12 Steps and Comments


The following are the famous 12 steps used by AA.  These steps and the program used by AA are good programs and work for many.  There are those however who do not succeed using their program.  I feel that the program is one of negative reinforcement.  It scares the alcoholic or addict into following the rules.  

After each step I will tell you what I think.  Am I an expert with a formal education in the field?  No I am a reformed drunk that used my method and I have no urge to use drugs or alcohol.  I have control over my use of drugs and alcohol.

Do I smoke tobacco and drink coffee.  Yes I do.  I smoke little cigars which are cigarettes wrapped in tobacco not paper.  They cost less than half of the cost of cigarettes.  The coffee is not always bad for you.  Cigarettes are always bad and they are more addicting than any other drug.

I have quit drinking alcohol and I did not get hooked on drugs because I realized that they were life threatening to myself and others.  I do not smoke in non smoking areas or around non smokers except in my own home.  I do not inhale.  I frankly do not want to quit.

After each step I will show my comments.  Addiction refers to drug addiction and alcoholism.  Alcohol is a drug addiction the road to recovery is the same.

Our brain has two control centers.  The old center is where out instincts control our body.  The other is our soul.  The soul controls out thoughts, our personality and our actions.  Our soul limits the activity of our instincts.  If our self-esteem is low our instincts are stronger.  Our addictions are instinctive and if our self- esteem is low our resistance to the addiction is low.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.

We have to look into ourselves and find ourselves.  We have to rebuild out self-esteem and we have to find the love in our hearts for ourselves.  We have to realize that we are killing ourselves and that we are too important to let addiction run our lives.  We must regain control.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

This is a help but not a requirement.  Atheists and agnostics can recover.  If you do not believe in God your belief in your inner self has to be improved.  The power to recovery is within.  The greater power helps if you believe.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

We can look to God for help but we still control our lives.  We have to convince ourselves that we are too good to be controlled by drugs.  God gave us the ability to run our own lives.  He does not want to care for us.  He does not have time to care for us.  He may help but we must find the strength within ourselves to beat the addiction.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

This I have no argument with.  Addiction causes us to do immoral things.  If we look back and realize how bad our morals became under the influence we may find the extra strength needed for recovery.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Here again those who do not believe are left out.  If you are a religious person confession is good for the soul and will help you.  If you are not religious and can not mean what you say prayer doesn’t help.  God does not want to waste his time on insincerity.   

Look in side yourself and talk to yourself.  Remind yourself of what you have done and seek your forgiveness of yourself.  

Go to those who will help you with their support in your recovery.  Confess your screw ups to them and ask them for their help when you are down.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

You must remove the character defects.  When God gave us our soul he gave us control over ourselves.  He will not change us but we must change ourselves.  We can pray for help but we must do it.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

We must work on our bad points and improve ourselves.  Again this is not what God is here for.  The problem is ours not God’s.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

This I totally agree with.  Even making the list will help.  Talking to those you have harmed and asking for forgiveness is good.  Sometimes they will not forgive but do not let that get you down.  Prove to them that there is a new you and someday they may come to you and forgive you.  They will not forget and you will not forget.  Strength comes from remembering.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Sometimes the person may be too hurt to talk to you about it.  If they see that you have truly changed they may come to you.  If they don’t they may at least realize that you have changed for the better.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

I am noticing some duplication here.  It sort of makes me think that the person who created this likes the number 12.

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.

This is good, but we must remember the changes must come from within.  God will not change you, that is up to you.  The knowledge and power is within.  Pray for help and support.

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.

Spread the word about your recovery and help others find the road to recovery.

AA has done a good job at aiding the recovery of alcoholics.  For many their methods work and they have saved many lives, not only the alcoholics’ but those who would have been their victims in auto accidents.

All I am saying is that there are other answers.  There are those who will not be saved by their methods.  Based on my experience my methods will work in many cases.  With some there is and event that makes them realize that they must become clean and sober and they do it.

When I quit I decided that I did not want to drink any more and never wanted another drink with alcohol.  
The Castle of Hope for Lost Souls will be there for all of those who need support.   When we have meetings they will be open to all.  It will not matter what religion you belong too or if you belong to a religion.  No one will be turned away unless they cause problems for the others and their recovery.

We want to help you find yourself and learn to love yourself.

The following are my steps to recovery.  You may add some or make changes if those changes help you.  Let me know if you have any suggestions.

To Do List for the Addict


1.  We have to look into ourselves and find ourselves.  We have to rebuild out self-esteem and we have to find the love in our hearts for ourselves.  We have to realize that we are killing ourselves and that we are too important to let addiction run our lives.  We must regain control.

2.  The power to recovery is within.  The greater power helps if you believe.   We have to convince ourselves that we are too good to be controlled by drugs.  God gave us the ability to run our own lives.  He does not want to care for us.  He does not have time to care for us.  He may help but we must find the strength within ourselves to beat the addiction.

3.  We have to look at our morals and what we have done against those morals.  Addiction causes us to do immoral things.  If we look back and realize how bad we became under the influence we may find the extra strength needed for recovery.

4.  If you are a religious person confession is good for the soul and will help you.  If you are not religious and can not mean what you say prayer doesn’t help.  God does not want to waste his time on insincerity.   

5.  Look in side yourself and talk to yourself.  Remind yourself of what you have done and seek your forgiveness of yourself.

6.  Go to those who will help you with their support in your recovery.  Confess your screw ups to them and ask them for their help when you are down.

7.  You must remove your character defects.  When God gave us our soul he gave us control over ourselves.  He will not change us but we must change ourselves.  We can pray for help but we must do it.

8.  We must work on our bad points and improve ourselves.  

9.  Make a list of those you hurt with your addiction.  Talk to those you have harmed and ask for forgiveness.  Sometimes they will not forgive but do not let that get you down.  Prove to them that there is a new you and someday they may come to you and forgive you.  They will not forget and you will not forget.  Strength comes from remembering.

10.  We must remember the changes must come from within.  God will not change you, that is up to you.  The knowledge and power is within.  Pray for His help and support.

11.  Spread the word about your recovery and help others find the road to recovery.


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