The Twelve Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous: Interpreted By The Hazelden Foundation

227 Pages·1993·0.85 MB·English

by  Hazelden Foundation

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics
title:
Anonymous
author:
publisher: Hazelden Publishing
isbn10 | asin: 0894869043
print isbn13: 9780894869044
ebook isbn13: 9780585358857
language: English
subject Alcoholism, Alcoholics--Rehabilitation.
publication date: 1993
lcc: HV5278.T84 1993eb
ddc: 616.861
subject: Alcoholism, Alcoholics--Rehabilitation.
Page iii
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
Interpreted by
the Hazelden Foundation
Page iv
Hazelden
Center City, Minnesota 55012-0176
© 1993 by Hazelden Foundation. All rights
reserved. Published 1993. Printed in the United
States of America. No portion of this publication
may be reproduced in any manner without the
written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 0-89486-904-3
54
Step One: The Foundation of Recovery is from the pamphlet Step
One: The Foundation of Recovery by William Springborn © 1977,
1983, 1992 by William Springborn. The second edition (1983)
appears in this book. Step Two: A Promise of Hope is from the
pamphlet Step Two: A Promise of Hope by James G. Jensen © 1980
by Hazelden Foundation. Step Three: Turning It Over by James G.
Jensen is from the pamphlet Step Three: Turning It Over © 1980 by
Hazelden Foundation. Step Four: Knowing Yourself is from the
pamphlet Step Four: A New Fourth Step Guide © 1974 by Hazelden
Foundation. Step Five: Reconciliation is from the pamphlet The Fifth
Step: A Guide to Reconciliation by Dr. Edward C. Sellner © 1981,
1992 by Hazelden Foundation. The first edition (1981) appears in this
book. Steps Six and Seven: The Forgotten Steps is from the pamphlet
Steps Six and Seven: The Forgotten Steps by James Brandon © 1981
by Hazelden Foundation. Step Eight: Restoring Relationships is from
the pamphlet Step Eight: Restoring Relationships by Pat M. © 1982
by Hazelden Foundation. Step Nine: Making Amends is from the
pamphlet Step Nine: Making Amends by Pat M. © 1982 by Hazelden
Foundation. Step Ten: A Good Tenth Step is from the pamphlet Step
Ten: A Good Tenth Step by Mel B. © 1982, 1992 by Hazelden
Foundation. The first edition (1982) appears in this book. Step Eleven:
Maintaining the New Way of Life is from the pamphlet Step Eleven:
Maintaining the New Way of Life by Mel B. © 1982, 1992 by
Hazelden Foundation. The first edition (1982) appears in this book.
Step Twelve: Language of the Heart is from the pamphlet Step Twelve:
The Language of the Heart by Peter Converse McDonald © 1983 by
Hazelden Foundation.
The Twelve Steps are reprinted with permission of Alcoholics
Anonymous World Services, Inc. Permission to reprint the Twelve
Steps does not mean that Alcoholics Anonymous has reviewed or
approved the contents of this publication, or that AA agrees with the
views expressed herein. The views expressed herein are solely those
of the authors. AA is a program of recovery from alcoholism. Use of
the Twelve Steps in connection with programs and activities that are
patterned after AA, but that address other problems, does not imply
otherwise.
Page v
Contents
Introduction vii
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous ix
Step One: The Foundation of Recovery 1
Step Two: A Promise of Hope 15
Step Three: Turning It Over 22
Step Four: Knowing Yourself 28
Step Five: Reconciliation 59
Steps Six and Seven: The Forgotten Steps 71
Step Eight: Restoring Relationships 78
Step Nine: Making Amends 87
Step Ten: A Good Tenth Step 97
Step Eleven: Maintaining the New Way of Life 106
Step Twelve: Language of the Heart 114
Notes 129
Other Readings 130
The Authors 131
Page vii
Introduction
The year 1934 saw the birth of the Fellowship of Alcoholics
Anonymous. A few years later A.A.'s founders, Bill Wilson and Dr.
Bob Smith, wrote the Twelve Steps, which offer simple,
straightforward guidance to men and women hoping to lead sober
lives. Although the founders were careful to say that the Twelve Steps
were only suggestions for livingnot requirements for membership in
A.A.for over fifty years, these Steps have guided millions, helping
them live lives of hope rather than lives of quiet desperation.
As guides to recovery, the Steps help us accept our power-lessness
over alcohol and drugs. They stress the necessity for honesty about the
past as well as the present. And they encourage us to embrace the
concept of a Power greater than ourselves to handle the haunting
stresses of daily living. When lived well, the Steps promise
miraculous changes in our perspectives and our entire lives.
What you are about to read are interpretations of these Twelve Steps,
written by men and women who have chosen to adopt them as
principles to live bymen and women whose lives were far from
manageable and serene before they were introduced to A.A. Hazelden
has intentionally selected several voices to share their interpretations
of the Steps, because a guiding principle of the Fellowship is that we
should "take what fits and leave the rest." In other words, no
individual speaks for a group or the organization as a whole. Each of
us, in our search for spiritual, emotional, and mental helath, must
decide for ourself how to apply the principles of the program in our
lives. The application of a Step for one may differ, significantly on
occasion, from an application that is meaningful to someone else.

Page viii
The value of the Twelve Steps and their varied interpretations is borne
out by the fact that over a hundred self-help groups, from Narcotics
Anonymous to Overeaters Anonymous, have adapted these Steps and
use them as their guiding principles. You will note that the authors of
these interpretations sometimes refer to alcohol, other times to drugs,
and sometimes both. At Hazelden we believe that recovering people
must abstain from all mood-altering chemicals; all drugs, in fact, are
equally harmful.
Because of the foresight of A.A.'s founders, there is flexibility in this
program for living. This set of principles makes no demands on an
individual but rather offers suggestions for behavior that will lead to
an improved life with less emotional pain and greater spiritual well-
being.
A careful reading of these interpretations will reveal that the
underlying concepts are not unique. The founders of A.A. relied upon
their own wisdom, bolstered by the collective wisdom of philosophers
and cultures throughout the ages, to design the Twelve Steps for living
one day at a time. You will quickly note that the philosophy inherent
in the Steps is timeless; the wisdom is ageless; and, more importantly,
the help promised to searching individuals is everlasting.
The Hazelden Foundation wishes you well on your road to recovery.
We hope these interpretations bring clarity and purpose to your life.
KAREN ELLIOTT
FORMER DIRECTOR
HAZELDEN EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Page ix
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
*
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcoholthat 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.
*The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are taken from Alcoholics
Anonymous, 3d ed., published by AA World Services, Inc., New York,
N.Y., 5960. Reprinted with permission of AA World Services, Inc. (See
editor's note on the copyright page.)