12 in 12?

[Kelltic]

Someone mentioned to me today a program called 12 in 12 - it's doing all 12 steps in 12 hours. I don't think it's meant to replace working on the steps with a sponsor, but I don't know much more about it. Has anyone heard of or done this? I'm going to ask my sponsor about it when I call her, too.

[FredG]

Never heard of it. In my opinion, it can't be done as steps 10 through 12 are called maintenance steps that need to be done on an ongoing basis.

Let me know though, I'd be interested to hear of the alterate methods out there that work.

[Kelltic]

Thanks, will do. Someone who did it told me that it provided her with clarity as she went back to working on the steps with her sponsor. I'm working on the 3rd step and I think it's going to take me a little while to keep reminding myself to let go & let my higher power steer the wheel. Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

[bbthumper]

Never heard of it either. I have heard of sponsors who will sit with an individual for 8 to 12 hours or so and work steps 1-8 in a day. Most of us cant get through an entire 9th step in a matter of hours though.

[Thumpers]

Maybe it is a workshop to show you how to do or start them in 12 hours. As said 10-12 are done daily, forever, as the Big Book states it. A lot of my 9th Step amends are about cleaning up the financial wreckage I created due to drinking, and that's gonna take a long time.

[Hexipuff]

It's taken my four months to get to Step Three. Not sure how easy or valuable it would be for me to try and achieve all the steps in 12 hours.
I see it the steps as a work in progress. I also have been told it is not a race.
I would be interested to know how 12 in 12 works but I think I will stick to my 12 and 12 and my own pace.

[CarolD]

Hmmm...
I have posted often that I found the book titled 12&12 did
helped me when I was doing my first run thru with our Steps.

To my knowledge ...it's not a separate program....only a way to
clarify what I needed to do in order to move forward...


I still attend those meetings listed under the name of 12
Steps and 12 Traditions regularly
For me....it's vital to stay in contact with others who
share my goal of on going AA recovery

I've never been to a group that takes anyone thru the
Steps in any specific time frame..
How could one be doing a 4th if you have only an hour?

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Shared in hope this helps someone new to AA....

[heath480]

I have been on a 12 step weekend retreat,I went in early recovery and found it invaluable.
Came To Believe: Retreats for AA, Al-Anon, NA and their Families To Get Well!

[Kelltic]

I'm not sure exactly what it was, thinking maybe it's more a how-to. The 3rd step is going to take some time for me, and I obtained a template for the 4th...that one is going to take a long time to do thoroughly!

[sugarbear1]

I spent 2 days with my sponsor working through the steps. We spent about 12 or more hours in deep discussion and working what could be done in that time.

No, step 9 wasn't completed, but I understood what needed to be done, same for 10, 11 & 12 so I could begin to practice them.

Days 14 & 15 of sobriety. Day 16 was when I came to believe that a power greater than I existed as I was not the same person as I was before working through those steps.

It was a "triage" type situation, I needed a new solution or I was about to drink or hurt someone....

We called it a back to basics type situation. I have not heard of 12 in 12, until now.

There is a new solution and it is in working the steps.

I am now over 15 months sober today. I've also worked through the steps 2 more times and I will work through them a 4th time in another few weeks.....there's always something new that crops up....

[sugarbear1]

I did a search and the closest I've found to this quick method of working the 12 steps is this from Barefoot's World: A.A. Recovery - Working The 12 Steps

[Music]

I've taken several guys through the steps using 3x5 cards with specific questions that were handed down to me from Clancy I. The inventory questions are very to the point, and give directions as to how much to write to get right to the point. As Fred stated above, 10 thru 12 are ongoing but the first nine can be done in 12 hours or less depending on steps 4 and 5. In the Big Book it states that when doing the written inventory it's vital to be honest and thorough. A person can only be as honest and thorough as one can be on any given day. Obviously, more will be revealed as time goes on but it's also stated that doing these steps is vitally important and putting them off because "I may not do them right" or "I don't have enough time in AA" is bogus. When I completed my first time through the steps, I not only felt relief, I felt like I was a "real" member of AA and could share my ESH about my step experience. I really felt like I belonged in AA. Making progress yields rewards.

