12 Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous

What is AA’s NA’s CA’s 12 – Step Program ? 
How does it work in a program such as a drug or alcohol residential treatment centre setting. Since its founding in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has provided help to millions of men and women. All of whom once drank to excess, plus were finally able to acknowledge they could not handle alcohol. Through the support of AA’s Fellowship and the 12 Step program have found a new healthier way of life.

AA, NA or CA

This has been passed on to the Narcotics Anonymous program which is specifically for drug addicts in active addiction seeking recovery and then onto the Cocaine Anonymous program for those with a Cocaine addiction.

Simply put either the AA NA or CA program is operated by having recovered alcoholics or addicts share their stories. Speaking of their own problem drinking or drug taking, describe the sobriety / recovery they have found. Within  AA NA or CA and then invite the newcomer to the fellowship and work a 12 Step program.

The heart of the suggested program of personal recovery is contained in 12 Steps describing the experience of the earliest members of the Society:

12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

Steps 1 to 6

• Step 1 : We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
• Step 2 : Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 
• Step 3 : Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
• Step 4 : Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
• Step 5 : Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
• Step 6 : Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

Steps 7 to 12

• Step 7 : Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
• Step 8 : Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 
• Step 9 : Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
• Step 10 : Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 
• Step 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 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. 

Newcomers

Newcomers to AA NA or CA are encouraged to keep an open mind to the program, to attend meetings at which recovered alcoholics addicts share their personal experiences strengths and hopes in achieving sobriety, and to read AA NA & CA literature describing and interpreting the program.

They emphasizes that all available medical evidence indicates that alcoholism is a progressive disease, that it cannot be cured in the ordinary sense of the term, but that it can be arrested and recovery is possible. This is only through total abstinence from all alcohol and drugs in any form and working the 12 Step program. 

All of AA’s NA’s CA’s efforts encouraging working of the 12 Steps program are focused on helping its members achieve and maintain personal sobriety, which many of there members manage to do.

The 12 twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have now been modified slightly to be used as the 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous, the 12 Steps of Cocaine Anonymous, the 12 Steps of Gamblers Anonymous and the 12 Steps of all other 12 Step self help support groups ( fellowships ) as they are continually being proven to work.

12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous

Steps 1 to 6

• Step 1 : We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
• Step 2 : We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 
• Step 3 : We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
• Step 4 : We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
• Step 5 : We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
• Step 6 : We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

Steps 7 to 12

• Step 7 : We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
• Step 8 : We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 
• Step 9 : We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
• Step 10 : We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
• Step 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. 
• Step 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. 

The 12 steps of Cocaine Anonymous

Steps 1 to 6 

• Step 1 : We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances — that our lives had become unmanageable. 
• Step 2 : Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 
• Step 3 : Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
• Step 4 : Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
• Step 5 : Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
• Step 6 : Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

Steps 7 to 12

• Step 7 : Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
• Step 8 : Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
• Step 9 : Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
• Step 10 : Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 
• Step 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 12 : Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps. We tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 

Finally as you will see the 12 Steps are very slightly altered for each 12 Step program. But the aim is still the same.

The 12 Steps used by Cocaine Anonymous are the same as the 12 Steps used by Alcoholics Anonymous. Apart from Step 1 & Step 12 which differ very slightly.

If you are thinking of working a 12 Step program to deal with alcoholism or an addiction to drink / drugs or both. Then do so with the guidance of a sponsor who has already worked the 12 Step program of your choice.