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A '''Twelve-Step Program''' is a set of guiding [[principles]] outlining a [[course]] of [[action]] for recovery from [[addiction]], compulsion, or other [[behavioral]] [[problems]]. Originally proposed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous] (AA) as a [[method]] of recovery from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism alcoholism], the Twelve Steps were first published in the book ''Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism'' in 1939.[2] The [[method]] was then adapted and became the foundation of other [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_twelve-step_groups twelve-step programs]. As summarized by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psychological_Association American Psychological Association], the [[process]] involves the following:
*admitting that one cannot control one's addiction or compulsion;
*recognizing a higher power that can give strength;
*examining past errors with the help of a sponsor (experienced member);
*making amends for these errors;
*learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior;
*helping others who suffer from the same addictions or compulsions.
==Overview==
''Twelve-step methods'' have been adopted to address a wide range of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_abuse substance-abuse] and dependency problems. Over 200 self-help organizations–often known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Twelve-Step_groups fellowships]—with a worldwide membership of millions—now employ twelve-step principles for recovery. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcotics_Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous] was formed by addicts who did not relate to the specifics of alcohol dependency. Similar [[demographic]] preferences related to the [[addicts]]' [[drug]] of choice has led to the creation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_Anonymous Cocaine Anonymous], Crystal Meth Anonymous, Pills Anonymous and Marijuana Anonymous. [[Behavioral]] issues such as compulsion for, and/or [[addiction]] to, [[gambling]], [[crime]], [[food]], [[sex]], hoarding, debting and [[work]] are addressed in fellowships such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamblers_Anonymous Gamblers Anonymous], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overeaters_Anonymous Overeaters Anonymous], Reentry Anonymous, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Compulsives_Anonymous Sexual Compulsives Anonymous], Sexaholics Anonymous Clutterers Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous and Workaholics Anonymous. Auxiliary groups such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Anon Al-Anon] and Nar-Anon, for [[friends]] and [[family]] members of alcoholics and [[addicts]], respectively, are part of a [[response]] to treating addiction as a [[disease]] that is enabled by [[family]] systems.
==History==
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the first twelve-step fellowship, was founded in 1935 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Griffith_Wilson Bill Wilson] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Smith_(doctor) Dr. Bob Smith], known to AA members as "Bill W." and "Dr. Bob", in Akron, Ohio. They [[established]] the [[tradition]] within the "anonymous" twelve-step programs of using only first names "at the level of press, radio and film."
As AA was growing in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930"s 1930s] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940's 1940s], definite guiding principles began to emerge as the Twelve Traditions. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Traditions#Singleness_of_purpose A Singleness of purpose] emerged as Tradition Five: "Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its [[message]] to the alcoholic who still suffers." Consequently, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_addicts drug addicts] who do not suffer from the specifics of alcoholism involved in AA hoping for recovery technically are not [[welcome]] in "closed" meetings unless they have a [[desire]] to stop drinking alcohol. The reason for such [[emphasis]] on alcoholism as the [[problem]] is to overcome [[denial]] and distraction. Thus the principles of AA have been used to form many numbers of other fellowships for those recovering from various [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathology pathologies], each of which in turn emphasizes recovery from the specific malady which brought the sufferer into the fellowship.
In 1953 AA gave permission for Narcotics Anonymous to use its Steps and Traditions
==Twelve Steps==
These are the original Twelve Steps as published by Alcoholics Anonymous:
#We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
#Came to [[believe]] that a [[Power]] greater than ourselves could restore us to [[sanity]].
#Made a [[decision]] to turn our will and our lives over to the care of [[God]] as we understood Him.
#Made a searching and fearless [[moral]] [[inventory]] of ourselves.
#Admitted to [[God]], to ourselves, and to another [[human being]] the exact [[nature]] of our wrongs.
#Were entirely ready to have [[God]] remove all these [[defects]] of [[character]].
#[[Humbly]] asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
#Made a list of all [[persons]] we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
#Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would [[injure]] them or others.
#Continued to take [[personal]] inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
#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.
#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.
