The 12 Steps
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sth Australia
Posts: 3,802
The 12 Steps
OK Ive been looking on the forum for the 12 steps. I want to know what the 12 steps are. I am probably looking at it but cant see it. Also does the 12 steps mean you have to become religious?
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Centreville, VA
Posts: 24
Twelve Steps
Study of these Steps is essential to progress in the Al-Anon program. The principles they embody are universal, applicable to everyone, whatever his personal creed. In Al-Anon, we strive for an ever-deeper understanding of these Steps, and pray for the wisdom to apply them to our lives.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol- that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
You DO NOT have to become religious -- Al-Anon is a spiritual program.
Study of these Steps is essential to progress in the Al-Anon program. The principles they embody are universal, applicable to everyone, whatever his personal creed. In Al-Anon, we strive for an ever-deeper understanding of these Steps, and pray for the wisdom to apply them to our lives.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol- that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
You DO NOT have to become religious -- Al-Anon is a spiritual program.
My Cape Is at The Cleaners
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Metropolis
Posts: 1,117
Twelve Steps
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
And no, you do not have to become religious.........
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
And no, you do not have to become religious.........
CindeRella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Spreading my wings
Posts: 7,163
Ha ha everyone beat me to it! I was trying to log in and give that to you oops!
A tad slow
I did come across this site while back which is actually interesting:
http://www.12step.org/links/index.php
A tad slow
I did come across this site while back which is actually interesting:
http://www.12step.org/links/index.php
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 5,075
I am not "religious." As is stated in Al-Anon, it is a spiritual program, does not prescribe to any specific religious tenet. I have had no problem embracing the steps within my own spiritual beliefs. They have been a great tool for me. I remember it took me a long time to believe they were not the 12 commandments.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: anomaly
Posts: 2,180
Yes, there is a process. Each step is like a prelude to the next step.
what I learn or gain from a step i use on the next step.
There is three principles you use to start off with
Honesty, openmind, and willingness.
it's not really that complicated..but complicated people like to complicate
the heck out of it. Rip it apart , diasect..and so on and so forth.
There's actaully people that go and count how many times the word
god is mentioned in the BB..lol
It just the obssessive personality thing, but it's recognized and
changing a negative trait into some what a possitve out come
It'll start making sense if you have a sponsor. My sponsor would
tell certain defects of charecter I have won't get remove entirely
becuase there's a reason for it..such as me getting into reading
the BB or codi book a over and over again becuase of my obssesion.
it's also a lesson in itself..for me to learn how to have patients with
myself so i can patients with others..
No..I don't count the word god..but sometimes i get obssesive
over playing my guitar..in short term it's suck ..but over all
I'm a better musician, becuase i'll get to a certain piont
where i don't wanna practice anymore..so all those hours
of practicing night and day sustains me..
It's basically the same for my recovery program..becuase sometimes
I just need a time out from everything..
Which is the principle of step #6 that I learned.. I need to rest.
But some people see it differently..but that's okay..
For me if I don't have proper rest...I create alot of shortcomings..lol
The reason why BW inserted God of your understanding was he too
had a problem with religion...actaully it was just a simple suggestion
by his friend Abby. that how a program of suggestions originated.
In the codi version just some wordings you can change
but the principle stays the same..
I simply replace it with
I'm powerless over people , place and things and my life had become unmanageble..
or If I get really especific..
I'm powerless over my GF and my life had become unmanageable.
what I learn or gain from a step i use on the next step.
There is three principles you use to start off with
Honesty, openmind, and willingness.
it's not really that complicated..but complicated people like to complicate
the heck out of it. Rip it apart , diasect..and so on and so forth.
There's actaully people that go and count how many times the word
god is mentioned in the BB..lol
It just the obssessive personality thing, but it's recognized and
changing a negative trait into some what a possitve out come
It'll start making sense if you have a sponsor. My sponsor would
tell certain defects of charecter I have won't get remove entirely
becuase there's a reason for it..such as me getting into reading
the BB or codi book a over and over again becuase of my obssesion.
it's also a lesson in itself..for me to learn how to have patients with
myself so i can patients with others..
No..I don't count the word god..but sometimes i get obssesive
over playing my guitar..in short term it's suck ..but over all
I'm a better musician, becuase i'll get to a certain piont
where i don't wanna practice anymore..so all those hours
of practicing night and day sustains me..
