Why do people use the Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions to go through the steps
 

I use the big book that is the basic text of AA I see sponsors taking their sponsees through the steps with the twelves steps & Twelve Traditions, they don’t even know what they are doing usethe big book I used the big book my sponsor used the big book

You are right realest. IMHO the 12 and 12 is Bills opinion piece in the steps after 20 years sober, and an introduction/explanation of the traditions.

It is a useful book to expand one's knowledge, particularly as a sponsor, as it gives many different viewpoints from which individuals may be approaching the steps.

However the directions for taking the steps are found only in the book Alcoholics Anonymous (after which the fellowship was named), and nowhere else.

I use only the big book
I try to keep it simple,and don`t confuse the issue with
many books when you don`t have too

the 12x12 and AA Comes of Age are the 2 books I use for traditions

Personally I find the 12&12 really helpful. It gives me a deeper insight into each step. Not that my sponsor used it with me. I read it myself.

Why do people use the Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions to go through the steps

just my opinion but i think Tommy hit on one reason- instead of keeping it simple, pride and ego get in the way.

i got the 12/12 early on but it was way over my head at the time. the traditions were good reading but the steps? didnt make sense. way too complicated for me at that time.

I believe the 12&12 is important a bit into recovery, certainly after going thru the steps the first time, and having a solid program foundation rooted in the BB.

It's not an either/or thing, IMO. My current sponsor and I are using the 12 & 12 quite a bit- I'm 3.5 yr sober and it is a good time to deliberately add that to my program. I won't be using it with my sponsee now, for example, as she's just working on step 3 and that is certainly where her focus needs to be.

My sponsor used to say something to the effect of "the 12x12 is for graduate study of the steps". I don't think I got that right but it was something similar to that, meaning it's was for when you wanted to get deeper into the steps after you already had a firm grasp of them from the Big Book.

I know one thing,too many books can stifle my relationship with the HP,I ought to look to Him instead of a bunch of books. A lot of alcoholics go thru a "book phase"
I have bunches in my back room, I never finished reading. Come to find out I was substututing knowledge for the HP relationship.
that was just my case but many of my home group members have done the same
anyone need a couple boxes of books? lol

i had to go through my supply-o-boxed stuff under my bed the other day. i found a box i could give away,too. out of 2 dozen books i think i completely read 2 of them,parts of some, and had great plans for the rest.

Your right you should use the BB to go through the steps . I like the 12n12 explanation of steps six and seven . My first sponsor had me in the BB to start out and worked the 12n12 in with it when I got some good sobriety under my belt. I like the 12n12 it's very important part of why AA made it this long because of the 12 traditions so important to AA .

I've never heard of this before. I've only seen the 12 &12 being used as a supplement. The BB has always been viewed as the main text.

Although I will say the first AA book I was handed after my first AA meeting was "Living Sober." Not the BB..

I always suggest Living Sober for folks just starting- it is such a good and simple read about the first year.

I have only ever used the Big Book,both for myself with my sponsor and with sponsees.

I was told early in recovery to keep it simple,that suits me.

my sponsor offered either doing steps via 12x12 or BB, which i found odd.
but i knew what i wanted and chose the original.

Great post, Grunge! Hope you had a good 4th, Friend!

I was taught something very similar.. Steps 6& 7 Bill W really goes into a lot more detail in the 12X12.. Actually picked one up at 1/2 books the other day for a new guy for $3.. perfect condition!

Roger that.

Most of us do what works for us and/or what we were taught to do. I know ppl who very successfully sponsor lots of ppl and never crack the BB. I tend to use the BB, 24hrs A Day, Daily Reflections, the 12&12, several Emmet Fox books and a couple by Eckart Tolle. Some people use only the BB.

If it works, who am I to say someone is doing it wrong? The truth is both Dr Bob, Bill, and a lot of the early AA "teachers" like Clarence Snyder in Cleveland did I find none of them sat down with their new guys and read the book together - yet that's become a thing in the past 10 or 20 years to do.

Live and learn, experiment, and seek God with your sponsees. I've found God can come to us in a LOT of different ways and through a lot of different books and processes. The steps in the BB are my core but I sprinkle in what I've learned and uncovered during my exploration too.

I tend to use the Big Book first, but have no issues with supplemental materials and different approaches if the person I am working finds inspiration in other ways. Not every person's learning style is linguistic. Some people learn by doing, by hearing, by visual, etc. If someone I work with obviously learns the best by visual or auditory, I am doing them a bit of a disservice by making them read only. I had a sponsee recently who is visual. For the 7th step we made lists of shortcomings and did a balloon release so we could "watch" them drift away. That's not in the BB, but it felt spiritual and useful for this person and their natural way of processing information. Auditory learners can benefit from listening to Joe and Charlie and speaker meetings on steps.

I'll also throw in that at this point- and prob for the last 6-9 mo maybe- I get the Daily Reflection email. It's got a lot of stuff from As Bill Sees it, the 12 & 12 and often BB step specific shares. I find it really useful- often as that additional layer, or reminder of ooohhh yeah, that's what 6 and 7 mean....I don't go to step meetings much anymore so the combination of these program texts is very useful to me.