In some cases, where other twelve-step groups have adapted the AA steps as guiding principles, they have been altered to emphasize principles important to those particular fellowships, and to remove gender-biased language.[11][12][13]
Most of the alternate wordings are in Step 1 and Step 12, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Twelve_Step_alternate_wordings List of Twelve Step alternate wordings].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_step_program]
[[Category: Religion]]
[[Category: Psychology]]
A '''Twelve-Step Program''' is a set of guiding [[principles]] outlining a [[course]] of [[action]] for recovery from [[addiction]], compulsion, or other [[behavioral]] [[problems]]. Originally proposed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous] (AA) as a [[method]] of recovery from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism alcoholism], the Twelve Steps were first published in the book ''Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism'' in 1939.[2] The [[method]] was then adapted and became the foundation of other [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_twelve-step_groups twelve-step programs]. As summarized by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psychological_Association American Psychological Association], the [[process]] involves the following:
*admitting that one cannot control one's addiction or compulsion;
*recognizing a higher power that can give strength;
*examining past errors with the help of a sponsor (experienced member);
*making amends for these errors;
*learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior;
*helping others who suffer from the same addictions or compulsions.
==Overview==
''Twelve-step methods'' have been adopted to address a wide range of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_abuse substance-abuse] and dependency problems. Over 200 self-help organizations–often known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Twelve-Step_groups fellowships]—with a worldwide membership of millions—now employ twelve-step principles for recovery. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcotics_Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous] was formed by addicts who did not relate to the specifics of alcohol dependency. Similar [[demographic]] preferences related to the [[addicts]]' [[drug]] of choice has led to the creation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_Anonymous Cocaine Anonymous], Crystal Meth Anonymous, Pills Anonymous and Marijuana Anonymous. [[Behavioral]] issues such as compulsion for, and/or [[addiction]] to, [[gambling]], [[crime]], [[food]], [[sex]], hoarding, debting and [[work]] are addressed in fellowships such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamblers_Anonymous Gamblers Anonymous], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overeaters_Anonymous Overeaters Anonymous], Reentry Anonymous, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Compulsives_Anonymous Sexual Compulsives Anonymous], Sexaholics Anonymous Clutterers Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous and Workaholics Anonymous. Auxiliary groups such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Anon Al-Anon] and Nar-Anon, for [[friends]] and [[family]] members of alcoholics and [[addicts]], respectively, are part of a [[response]] to treating addiction as a [[disease]] that is enabled by [[family]] systems.
==History==
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the first twelve-step fellowship, was founded in 1935 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Griffith_Wilson Bill Wilson] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Smith_(doctor) Dr. Bob Smith], known to AA members as "Bill W." and "Dr. Bob", in Akron, Ohio. They [[established]] the [[tradition]] within the "anonymous" twelve-step programs of using only first names "at the level of press, radio and film."
As AA was growing in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930"s 1930s] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940's 1940s], definite guiding principles began to emerge as the Twelve Traditions. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Traditions#Singleness_of_purpose A Singleness of purpose] emerged as Tradition Five: "Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its [[message]] to the alcoholic who still suffers." Consequently, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_addicts drug addicts] who do not suffer from the specifics of alcoholism involved in AA hoping for recovery technically are not [[welcome]] in "closed" meetings unless they have a [[desire]] to stop drinking alcohol. The reason for such [[emphasis]] on alcoholism as the [[problem]] is to overcome [[denial]] and distraction. Thus the principles of AA have been used to form many numbers of other fellowships for those recovering from various [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathology pathologies], each of which in turn emphasizes recovery from the specific malady which brought the sufferer into the fellowship.
In 1953 AA gave permission for Narcotics Anonymous to use its Steps and Traditions
==Twelve Steps==
These are the original Twelve Steps as published by Alcoholics Anonymous:
#We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
#Came to [[believe]] that a [[Power]] greater than ourselves could restore us to [[sanity]].
#Made a [[decision]] to turn our will and our lives over to the care of [[God]] as we understood Him.
#Made a searching and fearless [[moral]] [[inventory]] of ourselves.
#Admitted to [[God]], to ourselves, and to another [[human being]] the exact [[nature]] of our wrongs.
#Were entirely ready to have [[God]] remove all these [[defects]] of [[character]].
#[[Humbly]] asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
#Made a list of all [[persons]] we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
#Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would [[injure]] them or others.
#Continued to take [[personal]] inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
#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.
#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.
In some cases, where other twelve-step groups have adapted the AA steps as guiding principles, they have been altered to emphasize principles important to those particular fellowships, and to remove gender-biased language.[11][12][13]
Most of the alternate wordings are in Step 1 and Step 12, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Twelve_Step_alternate_wordings List of Twelve Step alternate wordings].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_step_program]
[[Category: Religion]]
[[Category: Psychology]]
