By Steve K In ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’, The Doctor’s Opinion describes the alcoholic as suffering from a physical sensitivity to alcohol combined with a mind that returns to drinking despite harmful consequences. Many people in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) understandably identify with this and conclude that they were, in some sense, “born alcoholic”. Yet suggested alongside this […]
By Steve K The ‘Yellow Card’ is a widely used Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) GB Conference-approved call to conscience in relation to anonymity and confidentiality. The card is a reminder to not disclose any AA member’s identity outside of the Fellowship or to repeat any identifying private disclosures outside of AA meetings. The following words are […]
By Steve K One of the strengths of Alcoholics Anonymous (Both the Fellowship and Big Book) is that it is honest about its human origins. The Big Book was not intended to be a timeless, infallible spiritual text. The historical evidence clearly suggests that Bill Wilson intended the Big Book to be a living document, […]
By Steve K In the context of 12 Step recovery “relational sponsorship” is an ongoing recovery-based relationship that supports humility, accountability, and spiritual discernment through honest dialogue rather than authority or instruction. It’s a form a sponsorship that sometimes follows an initial introduction to the 12 Steps. It’s not written anywhere within the literature of […]
By Steve K. In the chapter ‘We Agnostics’ in the book ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’, it says: “That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral.” The 12 Steps of AA are suggested as a spiritual and moral solution to the problem of alcoholism. AA views addiction as a […]
By Steve K. In Alcoholics Anonymous, fear is treated not as a mere emotion but as a spiritual condition— “an evil and corroding thread,” woven through the lives of those who suffer from addiction. This language seems to paint fear as a moral defect, as though it were inherently wrong or incompatible with spiritual life. […]
By Steve K In relation to recovery from addiction, letting go of resentments, including feelings of hurt, anger, bitterness, and blame, is especially important, as they can often lead to a return to drinking, using, and other forms of destructive or addictive behaviour. Resentments isolate us from others through self-absorbed bitterness and a closed heart. […]
By Steve K. For thousands of years, humans have sought altered states of consciousness as a pathway to healing, meaning, and connection with the sacred. In traditional societies, plant medicines that induce hallucinations were not dismissed as illusions but embraced as tools to access the divine or to repair broken relationships between body, spirit, and […]
By Steve K. The ‘Doctor’s Opinion’ is the opening chapter of the book ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ (4th ed, pp xxv – xxxii). The main part of the chapter is written by Dr William D. Silkworth, M.D. Silkworth was considered an expert in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction during the 1930’s and worked as the […]
By Steve K. It’s often said in meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that “you are not judged in the rooms of AA.” This statement is generally offered as a reassurance – to newcomers in particular — as an invitation to be honest, open, and vulnerable without fear of condemnation. However, at a recent meeting I […]
By Steve K. The ‘program’ of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is often described as ‘spiritual, not religious’ in nature. For many, this is true, as AA’s liberal approach to faith allows its members to relate to the 12 Steps in a way that is meaningful and helpful to the individual. AA philosophy draws from the pragmatism […]
By Steve K. “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.” The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous serve as guiding principles to ensure the unity, stability, and effectiveness of the AA Fellowship. While the 12 Steps focus on individual recovery, the Traditions focus on the collective health and well-being of the […]
By Steve K. The AA phrase the ‘Language of the Heart’ is the title of the 1988 book which published Bill Wilson’s (co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous) Grapevine writings from the mid 1940’s –1970. The phrase was originally used by Wilson for the title of his 1960 (July) Grapevine article which conveys the special type of […]
By Steve K. As a long-term member of the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the current secretary of a local group, I’m ever mindful of the 12 Traditions and the principles they contain which help to guide each AA group and the Fellowship, as a whole. When new members enter the Fellowship of AA […]
By Steve K. To live a spiritual life requires honesty, an open-mind, and a willingness to be humble. This is true in my experience, but I would also suggest that these three qualities of character are deeply interrelated with three other fundamental virtues of living a spiritual life. These are love, courage, and faith – […]
By Steve K. People often say ‘everything happens for a reason’ in response to difficult or seemingly random life events. I’ve always had mixed feelings in relation to this statement, particularly when it’s meant to suggest that some higher power or intelligence is guiding or directing events that happen in life. I think that there […]
By Steve K. As a teenager and young adult, I had very little engagement with religious ideas and lived a hedonistic lifestyle characterised by alcohol and other drug misuse. This lifestyle resulted in me turning to a 12-Step fellowship for help to stop drinking. The 12 Steps suggest belief in a power greater than oneself […]
By Steve K. “The word shame is derived from the Indo-European ‘skein’, which means to hide. Shame makes us want to hide from ourselves, and our peers – making shame an existentially isolating state of mind. Feeling shame makes a person dejection-based, passive, or helpless, causing the ashamed person to focus more on devaluing or […]
