Climb the 12 steps
They were born in Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935 and today dozens of fellowships use them for every kind of addiction. Tap each step to walk through them, one at a time.
Step 1 of 12
Admit
I accept that this got bigger than me and that, on my own, I haven’t been able to control it.
Step 2 of 12
Hope
I open up to the idea that something greater than me, the group, life, or God as I understand it, can help me find balance again.
Step 3 of 12
Decide
I decide to stop fighting alone and to trust that support.
Step 4 of 12
Look inward
I take an honest look at my life: what I did, what I felt, what brought me here.
Step 5 of 12
Say it
I share that truth with someone I trust. I stop carrying it in secret.
Step 6 of 12
Get ready
I get ready to let go of the attitudes that hurt me and others.
Step 7 of 12
Ask for help
I humbly ask for help to change.
Step 8 of 12
The list
I write down the names of the people I hurt and prepare to make it right.
Step 9 of 12
Repair
I repair the harm directly, whenever doing so won’t hurt anyone else.
Step 10 of 12
Every day
I keep checking in with myself every day and own my mistakes as soon as I see them.
Step 11 of 12
Stillness
I take care of my inner life: prayer, meditation or simple quiet, whatever works for me.
Step 12 of 12
Share
I bring what I learned to someone who is still struggling, and try to live it in everything I do.
Here we tell them in our own words. Each program’s official text is on its website.
What if I don’t believe in God?
Programs talk about a “higher power as each person understands it”. For many people that’s the group itself, nature or life. There are believers, agnostics and atheists in the rooms. If you still don’t feel comfortable, see other paths.
One step at a time
You don’t do the steps alone or all at once. You walk them with the group and with a sponsor: someone further along who walks with you. There’s no rush. Just for today.