The spiritual principle involved is that of forgiveness, not only from others but forgiveness of self, which can bring healing to both parties. Making amends in addiction recovery hazelden betty ford. It is the basic text of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous, and has helped large numbers of alcoholic men and women, young and old, recover as of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise. At some point in our sobriety, we begin to believe in the promises of sobriety laid out in the big book of alcoholics anonymous. The 10th step promises recovery from a hopeless state. The big book promises all of them, so far friends of bill w. Step 9 requires the recovering alcoholic to be willing to go to any lengths to make amends. Aa promises alcoholics anonymous lionrock recovery. The promises are from pages 8384 of the big book and cover the promises of what will happen when we diligently work the steps of the 12 step program. Steps by the big book step 9 steps by the big book. The promises from pages 8384 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous if we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through. Being all powerful, he provided what we needed, if we kept close to him and performed his work well. The 9 th step promises are read at just about every single aa meeting. Doing the 12 steps is also referred to as working the steps, because it requires.
Take all 12 steps in just 4 hours download this aa big book step guide and work book. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way. The big book of alcoholics anonymous includes 12 promises of sobriety that. The text of this document, original manuscript, was left just as it. Some aa groups take inventory by examining the twelve traditions, one at a time, to determine how well they are living up to these principles. Chapter 7 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous, 2nd edition. Download pamphlets and handouts to use in big book group sessions our workbook companion to alcoholics anonymous 12 steps of recovery from alcoholism and addiction is called steps by the big book. I explained what i thought i owed, apologized for my dishonesty, and asked how i. The tenth step of alcoholics anonymous is a natural progression from step 9, where you make amends. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god as we understood him.
Jan 06, 2020 breaking down step seven of aa alcoholics anonymous. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We do this by providing a safe, anonymous online meeting place where you. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have. So heres the thing, quitting alcohol and drugs is a big change.
So i see the 9th step promises as really the promises that i receive from god when i have conscious contact with him. The hazelden betty ford foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and woman who have. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
While not formally called the promises, each step offers its own promise as to what the individual working it can receive. Dec 27, 2019 alcoholics anonymous aa is a group therapy program for people suffering from alcoholism. When a person begins their 12 step journey in alcoholics anonymous, it is with the hope that their life will change for the better as a direct result. The tenth step promises are available for everyone who works for them.
Dec 07, 2018 the purpose of step 9 of alcoholics anonymous is to take action and apologize to those you have harmed with your drinking. Breaking down step nine of aa alcoholics anonymous jason. As the nations leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient treatment for adults and youth, the foundation has 17 locations nationwide and collaborates with an expansive network throughout health care. This step will provide you with peace of mind, relief and liberation from the chains of regret. The 9th step promises of alcoholics anonymous wayside house. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. Recovery greeting card 9th step promises recoveryshop. Moving into step seven actually involves us in the personal change of actively letting go of our shortcomings, actions and feelings that are liabilities. Chapter 6 into action of the big book contains the 9th step promises which describes the 12 step program of alcoholics anonymous.
Doing step nine correctly also takes courage, prudence, good judgment, and a careful sense of timing. For example, there may be a situation where the person or people weve harmed are not. It originated the twelve step program now used widely among addictions outside alcohol. However, each step has promises associated with it.
Twelve step prayers spiritual alcoholics anonymous. We provide this study guide based on personal experience to help those following aa s 12 steps as outlined in the original big book, alcoholics anonymous aa. Rightly and naturally, we think well before we choose the per son or persons with whom to take this intimate and con. Also see, the original manuscript of alcoholics anonymous this is a reproduction of the 1938 original manuscript of alcoholics anonymous. It is our hope that this discussion will give new meaning to your sobriety. Because everyones experience is unique, the 9th step promises can occur in different ways and at different times. Some of the promises are inferred from the experiences of the first 100 men and women who recovered from alcoholism.
The readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the wellbeing of others at the same time, is the very spirit of step nine. Dec 20, 2019 step 10 keeps your house clean and is not about being perfect. Eighth step prayer higher power, i ask your help in making my list of all those i have harmed. Recoveryshop the onestop shop for meeting materials, recovery items, and 12 step gifts. Alcoholics anonymous is well known for their 12 step program that focuses on helping people achieve sobriety, make amends, and improve the quality of their life. Breaking down step one of aa alcoholics anonymous jason. These meetings can be accessed go to thought and click on read more for how to accessfor free via computer, tablets and mobile devices, and also by telephone by calling the. Almost always we want to go further and admit other defects that have made us hard to live with. Promises in every step allmost oneintwenty 02102009. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. Steps by the big book step 5 steps by the big book. The 9th step promises women of grace, dignity, and sobriety. The alcoholics anonymous twelve steps and twelve traditions book states.
