My Life & My Struggle: Could Be Your Motivation?

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Annonymous & A Brief Explanation Of Each.

The AA Twelve Steps

The 12 steps of AA are as follows:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.

Many alcoholics have a hard time admitting that they can't control their alcohol use. Once they acknowledge that they are unable to stop on their own, the recovery process can begin.

Learn more about Step 1.

2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

AA believes that people with an alcohol addiction need to look to something greater than themselves to recover. Those working the steps are free to choose whatever higher power works for them.

Learn more about Step 2.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

For this step, the alcoholic consciously decides to turn themselves over to whatever or whomever they believe their higher power to be. With this release often comes recovery.

Learn more about Step 3.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

This step requires self-examination that can be uncomfortable, but honesty is essential in this process. The key is to identify any areas of past regret, embarrassment, guilt or anger.

Learn more about Step 4.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

This step involves admitting to past poor behavior. Often, alcoholics will share what they wrote down during the previous step with their sponsor.

Learn more about Step 5.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

The alcoholic admits that they are ready to have their higher power remove the wrongs they listed in Step 4.

Learn more about Step 6.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Every person has character defects, whether they come in the form of impatience, anger, apathy, criticism or negativity. The recovering alcoholic is not strong enough to eliminate these defects on their own, so they ask their higher power to do so.

Learn more about Step 7.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Alcoholics write down all of the people they have wronged through their alcoholism. The wrongs could range from large to small - from stealing from them to buy more alcohol to talking negatively behind their backs.

Learn more about Step 8.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Many alcoholics work with their sponsor to figure out the best way to complete this step. Making amends could include writing a letter to a person or sitting down face to face with them.

Learn more about Step 9.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

This step involves a commitment to monitor yourself for any behaviors that may be detrimental to yourself or others and to admit when you are wrong.

Learn more about Step 10.

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.

Step 10 requires you to commit to some kind of spiritual practice. That practice could be anything from prayer, to meditation, to reading scripture.

Learn more about Step 11.

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.

This step encourages members to help others in their recovery. Many members become sponsors once they have completed the 12 steps.

Information obtained from: https://www.recovery.org/topics/alcoholics-anonymous

Chapter Picture Obtained From: https://www.recovery.org/topics/alcoholics-anonymous-12-step/