What is the Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous?

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The preamble for Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), created in 1935, provides a description of what AA is all about:

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. 

The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

At the heart of AA are twelve statements that members incorporate into their lives.  These Twelve Steps are a group of principles which may be spiritual in nature.  The goal is that practice of the Twelve Steps will eliminate the obsession to drink and lead members to happy and joyous lifes.

Here are the Twelve Steps:

 1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol- that 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.

If you notice, alcohol is mentioned very little.  In fact, it is only mentioned in Step 1.  The rest of the steps focus on surrender, forgiveness, humility, limitations, and service to others.  Regular and devoted practice of the Twelve Steps is said to result in the growth of character traits such as honesty, humility, and patience.

For more information, check out the AA website.