By Steve K. A sense of social connection and belonging is an evolved human need. It’s vital to our health and well-being and promotes a sense of self-worth and acceptance. Social isolation and a sense of disconnection is a predictor of poor mental health and is often characteristic of the illness of addiction. “Belonging is, […]
By Steve K. My struggle with acceptance often seems to be related to fear. I identify strongly with this passage in the Big Book: “This short word [fear] somehow touches about every aspect of our lives. It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it.” I’ve been […]
By Steve K. The picture of the alcoholic personality in the book Alcoholics Anonymous (aka, the Big Book) is generally portrayed as selfish and self-centred (pages 60-62, 3rd edition). The ego is often demonised in spiritual literature and traditions and is even considered illusory within Buddhism. Religious and spiritual traditions often suggest a mixed message […]
By Steve K. This reflection on the subject of transformation through suffering, adversity, loss, or trauma is particularly pertinent to those who’ve suffered from histories of addiction. People in recovery from addiction have often lived through traumatic experiences and many also suffer with co-occurring health problems. Despite these hardships, their recovery often brings about dramatic […]
By Steve K. An important part of the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that offers hope to those seeking recovery from addiction is the passage in relation to Step Nine, commonly referred to as the ‘Promises’. (1) There are Twelve promises relating to Step Nine. Twelve being a favourite number in relation to AA principles […]
By Steve K. Upon attending my very first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), I left with a real sense of hope that I could stop drinking alcohol and develop a better, more meaningful life. I sat in a room full of people who shared their various experiences of addiction to alcohol and how they had […]
By Steve K. The medical view of addiction suggests it’s a chronic and progressive ‘brain disease’ which requires treatment. In using the term chronic, I mean long-term and incurable. “Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry.” American Society of Addiction Medicine. (1) This view is supported by Alcoholics Anonymous […]
By Steve K. Human Beings are complex and the nature of our minds and behaviour is in many respects still mysterious despite all the resources of 21st century science. Although much has been learned by modern science about addiction, it’s still a controversial topic among many experts in the field. For example, brain disease vs […]
By Steve K. Emotional Sobriety: a combination of ’emotional balance’, ’emotional autonomy’, and ’emotional maturity’. Definition of emotional sobriety by Dr Allen Berger: “Emotional sobriety is a mental state in which we know longer react to our changing emotions as though they were the governing facts of our lives. This mental state is made possible […]
By Steve K. My reply to this question is that the philosophy and culture of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is replete with cognitive-behavioural interventions and effectively operates as a form of CBT and peer support system. AA and other 12 Step fellowships are also influenced by medical, philosophical, and spiritual ideas and principles. The psychologist Clifford […]
By Steve K. Some critics of the 12 Step approach within the field of addiction ask this question and view the practice of taking a moral inventory as part of a recovery program as invalid and unscientific in relation to addiction treatment. In my opinion, this viewpoint seems to be based upon a narrow understanding […]
By Steve K. As someone who makes efforts to support others who suffer from addictive behaviours, I’m generally open to the various modalities and mutual-aid organisations that exist for this purpose. As well as attending 12 Step groups over a long period of time, I’ve also taken part in and helped facilitate other types of […]
By Steve K. I have recently read psychotherapist Dr Allen Berger’s latest book ‘12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety’, which offers a comprehensive interpretation of the various characteristics that comprise the concept of emotional sobriety. According to Dr Berger, the phrase emotional sobriety was first coined by Bill Wilson, one of the cofounders of Alcoholics […]
By Steve K. I recently spent some time listening to someone who suffers from an alcohol use disorder describing their internal struggle, triggered by anxiety and stress, that takes place before they start drinking again after a period of abstinence. As they were describing their experience Freud’s model of personality came to mind, which is […]
By Steve K. The ‘Just for Today’ card published by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and regularly reflected upon by many of its members is a set of positive daily affirmations that instil healthy behaviour, attitudes, and values within the reader. I’ve intermittently used the card throughout my recovery to ground myself and to set some positive […]
By Steve K. “Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally […]
By Steve K. I have recently encountered a common criticism from the feminist perspective against Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its 12 Step program of recovery from addiction. The criticism suggests that AA’s emphasis upon ego-deflation and the practice of humility as a cure for a spiritual malady is damaging to those groups within society that […]
By Steve K. In today’s post-modern world the traditional values of duty and self-sacrifice are in danger of being lost to the humanistic value of being true to oneself and own wellbeing, in an increasingly individualistic and materialistic culture. There is an interesting debate to be had between these seemingly opposing traditional and modern values […]
By Steve K. I recently read a fascinating book about the renowned American psychologist and philosopher William James, by the author and philosophy professor John Kaag. (1) The book, the title of which I’ve used for this article, explains James’s philosophy of pragmatism and his life changing choice to believe in free will – a […]
By Steve K. Step 12 of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) suggests that “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.” A vital aspect of our own recovery from addiction is the inspiration to […]
