The act of “13th Stepping” is when a more experienced member of a 12-Step group – man or woman – pursues a romantic relationship with a new group member. In early recovery, new members of a 12-Step group should always look for and use the strongest foothold to remain sober.
The 12 Steps outline a path to spiritual progress through a series of actions designed to elicit what The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous refers to as a “psychic change” – a complete mental, emotional, and spiritual shift in perception. We believe the 12 Steps can be a critical element of a long-term recovery program.
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step Three: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
The 13th Step of AA is an unofficial term referring to longer-standing members attempting some sort of romantic involvement with 12 Step newcomers (newcomers are considered those who've been sober for less than a year).
How Long Do the 12-Steps Take? The average length of time it takes for someone to work through the 12 steps once can vary. Many 12-step sponsors encourage sponsees and newcomers in AA and other 12-step programs to attend 90 meetings in 90 days, or at least one meeting a day for three months.
Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step Four of the 12 Steps: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. The use of the qualifier “fearless” acknowledges that Step Four of the 12 Steps is frequently approached with sweaty palms and trembling legs.
Alcoholics Anonymous Step 2 states that, “We came to be aware that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” This step follows the first step, in which one admits they has an alcohol problem and are powerless to stop drinking on his own.
Step Eight and Step Nine of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) call this approach "making amends": 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.
Addiction specialists cite success rates slightly higher, between 8% and 12%. A New York Times article stated that AA claims that up to 75% of its members stay abstinent. Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book touts about a 50% success rate, stating that another 25% remain sober after some relapses.
Step Seven of AA's Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Step program of recovery is about getting rid of character defects and replacing them by practicing humility & spiritual principles. Working on the seventh step requires constant thoughtfulness and commitment to being honest, courageous and humble.
The 12 spiritual principles of recovery are as follows: acceptance, hope, faith, courage, honesty, patience, humility, willingness, brotherly love, integrity, self-discipline, and service.
In recovery, it is essential to focus on the 3 P's. What are the 3 P's of recovery and how can you identify them in your life? Lately I have been reflecting on my own recovery journey and on what has kept me inspired to recover for all these years.
It is based on a few simple rules that are easy to remember: 1) change your life; 2) be completely honest; 3) ask for help; 4) practice self-care; and 5) don't bend the rules.
What Is Step 11 of the 12-Step Program? Step 11 of the 12-Step Program is: “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 2 of the 12-Step Program is: “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
What Is Step 3 of the 12-Step Program? Step 3 of the 12-Step Program is: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
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.
The second part of Step Twelve is about carrying the message of recovery to other people. This leads naturally to the third part of Step Twelve—practicing the principles "in all our affairs."
These daily practices are the subject of Step 10 of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." Here the word "inventory" means taking stock of our emotional disturbances, especially those that can return us to drinking or other drug use.
The first step in addiction recovery is the hardest step. It is admitting that you have a problem. Why is this step so hard for many addicts?
12 Steps Explained
It is highly encouraged that you do not attempt to take these steps alone, but rather with a trusted guide called a sponsor who can walk you through them and be your support. You can find someone to help you take these steps at any AA meeting across the globe, and even online.
The average time of sobriety of successful AA members, as reported by AA, is more than five years. If the success rate is 10 percent or 35 percent, it is not a success for the majority of AA members.