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 […]
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. 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. 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. 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: […]
12-STEP PHILOSOPHY 