[shaun00]

I've attended a Clarence Snyder retreat before.
The steps in two days......probably 6-7 hours a day .

i enjoyed it very much .

[DayTrader]

I've not specifically heard of 12 IN 12 hrs as a particular method........but I've heard of similar.

My great-grand sponsor got sober Oct 13, 1958. When he works with a new person, he has them on their 9th step within 10-20 minutes and doing 12th step work that same day. The way he was brought up through AA (as was everyone in Michigan/Ohio back in the 50's and 60's) was that you can be recovered TODAY....... no need to wait.....no "90 in 90" stuff', no "keep coming back and maybe you'll get it," you can have it NOW.

......that said, he's also a HUGE proponent of constantly working and re-working the steps. 24hr program, right? I've been taught to work all 12 steps every single day. No, you don't work them fully....or completely..... you never get to that point. But the steps become a program for living. 1-12 each day, then again tomorrow, then again the next day, and so on. And yes...........that means 365 4th and 5th steps per year....

[FredG]

DayTrader - I love the orginal methodology that your great-grandson sponsor uses. I also believe that the quicker you get into them and start working them the better your chances are at sobriety. My opinion is that there's too much of this - "That's OK, you can do your step 4 when your ready for it, even if it takes years". IMHO if you enter the program willing to do whatever it takes then you should be ready to do all of the steps the minute you walk through the door.

I also agree with the constantly working and reworking the steps. The whole purpose of the program is to grow and if I grow then I'm not the same person as I was when I first did them. That being said, I try to do a more formalized 4 and 5 periodically every few years, whenever I think it's necessary.

[Sapling]

That Clarence Snyder retreat would be high on my wish list...This is something of his I really liked. Hope you enjoy it too.

I've Never Quit Being Active
by Clarence Snyder
A.A. Grapevine, November 1999

On February 11, 1938, I had my last drink. I was a chronic alky, and through a long, involved miracle, I met my sponsor, Dr. Bob, one of our co-founders. He put me in Akron City Hospital, where I met the alkies who had preceded me in the Fellowship.

Fifteen months later, I organized the Cleveland, Ohio AA group. The activity in the Cleveland area was hectic. I spent practically all my time obtaining and following up on publicity for AA, lining up cooperation with civic and church groups, hospitals, and courts, and helping new groups to start.

So what do I do now, thirty years later? I have never quit being active, although my position in the Fellowship has modified over the years. I attend an average of two meetings per week, when I am home. I am also asked to speak at various groups. In addition, I am invited to take part in numerous group anniversary programs and AA roundups around the country (and sometimes out of the country). Many people call upon me for counsel and advice on both personal and group problems. I have an extensive correspondence, since I have made so many friends in AA from coast to coast. Once in a while, I sponsor someone. Cases where about everything has been tried, by everyone else, often wind up in my hands.

I have not found the program to be difficult, and I maintain that if it does seem difficult for anyone, he is not doing it "right." Certainly, when I came to this Fellowship, I was in no position or condition to handle anything difficult! I kept things simple. But I must add that when I first began I was well sponsored.

I took measures now summarized in the first nine Steps of the program: admittance of need (the First Step), surrender (Second through Seventh), and restitution (Eighth and Ninth). Having done this, I no longer had a drinking problem, since it had been turned over to a Higher Power. Now I had - and still have - a living problem. But that is taken care of by the practice of Steps Ten, Eleven, and Twelve. So I don't have to be concerned about anything but a simple three-step program, which with practice has become habitual.

Step Ten enables me to check on myself and my activities of the day. I have found that most things disturbing me are little things, but still the very things which, if not dealt with, can pile up and eventually overwhelm me. My daily checkup covers good deeds as well as questionable ones; often, I find I can commend myself in some areas, while in others I owe apologies.

Step Eleven is done after my daily inventory. I usually need the peace resulting from prayer and meditation, and I do receive guidance for my life and actions.

Step Twelve, to me, does involve not only carrying the message, but extending AA principles into all phases of my daily life.

I learned long ago that this is a life-changing program, but that, after the change occurs, it is necessary for me to go on making the effort to improve myself mentally, morally, and spiritually.

