12 Steppers

12steppers.org is a resource website providing information on 12 step programs, the 12 step method and recovery from addiction via the 12 steps. We are not affiliated with any 12-step fellowships and we make no claims related to the efficacy or official endorsement of the 12-step programs discussed on our site. Our content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. The purpose of 12steppers.org is to provide the most up-to-date, accurate information about how 12 step programs can help those in need.

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5 Ways Alcoholics Anonymous Helps

Alcoholics Anonymous / By / 5 minutes of reading

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship and organization that is known worldwide. It is available for men, women, and teenagers who struggle with alcoholism. Whether someone abuses alcohol or admits to having a problem with alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous can help them. The meetings are not professional. They provide a supportive environment for anyone who needs help with overcoming their alcohol abuse or alcohol problem.

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12 Step Sponsorship Helping Hand

A Sponsor’s Role in 12 Step Programs

12 Step Programs / By / 5 minutes of reading

To work through any 12-step program, you will need a sponsor. It’s common for beginners to start with a temporary sponsor. That person or another individual will later become your permanent sponsor. They will become an essential part in walking you through the recovery process.

The AA literature defines the sponsor as: “An alcoholic who has made some progress in the recovery program shares that experience on a continuous, individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to attain or maintain sobriety through A.A.” The principle is very similar in the other 12-step programs, as they all adopted this role from the mother program.

While the sponsor does not have to be to an individual who has completed all 12-steps, they should be significantly ahead of the sponsee so that they possess the wisdom of experience to help traverse the earlier stages of recovery.

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Hand reaching out helping other person

What is a Sponsor and What to Look for in a 12-Step Sponsor

12 Step Programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, CoSex & Love Addicts Anonymous, Heroin Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, Sexual Recovery Anonymous / By / 5 minutes of reading

The official AA literature defines a sponsor as “an alcoholic who has made some progress in the recovery program shares that experience on a continuous, individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to attain or maintain sobriety through AA.” Sponsors serve an identical role in other 12-step fellowships.

The official definition significantly underrates the role of the sponsor. If you choose correctly, they will be an integral part of recovery. They will help keep you on the straight and narrow and avoid relapse. It is deeply inadvisable to attempt to work the steps without the guidance and advice of your sponsor on every single step. At first, you can select a temporary sponsor and begin work with them. But ultimately, finding the right permanent sponsor will be a crucial element in determining the success of your recovery. Therefore, it is very important to make the right choice in this regard.

Remember that performing service for the fellowship and its members is an important part of recovery. Therefore, in a very real way, you and your sponsor are helping each other through recovery. The sponsor and sponsee relationship are one of the best examples of the kind of mutual fellowship which helps 12-step participants remain sober in the long-term.

When looking for a sponsor, do not settle for the first member you make a connection with. Look for these important attributes:

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The Preamble

The AA Preamble – What it is, History & What it Means

12 Step Meetings, Alcoholics Anonymous / By / 5 minutes of reading

For as long as Alcoholics Anonymous has been around, it can still be a new program for those seeking out sobriety. The fellowship began in the early 1930’s by Bill W. and Dr. Bob S., who were individuals meeting with each other to try and stay sober. During their meetings, they realized that talking about their alcoholism with one another was what helped them stay sober. After developing the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, they moved forward to try and help other alcoholics obtain and maintain sobriety by attending meetings and working the program offered in the fellowship of AA.

The AA Preamble:

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AA or NA - Which One is Right for You

AA or NA: Which One is Right for You?

12 Step Programs / By / 5 minutes of reading

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are the two oldest and largest 12-step programs out there. Two alcoholics formed AA in 1935 in Akron, Ohio. The founders created it to help those who have developed an unhealthy dependence on alcohol. It remained the only 12-step program in existence until Narcotics Anonymous was founded in California 18 years later.

The two deal with a similar problem, namely the debilitating effect of substance addiction. However, the two organizations deal with distinct forms of dependence. AA focuses on alcohol, while NA is an organization dealing with controlled substances we commonly refer to as ‘drugs.’

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12 Step Programs and religion

12 Step Programs & Religion

12 Step Programs / By / 5 minutes of reading

The less religious someone is, the more they notice how prevalent the focus on God and religious symbolism is in AA. The word God appears 315 times in the Big Book of AA.