It's basically the same for my recovery program..becuase sometimes
I just need a time out from everything..
Which is the principle of step #6 that I learned.. I need to rest.
But some people see it differently..but that's okay..
For me if I don't have proper rest...I create alot of shortcomings..lol
The reason why BW inserted God of your understanding was he too
had a problem with religion...actaully it was just a simple suggestion
by his friend Abby. that how a program of suggestions originated.
In the codi version just some wordings you can change
but the principle stays the same..
I simply replace it with
I'm powerless over people , place and things and my life had become unmanageble..
or If I get really especific..
I'm powerless over my GF and my life had become unmanageable.
Forum Leader
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In my little piece of heaven
Posts: 2,870
Hi JJ
This is the suggested opening that is read at many Al Anon meetings. It helps explain the idea behind working the steps:
We welcome you to this Al-Anon Family Group Meeting, and hope you will find in this fellowship the help and friendship we have been privileged to enjoy. We who live, or have lived, with the problem of alcoholism understand as perhaps few others can.
We, too, were lonely and frustrated but in Al-Anon we discover that no situation is really hopeless and that it is possible for us to find contentment and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.
We urge you to try our program. It has helped many of us find solutions that lead to serenity. So much depends on our own attitudes, and as we learn to place our problem in its true perspective, we find it loses its power to dominate our thoughts and our lives. The family situation is bound to improve as we apply the Al-Anon ideas. Without such spiritual help living with an alcoholic is too much for most of us.
Our thinking becomes distorted by trying to force solutions, and we become irritable and unreasonable without knowing it.
The Al-Anon program is based on the suggested Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which we try, little by little, one day at a time, to apply to our lives along with our slogans and the Serenity Prayer. The loving interchange of help among members and daily reading of Al-Anon literature thus make us ready to receive the priceless gift of serenity.
Al-Anon is an anonymous fellowship. Everything that is said here, in the group meeting and member-to-member, must be held in confidence. Only in this way can we feel free to say what is on our minds and in our hearts, for this is how we help one another in Al-Anon.
The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.
Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses or opposes any cause.
There are no dues for membership. Al Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.
Al Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.
Study of these steps is essential to progress in the Al Anon program. The principles they embody are universal, applicable to everyone, whatever his personal creed.
In Al anon, we strive for an ever-deeper understanding of these steps, and pray for the wisdom to apply them to our lives.
This is the suggested opening that is read at many Al Anon meetings. It helps explain the idea behind working the steps:
We welcome you to this Al-Anon Family Group Meeting, and hope you will find in this fellowship the help and friendship we have been privileged to enjoy. We who live, or have lived, with the problem of alcoholism understand as perhaps few others can.
We, too, were lonely and frustrated but in Al-Anon we discover that no situation is really hopeless and that it is possible for us to find contentment and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.
We urge you to try our program. It has helped many of us find solutions that lead to serenity. So much depends on our own attitudes, and as we learn to place our problem in its true perspective, we find it loses its power to dominate our thoughts and our lives. The family situation is bound to improve as we apply the Al-Anon ideas. Without such spiritual help living with an alcoholic is too much for most of us.
Our thinking becomes distorted by trying to force solutions, and we become irritable and unreasonable without knowing it.
The Al-Anon program is based on the suggested Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which we try, little by little, one day at a time, to apply to our lives along with our slogans and the Serenity Prayer. The loving interchange of help among members and daily reading of Al-Anon literature thus make us ready to receive the priceless gift of serenity.
Al-Anon is an anonymous fellowship. Everything that is said here, in the group meeting and member-to-member, must be held in confidence. Only in this way can we feel free to say what is on our minds and in our hearts, for this is how we help one another in Al-Anon.
The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.
Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses or opposes any cause.
There are no dues for membership. Al Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.
Al Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.
Study of these steps is essential to progress in the Al Anon program. The principles they embody are universal, applicable to everyone, whatever his personal creed.
In Al anon, we strive for an ever-deeper understanding of these steps, and pray for the wisdom to apply them to our lives.
CindeRella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Spreading my wings
Posts: 7,163
Grateful
SaTit just wanted to say that I'm so grateful and blessed you are here in SR along with many others...but your posts are just so to the point and yet with such empathy!
Your an amazing individual and I'm blessed to have had you cross my path!
Just felt the need to share that!
Your an amazing individual and I'm blessed to have had you cross my path!
Just felt the need to share that!
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