This is my simple program, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a good life and is willing to do his share of helping.

C.H.S., St. Petersburg, Florida

[DayTrader]

FWIW, Chief Blackhawk (my gr-grnd-sponsor) is on XA. Just one 20 min talk at founders day 10 or 15 yrs ago. If u go to XA and search for "chief" he's the only one who pops up. He's a frickin GREAT man.....that's for sure.

.....and I misspoke - he has you on your TWELFTH step in 20 minutes.... Not the 9th.

[Retread59]

If you read the literature, it's pretty clear that the original members did their step work quickly-- I think it was Dr. Bob who is described as running around doing his amends just a couple of days sober, if I remember correctly.

I think you can certainly read through the twelve steps in twelve hours with a sponsor. I think you can develop an understanding of what needs to be done in that time. If you are ready, you can do the prayers, too. The fourth and fifth steps would be the hardest things to do-- the ninth we generally end up doing as opportunity presents, anyway, and for most of us it takes a while. 10 through 12 are done daily, anyway. So I think it's possible.

[tomsteve]

when i got into recovery, there was no way i could do all 12 steps in 12 hours, let alone 12 days. i was a wreck and had a lot of learning and understanding that needed to be done first and for that to happen there was a pretty big fog that had to go away.

i was dignosed stage 3c melanoma 13 months( may/06)into recovery.had 2 surgeries and a clinical trial that was stopped due to recurrance. in dec/06 i went to get the results of a PET scan and found out the cancer was spreading like wildfire and the only option at the time other than do nothing was a very intense chemo, which for where i was at, was not very effective.
it was a 3 hour ride home.
the major thing i learned on that ride home is i can go through the steps in 45 minutes.
that, plus i also knew alcohol sure wasnt gonna help the situation.

[Tommyh]

I have been thru the steps many times in one day,specially 4 one hour workshops.
They help a lot and have helped many people.We actually take the 12 steps together as best we can except amends and 5th step which we do with a sponsor or sharing partner.
I do not think I could have gotten sober and stayed sober on the efforts of these workshops alone,but they are a helper.
They mainly just hit the high spots and you can get rid of what bugs you today,maybe 2-5 things for example.

here are a few important things I will mention that we stress before or during the workshops

1. they do not replace the way your sponsor works with you,so keep it up
2.this is a good way to get newcomers familiar with the steps
3.the steps were never meant to do alone,so we partner up with someone.I have had men partners and women partners.Both worked great but one woman was really sharp I had and we did very good.
4.we take the steps together as a group,except 5
4.at the lunch break,we finish writing the inventory and discuss it with our sharing partner.(step 4 and 5)
5.discuss with your sharing partner or sponsor about amends and go make them after the workshop
6.suggest the sharing partners stay in touch with each other to help each other if nessacery

7.step 11,the blessing of this workshop-I just have to go into detail here.....

we practice sitting still and listening to God.
We break off separately and go sit in private somewhere nearby,and do step 11.We write down what guidance we believe comes to us.We subject it to the 4 absolutes as a test for God`s will vs self will.
we come together as a group.If you want too,you can share with the group what guidance you have.No commenting on anyone`s guidance,just sharing your own.
folks,here is where it gets extremely powerful.

many times we have seen miracles worked here.I received a great guidance once.Go make some amends.I prayed,and called the man up.Went and made amends.I owed money for damages and the answer I got was 165.00
I left it with the man.He donated it to a young couple from a church who needed some money to go on a mission trip.
I made the amends,the man got a good testimony,and the couple got to go on a mission trip....God got His way and healed a bad relationship,and helped a young couple grow in their Faith.
What a evening.

I have come to believe I sometimes do not think of the power of the steps or the Power of God working thru the steps to heal me as much as I should.They are extremely powerful,and if God has all power,then it is unleashed thru the steps whether we do them at a deep slow level or a higher ,faster,smaller level.I have never wanted to drink when I was focused on living the steps in any form or fashion.


I would say to you,go to the workshop if you want too
come back and share your experience with us.It may be just what you needed or what someone here needs