This is the program. Full stop. Work it or don't. It's all right here in simple terms.

Filled with unbiblical lies about who we are and how to solve our problems. The object of faith matters.

Everyone can benefit from such a process. How interesting It has been designed for one specific addiction, and yet, provides deep wisdom and psychology that applies to everyone.
It was designed to overcome one of the most difficult, seemingly impossible addiction. That's why it digs so deep in the human psyche.
Simplistic approach like "You want to forget your past", or "to fill your life with something else" or "your feel empty inside" only scratches the surface and is largely insufficient.

I also find it fascinating that a person need to wait to reach the very bottom before to react and do what it takes.
Most people would start this process faithfully only at the face of death.

What fascinates me also is that people just won't do that would save them. For example, it sounds paradoxical to hold on pride if it's what makes you miserable.

Here are my (long) take aways:

Step 1: Recognizing we reached the very bottom. Admitting defeat is painful. It humbles you.

Step 2: We can't make it alone. Build your faith in a greater power. With a scientific approach, try it before to deny it. What you tried so far didn't work anyway. On the contrary, this method bear fruits. Be open minded. You thought you could handle your life with your intelligence alone. It's a nice asset only if humility comes first. True humility and an open mind lead to faith.

Step 3: Turn your will and life to God. It might look impossible for an atheist. Our ego also fights it. All it takes is to try. Paradoxically, the more you are willing to depend on that external power, the more independent you become, like electricity. When your will conforms with God's, everything changes. Your whole trouble has been the misuse of willpower. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

Step 4: A fearless moral inventory of yourself.
Instincts are necessary for our survival, but excess can lead to malfunction. They subtly drive us and rule our lives. Desire for sex, material possessions, security, becoming important.
Discovering our emotional problems is a move toward their correction.
If you become dependent on your possessions, you become nothing when they're gone, and afraid the whole time until it happens.
If you impose your pursuit of wealth on others, then anger, jealousy, and revenge are likely to be aroused.
Addiction came handy to drown the feeling of fear, frustration, depression and replace it with passion.
We find excuses to hide our defects, and justify our addiction. Thinking everyone and everything has to change but ourselves.
We are beating ourselves with anger intending to use it on others.
Opening our eyes is painful and humiliating.
Seven Deadly Sins: pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. Pride lead to self-justification. The cause always is a fear.
Pride lures us into making demands upon ourselves or upon others which cannot be met without perverting or misusing our God-given instincts.
Never satisfied to covet the possessions of others, to lust for sex and power, to become angry when our instinctive demands are threatened, to be envious when the ambitions of others seem to be realized while ours are not.
We eat, drink, and grab for more of everything than we need, fearing we shall never have enough.
Both his pride and his fear beat him back every time he tries to look within himself. Pride says, “You need not pass this way,” and Fear says, “You dare not look!”
Once we have a complete willingness to take inventory, and exert ourselves to do the job thoroughly, a wonderful light falls upon this foggy scene.
By now the newcomer has probably arrived at the following conclusions: that his character defects, representing instincts gone astray, have been the primary cause of his drinking and his failure at life; that unless he is now willing to work hard at the elimination of the worst of these defects, both sobriety and peace of mind will still elude him; that all the faulty foundation of his life will have to be torn out and built anew on bedrock.
When, and how, and in just what instances did my selfish pursuit of [instinct] damage other people and me?
Ask yourself why whenever you feel: worry, anger, self-pity, and depression.
In our relationship with people, either we insist to be dominating, or to be depending.
we have buried these self same defects deep down in us under thick layers of self-justification.

Step 5: Admit our defects to ourselves, God and another human being.
Few steps are harder to take, but it's the most necessary.
We hope they'll go to the grave with us. For our own destruction.
if we have come to know how wrong thinking and action have hurt us and others, then the need to quit living by ourselves with those tormenting ghosts.
Thereafter comes the realization we were actors on a stage.
It breaks the suffering from isolation.
It gives humility, seeing who we truly are.
The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed.
As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place. And when humility and serenity are so combined, something else of great moment is apt to occur.

[to be continued]

I don't drink or abuse substances but, as my 6th grade Sunday School class pointed out to me, I might be an alcoholic but as I don't drink, I can't know. What wise children.
This is a wonderful faith journey. There is much to take from this book.
I wonder if a person, such as I, worked the steps what it would produce. Goodness knows, I have been self centered, cruel and problematic to myself and others. I'm not brave enough to do so myself, at this time. Nor am I certain it would be beneficial but I wonder.
This book gives wonderful insight to our friends who are suffering under addiction.

My sobriety date: April 21st 2007

An interesting and intriguing read that I believe provides essential knowledge for my work. It’s tough to argue with enduring principles and methods that from afar seem to have stood the test of time.

Has some practical advice for sobriety

They will tell you AA isn't a religion or a cult, yet here we have its dogmatic guidelines each meeting or congregation must follow.

The book starts with in-depth discussions of the twelve steps as written in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, and concludes with in-depth discussions of the twelve traditions, which were actually articles published in the AA Grapevine. An excellent read for anyone who wants more information that the book Alcoholics Anonymous provides.

A great and must-read adjunct to the Big Book, Alcoholic Anonymous. Whereas that was written very early in the life of the A.A. movement, when no one had more than a handful of years of experience of sober life, this was written with the benefit of much more insight and spiritual growth. This is a very practical how-to guide to applying the principles of the 12 Steps in one's personal life, and to applying the 12 Traditions to the thinking and decisions of groups. Both have proven themselves as effective models, and this is a good guide to everyday life for everyone, not just for recovering alcoholics.

Something to read day in and day out.

Écrit par l'un des fondateurs des Alcooliques Anonymes (AA). Le livre décrit les douze étapes et les douze traditions que les membres de l'AA suivent pour se libérer de la dépendance à l'alcool et maintenir leur sobriété.

Ce livre est une ressource inestimable pour les personnes qui cherchent à se libérer de la dépendance à l'alcool et à maintenir leur sobriété. Les douze étapes sont des étapes clés du processus de rétablissement, qui aident les membres de l'AA à se libérer de la dépendance à l'alcool et à adopter un mode de vie plus sain. Les douze traditions sont des principes de base qui guident l'organisation et la structure des AA, assurant ainsi leur fonctionnement efficace et leur pérennité.

Le livre est bien organisé et facile à comprendre. Chaque étape et tradition est expliquée en détail, avec des exemples concrets pour aider les lecteurs à comprendre comment les appliquer dans leur vie. Les histoires de vie partagées dans le livre sont inspirantes et offrent de l'espoir à ceux qui cherchent à se rétablir.

En outre, le livre est rédigé avec une grande bienveillance et empathie envers ceux qui luttent contre la dépendance à l'alcool. Les auteurs reconnaissent la complexité de la dépendance et les défis auxquels les membres de l'AA sont confrontés dans leur parcours de rétablissement. Ils offrent un soutien et une guidance encourageante à chaque étape du processus.

Enfin, le livre est une ressource utile non seulement pour les membres de l'AA, mais aussi pour les professionnels de la santé mentale et pour les proches de ceux qui luttent contre tout type de dépendance. En effet, les principes et les techniques décrits dans le livre peuvent être appliqués dans de nombreux autres domaines de la vie pour aider les gens à se rétablir et à vivre une vie plus saine et plus épanouissante.

"Les Douze Étapes et les Douze Traditions" est un livre remarquable qui offre une guidance claire et bienveillante pour ceux qui cherchent à se libérer d’une dépendance. Sa clarté, son empathie et son utilité en font un livre précieux pour tous ceux qui cherchent à améliorer leur vie et leur bien-être.