AA/NA 12 Steps
Life the gift of recovery!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
AA are the original 12 Steps that were designed for those fighting with alcoholism. NA is a version that narcotics anonymous has developed for those fighting with drug addiction. There are some differences that are subtle and some that are more straightforward. As I only work the program of AA and have only seen NA's steps once I don't have the information in front of me to describe in detail the particular differences.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 2,126
Actually the only difference is one word in two steps, and one additional word in one of those steps.
The differences are............:
1) In Step-1, AA says we are powerless over 'alcohol,' and NA says were powerless over 'our addiction;'
2) In Step-12, AA says as 'the' result, and NA says as 'a' result......
Vive la difference..........
(o:
NoelleR
The differences are............:
1) In Step-1, AA says we are powerless over 'alcohol,' and NA says were powerless over 'our addiction;'
2) In Step-12, AA says as 'the' result, and NA says as 'a' result......
Vive la difference..........
(o:
NoelleR
TheMostSordidSpotOnEarth
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ParadiseOnEarth
Posts: 811
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
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 alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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 alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
TheMostSordidSpotOnEarth
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ParadiseOnEarth
Posts: 811
The Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We 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 a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We 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 a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,967
I stick with AA. NA always made me want to use, drugs had a "pull" on me.
I started with alcohol, ended with alcohol. Both Bill W. & Dr. Bob dabbled in drugs, but alcohol was the constant.
Best wishes to you in your recovery!
I started with alcohol, ended with alcohol. Both Bill W. & Dr. Bob dabbled in drugs, but alcohol was the constant.
Best wishes to you in your recovery!
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
This Forum is titled..."What is Recovery"
Each post has been about recovery except yours...
I see 4 programs have been mentioned.
Information was shared with facts.
I see no REASON TO MOVE it...but will make sure Anna who mod's here is aware of your concerns..
Each post has been about recovery except yours...
I see 4 programs have been mentioned.Information was shared with facts.
I see no REASON TO MOVE it...but will make sure Anna who mod's here is aware of your concerns..
Sober 6/5/2008
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Point Vermin, Peedro, CA
Posts: 150
AA and NA? Coins vs. keyrings. Both are essentially the same 12-step program. Clean house. Trust god. Help others.
Sometimes AA old-timers complain about how addicts are ruining the program (often between a gulp of coffee and a puff of cigarette). Just identify as an alcoholic. That usually calms them down.
Sometimes AA old-timers complain about how addicts are ruining the program (often between a gulp of coffee and a puff of cigarette). Just identify as an alcoholic. That usually calms them down.
Grateful to be free
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Arizona
Posts: 3,680
in my experience AA is truly more suitable for full time alcoholics with little or no drug abuse, because they focus (and rightly so) on alcoholism.
NA focuses on the disease of addiction, ie, the underlying issue, rather than any particulars of what substance one might have abused. In spite of the name Narcotics Anonymous,it is not focused on narcotics.
My primary issue is not alcohol, though I abused it plenty. I find it harder to identify and stay focused during those meetings. I find myself "translating" in my brain and running to catch up a bit. So I have opted to use NA as my recovery program because it better addresses my particular issues.
I don't feel that I can fully and without qualification identify myself as an alcoholic, but I can, with no questions identify as an addict.
Also, in my experience, AA tends to be more "old school" using the Big Book as their text in it's original wording, doing step work using a very specific format. Due to my own backround and culture I felt a bit lost in that. Other people find those aspects exactly the sort of atmosphere perfect for their recovery. I know some people with both alcohol and drug addictions that attend both programs.
NA focuses on the disease of addiction, ie, the underlying issue, rather than any particulars of what substance one might have abused. In spite of the name Narcotics Anonymous,it is not focused on narcotics.
My primary issue is not alcohol, though I abused it plenty. I find it harder to identify and stay focused during those meetings. I find myself "translating" in my brain and running to catch up a bit. So I have opted to use NA as my recovery program because it better addresses my particular issues.
I don't feel that I can fully and without qualification identify myself as an alcoholic, but I can, with no questions identify as an addict.
Also, in my experience, AA tends to be more "old school" using the Big Book as their text in it's original wording, doing step work using a very specific format. Due to my own backround and culture I felt a bit lost in that. Other people find those aspects exactly the sort of atmosphere perfect for their recovery. I know some people with both alcohol and drug addictions that attend both programs.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 6,262
The steps are virtually the same but AA meetings have a lighter, more positive, atmosphere, to them. Of course it varies from place to place I'm certain. Where I live lots of drug addicts prefer AA to NA.
But hey, a drug is a drug is a drug. My drug of choice was alcohol.
But hey, a drug is a drug is a drug. My drug of choice was alcohol.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