By Steve K I recently took part in a live AA Beyond Belief (AABB) podcast recovery based discussion with co-hosts John S and Angela B. It was their first European live stream episode and I was invited to take part as their very first guest. I’ve known John since he started his website AABB in […]
By Steve K. Today I’m 15 years alcohol free. I don’t want or need to drink to escape life anymore, whatever life brings my way, good or bad. Addiction recovery, for me, both in a physical and emotional sense, has been a long, slow process of change and growth. It started a long time before […]
By Steve K. Adversity quite often brings out the best and worst in people and during these past few weeks I’ve observed both light and dark within myself. I’ve experienced my ego’s sense of threat react selfishly, mainly in the form of resentment in response to the government’s restrictions upon my freedom, but I’ve also […]
By Steve K. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) suggests that “selfishness – self-centeredness” (p.62) is the root cause of the alcoholic’s problems. That they are “driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking and self-pity.” (1) There is no doubt that addiction, of any description, quite often leads to self-centered and selfish behavior. Addiction tends to […]
By Steve K. As a member of a 12-Step fellowship I’m aware of the ongoing debate in relation to using the terms “recovered” vs “recovering” alcoholic or addict. Ultimately, how someone describes themselves is a personal matter of preference and relates to their self-perception. I also think that how they interpret the above terms dictates […]
By Steve K. In the field of addiction studies there is an ongoing debate in relation to how much voluntary choice is involved in addiction to alcohol and other drugs. During a recovery group discussion meeting that I attended recently different viewpoints were expressed in relation to this topic. The majority of the people involved […]
By Steve K. Human beings have evolved with inherent needs for physical, psychological, emotional, social, and many would suggest, spiritual connection. If these needs are unmet, neglected, or abused in the developmental years of childhood and adolescence they often result in lifelong difficulties with intrapersonal (within self), interpersonal (with others), and transpersonal (beyond the self) […]
By Steve K. I’ve heard it said in AA meetings that “the opposite of addiction is connection.” A phrase popularised in recent years by the writer and journalist Johann Hari. Thinking about my own experience of addiction and recovery I wholeheartedly agree with Hari’s assertion – connection is certainly a key antidote to the underlying […]
By Steve K. In the chapter “We Agnostics” in the book ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ (aka Big Book), it suggests that agnostics and atheists can often struggle with the concept of God; due to “a particular idea” with which they were conditioned with during childhood. “Perhaps we rejected this particular conception because it seemed inadequate. With that […]
By Steve K. I recently attended a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in which the group secretary criticised group members for “too much cross-sharing.” She was referring to group members’ sharing supportively towards a member of the group who’d recently experienced a relapse and was clearly feeling distressed and ashamed of themselves. The sharing was […]
By Steve K. One of the many platitudes heard in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is “that you cannot get recovery by osmosis.” I disagree with this glib statement in certain respects. Apart from its meaning relating to biology/chemistry the term osmosis is commonly used to describe the ‘gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, […]
By Steve K. As someone who’s in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug dependency I’ve often reflected upon the various causal factors associated with addiction and what these suggest in terms of successful recovery. There seems to be many diverse opinions, often polarising voices, in relation to the causes, nature and treatment of addiction. There […]
By Steve K. The literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) suggests that alcoholism is an illness of the mind, body and soul; and that by healing spiritually the alcoholic will heal mentally and bodily as well. I would also like to suggest that the alcoholic heals emotionally, and contentiously, morally, as part of the recovery process. […]
By Steve K. There is a common myth in recovery circles, often perpetuated by the literal interpretation of the literature, that long term sobriety equals a life of being “happy, joyous and free.” However, the reality of “life on life’s terms” often brings with it suffering and adversity and the related negative impact in terms […]
By Steve K. While I’m committed to the practise of spiritual principles as a part of my recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction, the emphasis within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) on being accepting, compassionate, tolerant, unselfish and loving etc, and of “practising these principles in all our affairs”, combined with literal interpretation of fellowship literature, […]
By Steve K. I’ve often heard it said in AA meetings, ‘I don’t know how the Twelve Steps work – they just do.’ I have never found that statement particularly helpful. Taken literally, the Steps suggest that we can recover from our illness by accepting it, by belief in God or a higher power, by […]
By Steve K. I attend a weekly AA meeting which I consider to be my “home group” and have done so for a long period of time. I value the group and in general it has had a good balance of people experienced in recovery, as well as newer members. Recently, a local residential treatment […]
By Steve K. The experience of surrender is the gateway to recovery from addiction. To paraphrase the first Step of the AA 12-Step program, at this moment we experience an acceptance that we lack control and that our life is unmanageable. Our ego surrenders its will through the pain and suffering of addiction. Our denial is […]
