TraceyRecovery

I'm busy with the written work on step 9, from the NA working guide.
Do I start making amends during my written work, or do I start once I've completed the written work on step 9?

Gottalife

Other than the step eight list, there is no written work required in the AA step 9, unless it is for communication purposes.

Our practice, generally , is to go over the list with our sponsor and make a considered plan for each amends, always keeping in mind that we must not harm others to save ourselves. I saw my sponsor before each amends, and immediately after each. Each approach had to be considered seperately in the light of the circumstances. There were one or two where a direct approach was not appropriate, and a third party was needed to assist.

I believe NA may have a slightly different approach to step nine. I think there is another 12 step forum on this site which could help more.

sugarbear1

I hope you are also working with a sponsor so they can guide you through those steps

tomsteve

im very glad to read your enthusiasm to do the work and actually doing it. one thing that concerns me is that i truly hope that ya dont have the thought that racing through the steps and hitting step 12 will automatically make evreything better.
have you done a searching and fearless moral inventory? have you done the resentment,fear, and sex inventory?
just my resentment inventory alone took me about a month.it took that long to go through my entire life and see resentments i had had at one time or another and had actually still been there in my melon. quite eye opening to have learned abotu resentments all the way back to childhood that were still in my melon.


its a journey, not a race. the big book of aa mentions this isnt an overnight matter.

Tommyh

I don`t know about that NA book but my sponsor had me make my 8th step list out and as I did,we got on steps 10-12,so by the time we was done with 10-12,I was on my amends.
Before a amend was made,my sponsor had me read steps 8 and 9 with that person in mind.I then went out to make the amend.

TraceyRecovery

Thanks for all the encouragement.
Just to clarify a few things:
I DO have a sponsor - I have been clean for just over 16 months and have been working my steps thoroughly, definitely not racing through them.
It took me almost 3 months to get through my step 4 - I found step 8 was ALMOST as difficult as step 4.
So, based on my original question, I think I've got it. The actual amends will happen along the way and I must not rush to try make ALL my amends in one shot.
Thanks again everyone

tomsteve

good on ya! the work is well worth it