Sundown M Ranch

A Look at the Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous

Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction isn’t just a physical process—many former addicts find that a spiritual or mental component is also critical as they continue on the path toward a substance-free life. Most drug addiction and recovery programs and facilities adhere to the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. These principles are outlined in the well-known 12-Step Program, a structure meant to gradually bring recovering addicts to a place of self-forgiveness, strength, and serenity.

1. Honesty: Admit to yourself that you have an addiction to and dependency on drugs or alcohol.
2. Hope in a Higher Power: Accept a power greater than yourself and believe that this power can facilitate the recovery and restoration process.
3. Surrendering to Faith: Shift from hope in help to faith that that help will make a difference.
4. Strength and Courage: Take a psychological, ethical, and moral inventory of yourself as an addict and as a person.
5. Integrity: Admit the results of the above search to yourself, to your God or higher power, and to others (often your sponsor or fellow AA members).
6. Willingness: Build up the desire to change the aspects of your character that allowed you to take the actions and behaviors discovered in Step Four.
7. Humility: Ask for the assistance of God, a higher power, and/or others in ridding yourself of the aforementioned character traits.
8. Discipline: Prepare for the act of forgiveness. Recovering addicts must compose a list of the people that have been intentionally or unintentionally hurt by the addict’s behaviors.
9. Making Amends: Reach out to all those on the list and ask their forgiveness.
10. Self-Acceptance: Learn to accept oneself as human.
11. Self-Awareness: Identify a new purpose in life, and achieve a sense of conscious and constant unity through prayer or meditation.
12. Service: Communicate these principles to other recovering addicts.

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