How It Works

When asked, "How does this 12 step thing work, anyway?"     We refer them to the basics......

Adapted from the original text from "Alcoholics Anonymous"

“Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are ... incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates ... There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest

 

Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps.

 

At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.

 

Remember that we deal with [addictions] — cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power — that One is God. May you find Him now!

 

Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. we asked His protection and care with complete abandon.

 

Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:  

 

         
  1. Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.

    2.      

  2. Come to believe that the power of God can restore us to complete spiritual health.

    3.      

  3. Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ

    4.      

  4. Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.

    5.      

  5. Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs.

    6.      

  6. Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses.

    7.      

  7. Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings.

    8.      

  8. Make a written list of all persons you have harmed, and became willing to make restitution to them.

    9.      

  9. Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.

    10.      

  10. Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong promptly admitted it.

    11.      

  11. Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord's will and to have the power to carry it out.

    12.      

  12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do.

    13. Many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not perfect. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.

    Our description of the addicted, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventure before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:

                a) That we were addicted, and could not manage our own lives.

                b) That probably no human power could have relieved our addiction.

                c) That God could and would if He were sought.