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The Twelve Steps of Adult Children of Alcoholics

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 the 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, optional, 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 understand Him, and to other caring persons, the exact nature of what is within that is causing us 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 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 our progress and asking for feedback from others in our attempt to recover and grow. We do this through support groups.

11. We see 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, remembering that Becoming Who We Are is a lifetime task which must be done one day at a time.

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