The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is a fellowship of members who come together for a uniquely shared journey toward recovery from alcohol use. AA has been a functioning fellowship since 1935, when it was born out of a meeting between two men - Dr. Bob Smith, an Akron surgeon, and Bill Wilson, a New York stockbroker. Since then, it has been the reason behind millions of successful recovery journeys worldwide. Members benefit from a safe platform wherein they can learn from shared experiences, find encouragement, and take ownership of their own recovery.

The 12 Traditions of AA, along with the 12 Steps of AA, are the driving force behind the fellowship. They define its character and mission. In this article, we shall explore these 12 Traditions of AA and their purpose.

Before we understand the importance of the Traditions, let us first explore what are the 12 Traditions of AA or, Alcoholics Anonymous, in brief:

AA Tradition 1:

Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity.

AA Tradition 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.

AA Tradition 3:

The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.

AA Tradition 4:

Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.

AA Tradition 5:

Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

AA Tradition 6:

An AA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

AA Tradition 7:

Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

AA Tradition 8:

Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

AA Tradition 9:

AA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

AA Tradition 10:

Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

AA Tradition 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.

AA Tradition 12:

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

There are different AA fellowships all over the world - separated by geographical boundaries, identities, and cultures. These fellowships function both in-person and online - aiming to reach out to as many as possible in their quest for sobriety. The importance of the 12 Traditions of AA lies in the fact that they can bring all these multitude of fellowships together and direct their functioning. It ensures that AA sticks to its core principles (defined by the 12 Steps of AA). At the same time, the AA 12 Traditions ensure the welfare of individual members as well as the group as a whole.

Alcoholism or alcohol use disorder is defined as heavy, prolonged drinking. Among other things, it is very isolating as alcohol takes over everything else in life - including interpersonal and social relationships. The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous promote unity from the right from the beginning.

Beginning with the first tradition itself, which emphasizes common welfare and the role of unity in personal recovery, they seek to bring the fellowship together and promote cohesion. AA understands that cohesiveness is not limited to how all fellowships function - it emphasizes cohesiveness in every aspect, like decision-making, for instance. As AA believes that the power of recovery lies in fellowship, the Traditions support growth through unity, shared experiences, and shared learning.

In a nutshell, the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are unity, leadership, eligibility, group autonomy, primary purpose, avoiding outside influences, self-determination, non-professionalism, organizational structure, neutrality, and attraction over promotion.

While you cannot apply these 12 Traditions as they are to your daily sobriety, the crux of the matter is that these Traditions are not limited to AA meetings. They offer lessons for everyone - in their personal growth and relationships. By practicing the principles of personal responsibility, humility, unity, and service, you can establish and strengthen your sobriety. When you are honest and spiritual, it encourages openness and reduces conflicts (both internal and external) that can hinder your recovery and personal growth. The significance of these Traditions can, therefore, contribute to your sobriety when you personalize them to your life and lived experiences.

Some common misunderstandings or misconceptions about the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are:

Belief in God is Compulsory:

The most common misunderstanding is that to follow AA Steps and Traditions, you need to believe in God. But in reality, AA emphasizes the concept of a Higher Power - it can be God, but it can be anything you believe in, like love.

AA is Monotonous:

Many believe that AA Traditions promote a one-dimensional or monotonous experience, where a speaker stands on the podium and speaks while the others listen. This is far from the truth. While there are some meetings like this, members are much more involved than this with Big Book studies or Just For Today conversations, just as an example.

AA Requires Abstinence:

A misconception of AA is that it mandates abstinence. This is especially related to AA tradition 3. However, AA requires its members to have the desire to stop drinking. In fact, many AA members spend years in AA before getting sober.

AA Cannot Collaborate With Other Entities:

While AA believes in autonomy and neutrality, it does not mean it cannot collaborate with other entities over the shared goals of recovery and sobriety. Specifically, AA tradition 6 rules out the scope of financial entanglements or endorsements, as this means some kind of obligation to the other outside entity.

AA Discourages Outreach or Awareness:

There is some misconception regarding AA tradition 11 that it discourages outreach or awareness. This is not true. AA encourages careful representation and humility in outreach, but it does not prevent outreach or public awareness altogether.

While the 12 Traditions of AA promote anonymity in different ways, it is AA tradition 12 that is specifically dedicated to what anonymity means. From the 12th tradition, it becomes clear that anonymity is not just privacy but also a shield to protect both personal humility and collective reputation. The idea is to ensure it is not the personality but the AA principles that must shine and attract other members. It is placing the fellowship before the self. Let AA shine and speak for itself.

Meanwhile, autonomy means both fellowship autonomy and autonomy of AA as a whole. For instance, AA tradition 4 grants autonomy to every AA fellowship around the world in how its meetings are held, where they are held, how they begin and end, the topic for each meeting, and the spending of funds.

Moreover, by ensuring AA avoids financial entanglements with outside entities and by maintaining neutrality in different matters, political or otherwise, it keeps AA truly autonomous worldwide - in that it does not owe its character or functioning to anybody outside of itself.

The primary role of the 12 Traditions of AA, or Alcoholics Anonymous, is to ensure AA remains true to its principles. The AA 12 Traditions direct the functioning of every AA fellowship around the world to primarily ensure they adhere to the AA’s founding principles - to share the aim of recovery and sobriety and promote common welfare as well as personal growth. The 12 Traditions of AA, in many ways, are the functioning organ of AA’s principles.

The 12 Traditions of AA cover different factors of the fellowship, like structure, functioning, membership, leadership, finances, and outreach. When a fellowship adheres to these Traditions, AA can focus on its primary aim of enabling alcoholics to recover from their alcohol use by avoiding internal and external conflicts or controversies.

At Design for Recovery, we understand the significance of AA’s twelve Traditions in our personal lives, fostering unity, recovery, and growth. Our sober living homes in Los Angeles provide the ideal environment to integrate these principles into your daily life.

With our structured program, supportive community, and holistic approach, you’ll find the perfect complement to your AA journey.

Join us in upholding the twelve traditions while achieving lasting sobriety. Contact us to take the next step today.