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General Service Conference approved literature lists Step 5 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as follows:

“5. We admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs.”

None of the 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous are “easy”, but step 5 is especially difficult because we must admit our faults and defects to another human being. However, discussing our wrongs with another person can be helpful and therapeutic.

Once we have taken inventory of all of our shortcomings due to alcohol abuse (step 4), the next logical step is to share those emotions with our higher power, ourselves and another human being. Once we have successfully completed step 5, we can then begin to build a life based on honesty and truth.

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General Service Conference approved literature lists Step 4 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as follows:

“4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

During step 4, we learn that there are four inventories we should be taking: Resentments, “Sex”, “Fears” and “Harms to others”. Step four is often regarded as a fact finding, and fact facing process. During this step, we want to uncover truths about ourselves and all the behaviors that cause us to fail.

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General Service Conference approved literature lists Step 3 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as follows:

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

The main action during step 3 is a decision. Certainly, the idea of making such a big decision (such as turning our will and lives to a higher power) is something that may terrify us at first.

During step 3, it is important to understand that the decision we need to make may be too big to make in one leap. Another challenge in step 3 is that each one of us will have to come to a conclusion about what “God” means. However, it is important to understand that our understanding of “God” or a higher power doesn’t have to be complex or complete. The only thing that is essential is that we begin a search that will help us understand “God” as our recovery continues.

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Alcoholism can be a difficult affliction to deal with; especially for women. The word “alcoholic” may disturb some people and for many, the word still suggests a weakness or that an alcoholic is an outcast or a recluse. However, society still tends to look with tolerance or even amusement at a male drunk but recoil at the sight of a woman in the same condition.

Women in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) make it a point to put all their unjustified guilt behind them. Women in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) understand that alcoholism is not a question of manners or morals. Alcoholics suffer from a medical condition; an illness as described by the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association.

The point is that it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, young or old, man or woman; Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is for anyone who has the desire to quit drinking and stay sober. There is a turning point for many women in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and although for many it is reached through a hospital, rehab or prison, it is a common misconception that someone has to hit “rock-bottom” before they seek help.

In Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) there are no forms to sign or fees to pay. No one in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is asked to subscribe to any formal course of treatment. Any one who wishes to attend Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) will simply find men and WOMEN who have freed themselves from their dependence of alcohol and have begun to repair the damage it has done to their lives.

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General Service Conference approved literature lists Step 2 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as follows:

“2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

A Power Greater Than Ourselves:
Some non-religious members of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) may have trouble with step 2 because of the requirement to believe in a higher power. However, Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is adamant about helping anyone with the desire to stop drinking; regardless of religion or lack of religion.

Sanity:
The basic idea of insanity within Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) comes from the notion that people who abuse alcohol have lost control of their lives and the consequences that come with drinking. Insanity could also be seen as “repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.”

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We’ve explored the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) before here at The AA Blog. But for the next 12 days, we’ll be taking a more in-depth look at each of the 12 steps in this new series of posts, “12 Steps in 12 Days”.

Now, it goes without saying that when someone finally decides they want to quit drinking and enter Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), they are certainly not expected to complete the 12 steps in 12 days. However, the 12 Steps in 12 Days series will serve as a quick reference of all 12 steps for anyone interested in learning more about the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.).

Obviously, we’ll start with Step 1 of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.). The Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) General Service Conference approved literature lists Step 1 of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as follows:

“Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.”

The First Step (Step 1) asks us to admit two things. First, that we are powerless over our dependence on alcohol. And second, that our lives have become unmanageable.

Admitting You Are Powerless:
Alcoholics are powerless in a variety of ways. We are powerless when the driving force in our life is beyond our control. In order to work the first step properly, we need to prove our own individual powerlessness to ourselves on a significant level.

Unmanageability
Outward unmanageability can be identified by things such as arrests, family problems, money loss, or job loss. Some members of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) have been incarcerated as a direct result of their drinking, others have never been able to sustain any type of personal relationship.

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The word Alcoholism can be a tough term to deal with but nobody is too young (or too old for the matter) to have a problem with alcohol abuse. Teens can have an especially difficult time recognizing a developing drinking problem. However, make no mistake; teens are just as susceptible to alcoholism as adults are.

That is because alcoholism is an illness that does not discriminate when it comes to age, race or social standing. It does not matter what you drink or how long you have been drinking. What truly matters is what drinking does to you and Alcoholics Anonymous is there to help anyone who decides to stop drinking; no matter your age.

Only you can decide whether or not you have a drinking problem. Answer “Yes” or “No” to the following questions, which have been specially geared towards teens, to get a better insight into whether or not alcohol abuse is becoming a problem in your life:

- Are your grades starting to slip or are you goofing off at work because of alcohol?

- Do you drink because you have problems?

- Do you ever have loss of memory due to drinking?

- Do you think it’s “cool” to drink in social situations?

- Have you started to drink in the morning before school or work?

- Have you ever been in trouble because of drinking?

- Do you get drunk when you drink, even when you don’t mean to?

The Primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety; regardless of age. If you need help or if you’d like to talk to someone about your drinking, you can contact Alcoholics Anonymous by looking in your local phonebook or visiting www.AA.org

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