by Laura Caine

Created on: October 03, 2008   Last Updated: March 04, 2011

The Twelve Steps are tools that have helped many people overcome their addictions, whether it be to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling or even food. Originally, the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous were developed by Bill Wilson in the 1930's after he had a spiritual awakening and overcame his alcohol addiction. He wanted to pass along a program of recovery to help others in the throes of their alcoholism.

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are as follows:We admitted we were powerlessover alcoholthat 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.

Because of the success of the Twelve Step model, many people have adapted them to help overcome other addictions, substituting the word the name of their addiction for the word "alcohol."

In the process of working the Twelve Steps, and attending Twelve Step meetings on a regular basis, one's ego gradually takes a back seat as a higher moral consciousness develops. As a result, one's dependence on substances is replaced by dependance on a "Higher Power," which may be the group or may be the individual's concept of God. Ultimately, this should lead to a spiritual awakening in which the addictive substance ceases to be the focus of one's life, and carrying the message of recovery to other sufferers becomes paramount. By maintaining the spiritual principles suggested in the steps, countless people have remained free of their addictive substance and behavior for many years.

If you are addicted to a substance or even a behavior, try to find a Twelve Step group in your area to help you work the steps and gain control over your life. It won't cost you anything, and the rewards will be great!

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