By Steve K. Humility is having a realistic view of oneself as a limited, imperfect human being, and being honest without pretence in the portrayal of oneself to others. Humility acknowledges the need for others and reaches out towards them. It requires good self-awareness and self-acceptance, and is a strength rather than a weakness. False […]
By Steve K. Spiritual development or awakening, and reduction of our fear-based ego, is the main aim of the 12-Step approach to recovery from addiction. The belief is that, if we change in this respect, we’ll be able to let go of our addictions and live more fulfilling and satisfying lives. We will move away […]
By Steve K. I recently became fully aware of certain unconscious motivations that have been directing, to a degree, some of my behaviour. At a conscious level, I was trying to help someone early in recovery and still believe that this motive was genuine. However, underlying these efforts I was also being driven by powerful […]
By Steve K. Step Six “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” And… Step Seven “Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.” Steps Six and Seven of the 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involve willingness, humility and practice. Step Six requires a genuine willingness to be free of […]
By Steve K. My reply to this question is that it can be for some of us in recovery. Specifically, those of us who have experienced high levels of shaming (rejection, neglect, and emotional or physical/sexual abuse) in the developmental years of childhood and adolescence. During my own upbringing, I experienced a lot of anger, […]
By Steve K. In the book Alcoholics Anonymous, it suggests that resentment is the number one manifestation of self/ego. “Being convinced that self, manifested in various ways, was what had defeated us, we considered its common manifestations. Resentment is the “number one” offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else.” p.64. The book goes on to […]
By Steve K. In a spiritual sense, it’s often suggested that love is the opposite of fear. When considering the characteristics of these two states of being, I can see the truth in this point of view. However, I would suggest that this viewpoint relates to unhealthy or neurotic fear, rather than ‘in-the-moment’ instinctual fear, […]
By Steve K. I’ve never been a fan of suffering during my life. I’m ashamed to say that I have a track record of trying to avoid it as much as possible, and would suggest that this fear based tendency is a key factor in my history of substance, as well as other types of […]
By Steve K. As an agnostic member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), I have a tendency to question or rationalize so called ‘spiritual experiences’. However, this year I have experienced three ‘synchronicities’ that I find difficult to relate to in any other way. The most recent being a powerful experience which moved me greatly and relates […]
By Steve K. In the context of Twelve Step recovery, there is the concept of ‘having had a spiritual awakening as the result of practicing the 12 Steps.’ (1) The American psychologist and philosopher William James suggests that this awakening is often an educational process. (2) My experience of this process over 25 years in […]
By Steve K. “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practise these principles in all our affairs.” Step Twelve – Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The following description of AA’s Step Twelve is based mainly upon my own personal experience of practicing Twelve […]
By Steve K. In the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) book, The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, the source of human emotional difficulties is identified as the result of instinctual excesses; specifically, the basic needs for emotional and material security, social approval and acceptance, and the need for sex. “Yet these instincts . . . often far […]
By Steve K. In the book ‘For God’s Sake’ Alan Budge writes… “Recovery isn’t about stopping drinking (or stopping whatever). It’s about investigating the ways of the ego, and trying to change on the basis of that knowledge. It’s about surrender. For me, the whole spiritual deal is based on the idea that I’m not […]
By Steve K. Some members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) tend to focus upon the fellowship as a principle means of recovery, whilst dismissing the program as not really necessary and, in effect, divorcing the two. According to AA literature and the preamble, members have the right not to practice the suggested Twelve Step program of […]
By Steve K. It’s common in the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for some members to object to others mentioning their problems with drug addiction. Quite often in meetings the ‘blue card statement’ is read out, asking members to keep their shares focused upon their problems relating to alcohol, in accordance with tradition’s three, five […]
By Steve K. Virtue, defined as a quality or trait of character considered to be morally good or desirable, is fundamental to the practice of the Twelve Step program of recovery originated by Alcoholics Anonymous. I am particularly interested in the application of Aristotle’s Virtue Theory of moral philosophy, which can be described as a […]
By Steve K. The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group is a fundamental ‘mechanism of change’ in terms of recovery from addiction. The group provides its members with a supportive social network that promotes sobriety. Participation in the group offers several therapeutic benefits which facilitate and support change for the individual. These therapeutic gains are as follows: […]
By Steve K. In this essay I will be specifically referring to alcohol and other drug addiction, or severe alcohol/substance use disorder, which is the terminology used in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The medical and scientific community, particularly in the USA, currently views addiction as a […]
By Steve K I would describe the relationship between mental illness and alcohol or other drug dependency as a strong one. However, it is important not to consider them as the same condition. It is very common for people in recovery from addiction to still suffer from other mental illnesses and disorders. There is a […]
12-STEP PHILOSOPHY 