What makes the 12-step conception of religion unique is that every addict can use their spiritual conception. Since there is no specific dogma that guides belief, there is an infinite variety within the membership of the groups.

The Christian Background of AA

The first 12-step program was Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and it is very much a product of its time and place. Founded in a time when the United States was a very Christian and Protestant nation.

The two founders of the organization, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, were firm believers in Christianity and many of their ideas had blossomed out of religious-oriented seminars they had participated in. Not surprisingly, the basic AA literature is strongly influenced by these beliefs. When they refer to a Higher Power, they explicitly refer to God.

Another religious element in 12-step meetings is the “serenity prayer”:

“God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference.”

Although it does not contain material that is strictly Christian, it was written by an important theologian of that faith. However, the wisdom behind Dr. Rheinhold Niebuhr’s prayer transcends religion and belies a deeper universal truth.

However, the founders of AA were well aware that not all of the members of the fellowship are Christian and they wanted the program to work for everyone. Therefore, the original literature does not refer specifically to Christian doctrine, even if it does use that language extensively for cultural reasons.

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Is Alcoholics Anonymous Religious

Is Alcoholics Anonymous Religious?

Alcoholics Anonymous / By / 3 minutes of reading

Is Alcoholics Anonymous Religious?

While Alcoholics Anonymous does have some aspects that are based on religion, Alcoholics Anonymous as a group is not religious. Many alcoholics believe it is and that is one reason many decide not to go to A.A. meetings. However, Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t require anyone to believe in a certain religion or in certain religious beliefs. While Alcoholics Anonymous is endorsed by and approved by various religious leaders, the program in itself is not religious. People of all religions and people who aren’t religious at all can be a part of Alcoholics Anonymous.

The Alcoholics Anonymous program is based upon accepting specific spiritually-based values. You are free to take these values and interpret them in any way that you would like. If you don’t agree with some of the values, you don’t have to follow them. It isn’t a specific program that you must follow in a set way.

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12 Step Serenity Prayer

What is the Serenity Prayer?

12 Step Meetings, Alcoholics Anonymous, CoSex & Love Addicts Anonymous, Heroin Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, Sexual Recovery Anonymous / By / 3 minutes of reading

What is the Serenity Prayer?

One of the things that help alcoholics and other addicts to recover from their addiction is the Serenity Prayer. If you have an addiction to alcohol or drugs, learning the Serenity Prayer could help you throughout your recovery process.

Defining the Serenity Prayer

The basic part of the Serenity Prayer, that is used the most, is this – “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” The intention of this prayer is to bring faith, certainty, and peace into the hearts and minds of those who need support. When you say the prayer, you are asking your higher power to give you wisdom and guidance to accept what is in your life. You are also asking your higher power for the ability to manifest what is in your best interest.

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The 12 Traditions

What Are The 12 Traditions? What Do They Mean?

12 Traditions, Alcoholics Anonymous / By / 6 minutes of reading

AA and other 12-step recovery organizations run surprisingly smoothly. Despite differences in culture and purpose between the groups, they tend to remain focused on their goals. They usually avoided excessive infighting or bad publicity. The various groups within 12-step fellowships have managed to run their affairs well while maintaining their autonomy.

The 12-traditions allow these organizations to manage their day-to-day affairs competently while remaining focused on their mission.

History of the 12 Traditions

AA was created in the 1930s and soon enjoyed a terrific amount of success. Groups spread all around the United States and, not long after, the entire world.

However, there were no clear rules for the structure of the organization. The different groups were intended to be self-contained and self-sufficient, and they indeed were. However, organizational questions and controversies began to bedevil the fellowship. No matter how autonomous the various groups are, they need a way to deal with administrative and financial issues.

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The 12 Step Promises

What Are The 12 Step Promises? What They Mean

12 Steps, Alcoholics Anonymous, CoSex & Love Addicts Anonymous, Heroin Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, Sexual Recovery Anonymous / By / 6 minutes of reading

The 9th Step in the 12-step program is a highly consequential one. It is the step wherein a recovering addict makes amends for the harm they have done to other people in their lives and mainly due to their addiction.

As it says in the Big Book of AA, when working this Step, we: “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

As part of completing this crucial step, individuals make and fulfill a series of promises, which appear in chapter 6 of the big book of AA. Though conceived as part of working a specific step, they often become an essential part of the outlook of recovering addicts.

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