The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Program

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a peer group that is focused on one goal - to recover from alcohol use and journey toward sobriety. It was founded by Bill W. and Dr. Bob Smith, who believed in the power of fellowship for healing. If you are struggling with alcohol use, AA provides you with a safe environment where you can benefit from shared experiences and learning. AA functions on the basis of the 12 steps - in this article, we shall learn what are the 12 steps of AA are and how you can benefit from these 12 steps in your life.

What Are the 12 Steps of AA?

The Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 steps are central to the 12-step recovery program and the strong foundation for your healing and recovery. The 12 steps of AA are as follows:

• Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
• Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
• Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
• Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
• Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
• Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
• Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
• Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
• Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
• Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
• Step 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.
• 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.

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The History and Origins of the AA 12 Steps Program

The origins of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 steps program can be traced all the way back to 1935 when two men - Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon from Ohio, and Bill Wilson, a stockbroker and entrepreneur from New York City - came together to learn and heal. At the time, Wilson was struggling with alcohol use disorder, and Dr. Smith enabled him to recover. The reason for this is the unique outlook that Dr. Smith had toward alcoholism, having struggled with it himself. He did not believe that alcoholism was a moral failing - he said that it is rooted in the complex interplay between mind, emotions, and body. This novel perspective became the foundation of the AA and empowered others to begin their own journeys to recovery.

Within just 4 years, their method enabled 100 members to achieve sobriety. In 1939, Wilson documented their experiences in a book titled “Alcoholics Anonymous,” which shared the case histories of 30 recovering alcoholics and became the core of the 12 Steps of Recovery. As word spread, Liberty Magazine published an article about AA, prompting over 800 people to reach out for their recovery.

By 1950, the 12 steps of AA became the reason for more than 100,000 recovered alcoholics worldwide. Since then, AA has been growing and has never looked back. Today, it boasts 2 million members all over the world, with 1.2 million members hailing from the U.S. itself. In fact, the 12-step model of AA led to the creation of other similar groups for other addictions, such as:

• Narcotics Anonymous
• Gamblers Anonymous
• Eating Disorders Anonymous
• Debtors Anonymous
• Workaholics Anonymous.

How the AA 12 Steps Support Lasting Sobriety?

The 12 steps of AA have been highly effective in enabling millions of members all over the world to achieve lasting sobriety. In fact, the Social Work in Public Health said that recovering alcoholics who attend 12-step recovery programs have more chances of achieving lasting sobriety than others who do not.

But exactly how do these rather simple-seeming steps empower you toward it? The reason for this is multi-layered, which are as follows:

• The 12 steps of AA provide a safe outlet where you can express yourself and your experiences with alcoholism.
• You feel more understood when you heal in companionship with others and overcome feelings of isolation common with substance use disorders like alcoholism.
• The 12 steps reduce the risk of you or those around you engaging in enabling behaviors that lead to relapse.
• Each of the 12 steps builds on the previous one and compels members to examine themselves, make amends, and move toward spiritual growth. It emphasizes structure and goal setting early in recovery itself.
• By navigating the 12 steps, members gain the tools and skills to identify triggers and temptations, manage cravings and urges, and overcome behavioral patterns leading to alcohol use.
• The 12 steps promote a spiritual awakening in recovery. Whether you view it from a religious or a secular perspective, members say that the focus on a higher power, surrender, and forgiveness lays a strong foundation for healing and resilience.
• The 12 steps promote altruism, as they use your healing journey to spread the word worldwide and enable others toward recovery as well. This facilitates meaning and fulfillment in life.
• 12-step recovery programs like the AA 12 steps are freely available all over the world. Whether you want to attend it in person or online, it seamlessly fits into your life and becomes integral to your new routine focused on sobriety.

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Practical Tips for Working Through the AA Steps

The 12 steps of AA are highly effective, but there will be challenges on your way to recovery. Here are some practical tips that will make this journey an easier one for you:

• Never lose sight of your commitment. Remind yourself why you are here in recovery and the positive changes you have been able to achieve.
• Identify your triggers and use coping strategies. Recognize what leads to cravings and develop productive ways to manage them.
• Connect with others. The crux of the AA 12 steps is the connection to reduce the feelings of isolation. Connect with others in recovery for motivation, encouragement, and understanding. You can even connect with your sponsor, who can support you and promote accountability in your recovery.
• Be consistent. Attend the meetings regularly to engage with your sober community and gain strength, insight, and tools with regular participation.
• Be kind to yourself. Setbacks will be as crucial to your journey as achievements. Respond to these setbacks with kindness and learn from them.
• Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate every milestone you achieve, no matter how small. It is these small victories that pave the way for bigger ones.
• Prioritize self-care. Nurture your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and do not let anything come in the way of your recovery.
• Seek professional help. The AA 12 steps are not the only tool for you to recover from alcoholism, so seek therapy and medical care whenever challenges become overwhelming to handle on your own.

Common Challenges in the 12-Step Recovery Process

While the AA 12 steps program is effective when it comes to ongoing care and community, there are some challenges that you may find:

• Stigma. Misconceptions about alcoholism and 12-step programs can discourage you from reaching out.
• Lack of medical/clinical expertise or care. 12-step programs do not take the traditional medical/therapeutic route to recovery, which many may find difficult. The lack of experts or professionals may not meet everybody’s needs.
• The focus is on religion and spirituality. This can alienate many who do not identify with AA’s religious or spiritual beliefs.
• Limited focus on mental health challenges. As alcoholism can often co-occur with mental health challenges, AA's 12 steps are not geared toward treating mental health conditions.
• Concerns regarding confidentiality and privacy. As meetings are open to everyone, it can become uncomfortable for a lot of members who emphasize privacy.
• Overdependence. Some may become overly reliant on these AA meetings and communities and may struggle to cope independently in life.

Alternatives and Complements to the 12-Step Program

Whether the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 steps are right for you depends on your needs, strengths, and preferences. Mostly, the 12 steps work best when they are integrated into more comprehensive treatment involving detoxification (detox), psychotherapy, medication management, and social support. However, many may not find the 12 steps a right fit for them at all. In this case, there are non-12-step alternatives and complementary options available for you, such as SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, LifeRing Secular Recovery, Moderation Management, or Women For Sobriety.

The encouraging thing is that recovery does not have to be a one-size-fits-all. At Design For Recovery, we seek to avoid a cookie-cutter approach to your recovery by providing premier sober living facilities that provide access to 12-step recovery meetings and non-12-step rehab programs that strengthen your sobriety and empower you every step of the way.