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Step
11 | Step Index
12.
"Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we
tried to carry this message to others who experience dual disorders and to
practice these principles in all our affairs."
| A core principle behind the Twelfth
Step is that once we've experienced the benefits of working the
Steps, we will want to continue to strengthen our own dual recovery
by helping others and doing service work. We continue to live by and
practice the principles found in the Steps every day. |
IN OUR OWN WORDS: Members
share their thoughts on the Twelfth Step
At
first I didn't understand when my sponsor said, "You got to give it
away to keep it" but after being around the Program for awhile, I
began to feel a lot of gratitude. I wanted to give back some of what was
given to me so freely. I began to be a temporary sponsor for newcomers. It
was then that I realized how this helping others business revitalized and
strengthened my own personal recovery. I needed to help others as much for
my own recovery as for theirs.
I've found the principles I
learned by working the Twelve Steps are really good principles to live my
whole life by. Not just so I could get and stay clean and sober and manage
my dual disorders. But like when I interact with people at work or my
family. They gave me integrity.
I
remember how confused and frightened I was in early recovery. If I can
tell my story at a meeting and reassure a newcomer so maybe they find a
little more hope and stick with it, and be lucky enough to listen to a
newcomer's story to remember how it was for me. Maybe I won't have to go
back out and use again to remember how bad it felt.
Anyone
can do some Twelfth Step work. You don't have to have much recovery to
pour coffee, or help clean up after a meeting. Besides, that's the best
way to get to really know people. You can't really give what you don't
have, but we all have our story. That's worth sharing even if it's just
telling someone at your first meeting that you are brand new to DRA.
A spiritual awakening? Well, I
suppose it's very different for everyone, but it's really the changes we
find in ourselves after working the Steps and being in recovery for
awhile. Deep positive changes in the way we look at things, in the way we
react to life. We go from dependence to freedom, we go from letting
everything in the world bug us to knowing how to find peace even when
everything is going to sh*t. And from trying to control everything by
ourselves with our willpower to letting others and even God help us.
Step
11 | Step Index
*Adapted from the Twelve Steps of
Alcoholics Anonymous®
*The Twelve Steps of AA are
reprinted and adapted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services,
Inc. Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Steps does not mean that AA has
reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, nor that AA agrees with
the views expressed herein. AA is a program of recovery from alcoholism only -
use of the Twelve Steps in connection with programs and activities that are
patterned after AA, but that address other problems, does not imply otherwise.
THE TWELFTH STEP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS* 12. 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.
Fellowship
Step Discussion Booklet - This is a printable booklet of this Step
Discussion section of the web site in Adobe Reader (PDF) file format.
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