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Alcoholics Anonymous: The 12 Steps Explained

It works by helping people gain knowledge, insight, faith, confidence, skills, and support from others. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and support others in achieving sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship dedicated to helping people recover from alcoholism.

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

• You’ll usually find potential sponsors in the meetings, as a sponsor is someone who has been through the 12 steps and will guide you through the process.
• To reap the benefits of the program, an individual in recovery needs to be ready to let go of old patterns (defects) and embrace newer, healthier ways of life.
• Recovery Guide LLC does not endorse any treatment provider, and we do not guarantee the quality of care, outcomes, or results from any treatment program listed or advertised on our site.
• Perfect for meetings, sponsorship work, or personal reflection.
• This step is about openly acknowledging and taking responsibility for your mistakes and the harm caused by your addiction.

At this stage, all a person is doing is creating a list, and no confrontation is involved yet. Individually or with your sponsor, take account of anyone you’ve wronged when abusing drugs or alcohol. Step seven furthers this theme of humility by asking participants to commit to honesty and humility throughout their recovery. This is a stage of release when a person readies themselves to be rid of all “defects of character.” Though painful, this step is intended to relieve them of guilt and burdens weighing them down.

Self-reflection And Inventory

Instead, you should find your source of a “higher power” in other ways. When the book was originally published, this meant a belief in the Christian God. Access State-Specific Provider Directories for detailed information on locating licensed service providers and recovery residences in your area.

• These steps are the heart of AA, and have since inspired dozens of related groups like Al-Anon Family Group, Narcotics Anonymous, and more.
• First introduced in the 1939 book Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Steps have remained unchanged.
• The first step to recovery according to the Big Book is to admit that you are powerless over your decision to drink alcohol and that your life has become unmanageable.
• They should think deeply about each person and how they’ve wronged them, and reflect on the damage that substances had on their relationship.

What Are The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA Printable)

AA members often emphasise to newcomers that only you can decide whether or not you are an alcoholic—no one else can make that determination for you. “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. These Steps emphasise honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness as essential elements for those seeking recovery.

You should always seek medical advice from a licensed caregiver if you are experiencing any condition… which may require medical treatment, and in the event of an emergency, please dial 911 immediately. Use our local drug rehab locator for more information and to connect with supportive recovery communities near you. As you progress, you’ll help others who are just starting, and sharing your story while offering support becomes incredibly rewarding and reinforces your commitment to recovery. In the meeting, you’ll hear others share their stories and experiences with the 12 steps.

How Virtual AA Meetings Work

They emphasize group conscience, personal anonymity, and steer clear of outside contributions, public controversy, and problems of money. This keeps your personal progress going. Just be open to the idea that something stronger than addiction exists, call it a higher power, the group, or even just hope. These steps are the heart of AA, and have since inspired dozens of related groups like Al-Anon Family Group, Narcotics Anonymous, and more. Let’s break it down in plain English, from one person in recovery to another. Recovery Guide LLC does not endorse any treatment provider, and we do not guarantee the quality of care, outcomes, or results from any treatment program listed or advertised on our site.

How Do the 12 Steps Work in Real Life?

You look for guidance and support from a power greater than yourself, as you understand it. Your openness to seeking assistance from higher powers, support groups, or trusted friends and family makes you feel hopeful that you will win this battle when you’re not just relying on yourself. Looking for a high-resolution printable version of the 12 steps with space for notes and journaling? Who owns the AA steps and traditions? It’s a spiritual program, not a religious one. That’s how we stay focused on our primary spiritual aim—helping another alcoholic.

This step involves seeking guidance and strength from your higher power to overcome weaknesses and develop healthier habits. Perfect for meetings, sponsorship work, or personal reflection. They’re also widely used alongside addiction treatment and mental health how many steps are in aa conditions today. AddictionResource.net, and its parent company Recovery Guide LLC, is not a treatment provider and does not offer medical advice or clinical services. It’s not easy to uncover difficult emotions and create real steps toward recovery, so the 12 steps are not meant to be done quickly.

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. At Recovery Guide, our mission is to connect as many individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse disorders to reputable treatment facilities. Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups have used this book to inform and guide their addiction recoveries for decades. While these meetings have helped many people get and stay sober, they may not be for everyone. Some people may require more time on an individual step or need a break after a, particularly challenging one. It is a very personal thing and everyone’s interpretation of the Higher Power is different.

Step four is when a person takes a long, hard look at the effects addiction has had on their life and relationships. Instead of turning your will over to “God,” you can alter the language to align with what you deem your higher power to be in your recovery. Step three encourages participants to embrace their chosen treatment plan or higher power and begin accepting outside help.

In step 11, participants should focus on prayer (which may be interpreted as talking to someone) and meditation (which may be interpreted as listening to yourself and others). By step nine, it’s time to put the humility, inward-looking, and acknowledgment of wrongs to the test by making amends with those you’ve harmed. They should think deeply about each person and how they’ve wronged them, and reflect on the damage that substances had on their relationship.

The 12 steps of Alcoholics anonymous aim to help addicts recover from destructive, compulsive, and unregulated behaviors and restore or instill manageable routines and order into their lives. Below we explore the 12-step AA program, how they work, why they are so successful in helping recovering addicts maintain sobriety, and why they haven’t changed in over 80 years. Even within the recovery world, some people believe AA and NA are religious programs and don’t want to participate in them because they aren’t religious. The success of AA launched numerous versions of the support network, including Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, and Overeaters Anonymous, all of which utilize the 12-step program. 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.

However, true consideration for the program requires thoughtful responses and action steps. There is no set timeline for how long it should take a person to work through the 12 steps of AA. The same principles of anonymity and confidentiality apply to virtual meetings as they do to in-person gatherings. Once a person goes through the first nine steps, they may feel as though those steps are completed and don’t require any further examination. Reopening old wounds of the past can be intimidating for many people following the 12 steps.

Edmund has an extensive background in SUD research and medical writing, working collaboratively with doctors, substance use disorder specialists, and clinical experts across all content on Recovered. These groups are secular in nature, emphasize internal control, evolve with changing research in the field of addiction, and generally oppose labels that define past behavior. Though they are meant to be addressed in sequential order, there is no correct way to take on each step and the order is often down to the individual’s current position and mindset. Though some may still feel religious connotations around these words, Higher Power is meant to represent a power greater than one’s own ego as opposed to any deity or metaphysical being. The word god was at one point replaced with ‘Higher Power’ so as to not alienate those without religious beliefs. The Steps encourage the practice of honesty, humility, acceptance, courage, compassion, faith, forgiveness, and self-discipline-pathways to positive behavioral change, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth.

Each of these groups is peer-led, focused on sharing individual experiences and supporting one another in their continued recovery. Browse our directory or reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for more information about addiction recovery. In this step, individuals should create space to address each person, asking for forgiveness Individuals can share with their AA groups the discoveries they made in step four and admit to wrongs they’ve committed as a result of addiction. A person working through step four can be emboldened by knowing that their experience is not unusual or devious.

The 12-steps act as a set of guiding principles for people in recovery from an alcohol addiction to use when combating their problems. The steps are about your personal recovery. Though originally designed for people who drank alcohol, the 12 steps outlined in the Big Book can be applied to a variety of demographics and areas of addiction. The Big Book describes step six as the best possible attitude a person can have when on their journey to recovery from alcohol addiction. Whether you’re just beginning the 12 steps, have been following these principles for years, or have a family member who’s working through the program, these steps can help your recovery.