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. “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 Open Culture There may be as many doors into Alcoholics Anonymous in the 21st century as there are people who walk through them—from every world religion to no religion. The “international mutual-aid fellowship” has had “a significant and long-term effect on the culture of the United States”. Indeed, its influence is global. From its inception in 1935, […]
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 Joe C. Preface Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life marks the third decade of Century 21 with this third printing, 10-year anniversary offering. Has this decade of recovery been the best ever for the newly recovery-curious and people with long-term recovery? I think so. A growing diversity of people with process and/or substance […]
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 Dr Wendy Dossett Beliefs and emotions are commonly accepted features of spirituality, but spirituality also includes ‘disciplines’ and ‘practices’. While ‘professional’ language and the ‘spiritual’ practices of 12-Step recovery may be framed differently, they are not substantively different discourses. In setting the ‘spiritual programme’ of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) alongside the evidence for AA’s mechanisms […]
By Steve K. On Wednesday 7th December 2022, the first ever documentary to gain access to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was aired in the UK. The following three reviews offer a positive portrait of the role AA can play in helping those with alcohol dependency to recover and rebuild their lives. The documentary […]
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 […]
The following excerpt is adapted from the book ‘Higher and Friendly Powers – Transforming Addiction and Suffering’ (1) by Peg O’Connor. ‘Renouncing addiction to alcohol or other substances and behaviour excludes hedging one’s bets. One cannot both become a new person and hold onto old ways of doing and being. Nor can a person genuinely […]
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 […]
12-STEP PHILOSOPHY 