How to Practice the 12 steps of AA

AA, or Alcoholics Anonymous, has successfully promoted the 12 steps to recovery. It is believed that alcohol addiction can be overcome by practicing the 12 steps to serenity, along with support from friends, family and support groups and sometimes treatment. The 12-step program of AA helps alcoholics and their families recover from the trauma of alcoholism. The steps provide a structure for recovering alcoholics to live by during their period of recovery.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Start by being honest with yourself. Overcome your denial, and admit that your craving for alcohol is an addiction. Until you admit to this, you will be powerless.
2. Admit that you will not be able to conquer the alcohol addiction on your own. You must seek support and faith, and believe that alcohol can be overcome by anyone. But you will need the support of others.
3. Turn yourself over to a higher power. You cannot do this alone; believe that God can help you, and pray for strength daily.
4. Take some time to relax and do some soul searching. Try and find what you want out of life, what makes you happy and how you ended up in the position that you are in. Reflect on how you will change things.
5. Have true integrity. Admit to yourself, God and your family and friends that you have made mistakes and done wrong. This is not always easy, but opening the lines of communication and finding ways to heal is a very big step toward recovery.
6. Admit that you have limitations and are not perfect. The sooner you accept that no one is flawless, the faster you can begin to love yourself.
7. Humbly ask God to help make you a better person. Show humility, and know that you can change for the better.
8. Try to make a concerted effort to reach out to those you have harmed. A willingness to start the healing process is very important for this step.
9. Forgive yourself, ask God for forgiveness and ask forgiveness of those you have hurt.
10. Continue maintaining your spiritual self and your relationships with others and with God. Be a good person, and trust that God will help get you through this tough time.
11. Keep in close contact with God and your spiritual side. Never abandon the knowledge that God can and will guide you.
12. Remember how the 12 steps have helped you, and continue the service by helping others and following God's plan.

Tips & Warnings

• Along with the 12 steps is the Serenity Prayer. This prayer is a very important element in the AA recovery program: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
• Following some of the steps and ignoring the ones that are uncomfortable is not recommended. You need to mend the relationships with yourself, your family, your friends and God as part of your recovery. The 12 steps are a process toward freedom from addiction.