whether or not a person is religious, this allows him to have quiet time where he can reflect on the day, what has happened recently and the things he needs to do to make his life better.

Step 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."

 Another serious aspect of the 12-step program is giving back to the community that has helped you to receive the treatment you needed.

 The main point of this is to help others seek help when they need it and sometimes to give a person someone else to feel responsible for, as this can help them focus on more positive aspects of life.

 Community service, aiding others and working with future AA groups are all normal choices for this step.