Alcoholics Anonymous
Steps 6-12
This article is a continuation of The first six steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The twelve step program for
overcoming a problem with alcohol has been used for years and years, with much success.
Many individuals have been able to successfully kick the habit simply by following the twelve steps, and to that
end, it can be useful to know them if you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol.
In this article, well examine the last six steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous program so that you can get a
better idea of how the program progresses.
The seventh step of the Alcoholics Anonymous program focuses on humility. It states that
you should ask your higher power to humbly remove the shortcomings that you have in your life, as self-will and
determination can only go so far in achieving progress against alcoholism.
In this step, you should confront some of the character faults that you have such as being dishonest or being
hateful of others in the past.
The eighth step is a particularly difficult step in the program. It involves acknowledging
all of the people that you have hurt in the past and becoming willing to make amends with them.
This step involves making a list of all of the people that you have harmed with your problem and then assessing
the best ways to make amends with them. This step can take a lot of work, but you will feel the guilt lifted from
your shoulders as you cross people off of your list, making it really pay off.
The ninth step of AA works off of the eight step. In this step, you will be actually
making amends with the people that you thought about in the eighth step.
One important thing to remember in this step, however, is that you should only try to make amends with those who
wont face further injury from your attempt.
If making amends would open up an old problem that was previously set aside and forgotten about, you may want to
weigh the decision with your AA sponsor.
Step ten is also focused upon the principles set forth in step eight. The principle idea
in step ten is maintenance, and it refers to continuously keeping a list of the individuals that you have harmed in
your life, working towards making amends with those individuals.
With your new lease on life, it will be much easier to admit when you are wrong and to offer amends.
Did You Know
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There are four general rules that are used by diagnosticians to determine
alcohol abuse:
1. Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role
obligations at work, school, home (e.g., repeated absences or poor work performance related to
substance use; substance-related absences, suspensions, or expulsions from school; neglect of
children or household)
2. Recurrent substance use in situations in which it is physically
hazardous such as driving a car or operating machinery.
3. Recurrent substance related legal problems
4. Continued substance use despite having persistent or recurrent
social or interpersonal problems that are caused or made worse by the substance
abuse.
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Step eleven involves speaking to your higher power in order to determine what types of
plans they have for your life.
By identifying the way that you should live your life, you will be better able to visualize results and to
stick to the program.
Interesting Facts
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Group therapy or attending a self help group is always beneficial to anyone wanting
to recover from alcoholism.
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The twelfth and final step in the Alcoholics Anonymous program is known as the service
step. In this step, successes should have been made in preventing alcohol from affecting your life.
This step involves passing on the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to others, helping to support them in their
struggles.
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