Below are some versions of the Twelve Steps from different sources.

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

1.   We admitted we were powerless over alcohol --- that our lives had become unmanageable.

2.   Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3.   Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4.   Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5.   Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6.   Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7.   Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8.   Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9.   Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10.  Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11.  Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for His will for us and the power to carry that our.

12.  Having had a Spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.


The 12 Steps to Recovery for Codependents
From Choicemaking by Sharon Wegscheider Cruse

1.  We acknowledge and accept that we are powerless in controlling the lives of others, and that trying to control others makes our lives unmanageable.

2.   We have come to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore enough order and hope in our lives to move us to a growth framework.

3.   We make a decision to turn our lives over to this power to the best of our ability, and honestly accept that taking responsibility for ourselves is the only way growth is possible.

4.  We make an inventory of ourselves, looking for our mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, volitional, and social assets and liabilities.  We look at what we have, how we use it, and how we can acquire what we need.

5.  Using this inventory as a guide, we admit to ourselves, to God as we understood him, and to other caring persons, the exact nature of what is within that is causing ourselves pain.

6.  We give to God as we know him all former pain, hurt, and mistakes, resentments and bitterness, anger, and guilt.  We trust that we can let go of the hurt that we cause and receive.

7.   We can ask for help, support, and guidance and be willing to take responsibility for ourselves and to others.

8.   We begin a program of living responsibly for ourselves, for our own feelings, mistakes, and successes.  We become responsible for our part in relationship to others.

9.  We make a list of persons to whom we want to make amends and commence to do so, except where doing so would cause further pain for others.

10.  We continue to work our program, each day checking out our progress and asking for feedback from others in our attempt to recover and grow.  We do this through support groups.

11.  We seek through our own power and a Higher Power, awareness of our inner selves.  We do this through reading, listening, meditation, sharing, and other ways of centering and getting in touch with our inner selves.

12.  Having experienced the power of growing toward wholeness, we find our bodies, minds, and spirits awakened to a new sense of physical and emotional relief which leaves us open to a new awareness of Spirituality.  We seek to explore our meaning in life by honest sharing with others, remember that BECOMING WHO WE ARE is a lifetime task which must be done one day at a time.


12 Steps for Kids
author unkown

1.  I am powerless over alcohol, drugs, and other people's behavior and my life got real messed up because of it.

2.   I need help.  I can't do it alone anymore.

3.  I've made a decision to reach out for a Power greater than me to help out.

4.   I wrote down all of the things that bother me about myself and others, and the things that I like too.

5.  I shared these with someone I trust because I don't have to keep them a secret anymore.

6.   My Higher Power helps me with this, too.

7.   The more I trust myself and my Higher Power, the more I learn to trust others.

8.   I made a list of the people I hurt and the ways I hurt myself.  I can now forgive myself and others.

9.  I talked to these people even if I was scared to because I knew that it would help me feel better about myself.

10.  I keep on discovering more things about myself each day and if I hurt someone, I apologize.

11.  When I am patient and pray, I get closer to my Higher Power, and that helps me know myself better.

12.  By using these steps, I've become a new person.  I don't have to feel alone anymore, and I can help others.



16 Steps for Discovery and Empowerment
author unkown

1.   We affirm we have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on substances or other people for our self-esteem and security.

2.   We come to believe that God / the Goddess / Universe / Great Spirit / Higher Power awakens the healing wisdom within us when we open ourselves to that power.

3.   We make a decision to become our authentic Selves and trust in the healing power of Truth.

4.   We examine our beliefs, addictions, and dependent behavior in the context of living in a hierarchal, patriarchal culture.

5.   We share with another person and the Universe all those things inside of us for which we feel shame and guilt.

6.   We affirm and enjoy our strengths, talents, and creativity, striving not to hide these qualities to protect other's egos.

7.   We become willing to let go of shame, guilt, and any behavior that keeps us from loving ourSelves and others.

8.   We make a list of people we have harmed and people who have harmed us, and take steps to clear out negative energy by making amends and sharing our grievances in a respectful way.

9.   We express love and gratitude to others, and increasingly appreciate, the wonder of life and the blessings we do have.

10.  We continue to trust our reality and daily affirm that we see what we see, we know what we know, and we feel what we feel.

11.  We promptly acknowledge our mistakes and make amends when appropriate, but we do not say we are sorry for things we have not done and we do not cover up, analyze, or take responsibility for the shortcomings of others.

12.   We seek out situations, jobs, and people that affirm our intelligence, perceptions, and self-worth and avoid situations or people who are hurtful, harmful, or demeaning to us.

13.  We take steps to heal our physical bodies, organize our lives, reduce stress, and have fun.

14.  We seek to find our inward calling, and develop the will and wisdom to follow it.

15.  We accept the ups and downs of life as natural events that can be used as lessons for growth.

16.  We grow in awareness that we are interrelated with all living things, and we contribute to restoring peace and balance on the planet.

Thanks to Sharon Wegscheider Cruse - one of the real pioneers in the codependency treatment movement - and to the unkown authors of the other two versions.

Although my book and articles make reference to Alcoholics Anonymous, the principles and Twelve Step program of A.A., this does not mean that A.A. has reviewed or approved the contents of this writing, nor that A.A. agrees with the views expressed herein. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only - use of this material in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but address other problems, or in any other non-A.A. context, does not imply otherwise.

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