Introduction

The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are a set of suggestions for people who want to change their lives. These steps have helped millions of people overcome alcoholism and other addictions, but it’s important to understand what these steps are before deciding whether or not you would like to try them out.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship based on working with a higher power.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. We will do this by practicing our 12 Steps, one day at a time.

The First Step of AA states that we must admit we are powerless over alcohol—that our lives have become unmanageable. To recover from the disease of alcoholism, we must be willing to completely surrender our lives to something greater than ourselves, namely God as He may direct us (or another higher power).

It’s a self-help program designed to help people recover from alcoholism and other addictions.

AA is a self-help program designed to help people recover from alcoholism and other addictions. AA is based on a 12-step approach that uses the fellowship of other members to help people achieve and maintain sobriety.

It’s important to note that AA isn’t just for adults, but also for teens who are struggling with alcohol use. Many adults who’ve been in recovery for years often have their own kids who are also using alcohol or drugs, so they turn to AA as a way to help their children get sober as well.

Although this program is free, it can be helpful to know what to expect before getting started.

Although this program is free, it can be helpful to know what to expect before getting started. You’ll learn that there’s power in taking full responsibility for your actions. You’ll also learn that a higher power comes in many forms and can be anything you want it to be.

You don’t have to be sober for life to benefit from the AA 12 steps.

You don’t have to be sober for life to benefit from the AA 12 steps. The program is designed to help people in all stages of recovery, and its principles can be applied to any area of your life. The 12 steps are a way of life that can be used as tools for staying sober or achieving whatever else you might want to achieve.

You’ll learn the difference between using willpower and using the 12 steps.

Willpower is like trying to hold your breath for a long time. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, and the longer you try to hold it, the more painful it becomes. Eventually, if you don’t give up and release that breath, you will pass out or die. In order to maintain willpower, you have to keep putting effort into resisting urges. The 12 steps are more like breathing; they allow us to stay sober without having to continuously force ourselves not to drink or use drugs again and again over many years of our life, because willpower will only work temporarily at best—until we get tired of using it so often!

A lot of people think that quitting is their own personal journey – but actually there are steps which guide us along the way, which makes things easier because they take away some difficult aspects such as guilt, shame, and fear, while also teaching us how to not make decisions based on these negative feelings anymore.

You’ll learn that there’s power in taking full responsibility for your actions.

In the 12-step program, you’ll learn that there’s power in taking full responsibility for your actions.

It’s important to understand the difference between taking responsibility and blaming others—the difference is crucial! Blaming others usually comes from feeling powerless, like you can’t change what’s happening. But if you blame another person or situation for your troubles, it keeps you focused on an external source of pain rather than internalizing the true source of suffering: yourself. For example, say that someone makes an offensive comment about me and I get upset; I might think “That was mean” or “I never should’ve said anything in response.” This process becomes cyclical as my anger grows until I’m so angry at myself that I’m unable to do anything productive at all! That’s when it becomes clear that taking full responsibility for my own emotions is crucial if I want any chance at self-improvement. Taking responsibility gives me control over my mood and behavior—it allows (and even forces!) me to focus inward rather than continue focusing outwardly with blame-oriented thoughts like “you shouldn’t have said this,” which aren’t helpful at all.

You’ll learn that a higher power comes in many forms and can be anything you want it to be.

The higher power can be anything you want it to be. It can be a person, a feeling, or an object. It can even be something as simple as a symbol or an idea. If you’re having trouble finding your own higher power, try creating one that works for you.

You’ll learn that every person who ever lived was given exactly what they needed at exactly the right time and worked very hard to get where they are today.

You will learn that every person who ever lived was given exactly what they needed at exactly the right time, and they worked very hard to get where they are today.

You will learn that no matter how hard you work in your job or career, it is not going to make you happy.

You will be taught how to live a different kind of life than most people do. A better life, one worth living!

The 12 steps are not meant to take away responsibility for yourself.

You are the only one who can take responsibility for yourself. You are the only one who can change your life. No one else can do it for you, and no one else should have to. Your recovery is up to you, and AA doesn’t expect anything more than what you’re willing to give it. The 12 steps are simply a guide that will help lead your way back into sobriety if that’s what you want; they don’t dictate how things must be done or make any decisions for you on their own.

The first step is admitting that there is a problem at all—that alcohol has become such an integral part of your life that it has taken control over every aspect of who you are as a person and how others see you too! In order for recovery to work well in our lives, we need to first admit this fact before moving forward with any other step, because otherwise, nothing else will matter much until then (the whole point being: no blame).

The 12 steps are meant to help you live a different kind of life.

You will learn how to live a sober life. You will learn how to live a healthy life. You will also learn how to live a happy life.

Conclusion

There are a lot of different ways to recover, and it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be sober for life to benefit from the 12 steps to recovery. The program is designed to help anyone who has struggled with addiction, and it can be especially helpful if you’re not sure where else to turn for support. If you think this might be something for you, we’ll see you at the next meeting!

This article was first published at https://www.freemanhouserecovery.com/aas-12-step-program-south-africa/