The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We provide this study guide based on personal experience to help those following aas 12 steps as outlined in the original big book, alcoholics anonymous aa. We go to meetings to learn about the steps, we find ourselves a. Specifically, they only apply to those whove reached the ninth step. These promises are only a few that appear in the big book of alcoholics anonymous. Aa step 9 of the 12 steps is a call for recovering alcoholics to make amends. I remember hearing them redundantly and feeling cheated. Reprinted from the big book of alcoholics anonymous with permission of a.
If you are just coming into the twelve steps as you read this, remember that youre not ready to do step nine yet. The promises of recovery are found all through the big book. Man there is hundreds more maybe we can keep a promise post running on this thread. The ninth step promises are a section of the big book where recovering alcoholics are promised certain things. You will learn the full meaning of love thy neighbor as thyself.
As related in the big book, this was aas first major test. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. There are, however, additional promises in the big book. The text of this document, original manuscript, was left just as it originally appeared in 1938.
When we do this this we gain a new perspective and the promises of the ninth step come true in our lives. The 9th step promises aa greeting card features butterflies on the front of the card with the 9th step promises from pgs. Breaking down step nine of aa alcoholics anonymous made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. The following is a list ofapproximately 150 promises that i compiled from the first edition of the big book. If making amends requires the person to report a past crime, he or she must be willing to go to jail to complete this step on the road to recovery. We will be more reconciled to discussing ourselves with another person when we see. Or we may be tipped over in the other direction when, in rare cases, we get a cool and skeptical reception. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. It would be easy to believe that those are the promises of the program. The ninth step promises can be found through pages 8384 in the big book of alcoholics anonymous. The first step of anything is a beginning, so the first step of the alcoholics anonymous 12 steps is the beginning of your recovery process. Gods promises are all on condition of humble obedience. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable.
Alcoholics anonymous aa is a group therapy program for people suffering from alcoholism. There exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful. The 12 promises of aa are presented as part of working step 9, which involves making amends. How it works 12 step online is an online meeting place where people can work the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous as outlined in the big book of alcoholics anonymous. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism generally known as the big book because of the thickness of the paper used in the first edition is a 1939 basic text, describing how to recover from alcoholism, primarily written by william g. Step eight and step nine of aa alcoholics anonymous call this approach making amends. Breaking down step seven of aa alcoholics anonymous jason. The arch i build must be the result of following the specific directions in the big book. For many people in recovery, step 11 presents a bit of a challenge. But want to share the promises as they relate to the 3rd step. Step 1 is, we admitted we were powerless over our addiction that our lives had become unmanageable. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development we will be amazed before we are halfway through.
Due to the covid19 pandemic, the experience the big book meetings will be accessible online as zoom video conferences, starting sunday, march 22, 2020 at 6pm central time. The promises of aas big book hazelden betty ford foundation. Jun 20, 2019 step 9 is another one of the 12 steps, that initially appears most difficult, but the rewards of putting this principle into practice can be immense. They appear in chapter 6 of alcoholics anonymous into action on pages 83 and 84. Those of us belonging to a religious denomination which requires confession must, and of course, will want to go to the properly appointed au. Its core treatment philosophy is based on a personal improvement plan that is outlined in 12 specific action steps. The big book mentions that the 12 promises are being fulfilled among us sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. By the time you get to this point you may be amazed at the way you have become. Wilson, one of the founders of alcoholics anonymous aa. In my experience, walking around with the weight of amends that need to be taken care of really sucks. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the road of happy destiny. Much like the ninth step promises, the tenth step promises are a section of the big book where recovering alcoholics are promised peace and recovery from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.
Many in recovery regard the 6th and 7th steps as evidence of the programs divine inspiration, for when the book alcoholics anonymous was written only two short paragraphs were devoted to these steps. Remember though, these promises only apply to alcoholics working the steps. The whole point of recovery, is to not only regain the self that was lost to addiction, but to redefine yourself and the kind of life you are leading. The big book is alcoholics anonymouss primary text. A study of step 9 of the 12 step program verywell mind. When we sincerely took such a position,all sorts of remarkable things followed. Experience the big book aa meetings available online. Many of us have heard of the ninth step promises from page 8384 of the big book of. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step nine 85 this atmosphere of approval and praise is apt to be so exhilarating as to put us off balance by creating an insatiable appetite for more of the same. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. This will tempt us to argue, or to press our point insistently. Twelve step prayers alcoholics anonymous cleveland.
Alcoholics anonymous is a 12 step program that, if worked thoroughly and honestly, will be a significant asset toward your recovery. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. Nov 18, 2008 for those newcomers that are a little nervous to do a 5th step, here is some hope for you and these promises come waaaay before the promises that are often read in many meetings or as the big book says. This was the version of the big book distributed to friends and colleagues of aas founders before the first edition was printed. Its not about being sponsoredits about sponsoring others that is a predictor for recovery. While the big book associates the 12 promises with step nine, many of us.
To many people, they represent the promises of aa, and so many would be surprised to know that each of the 12 steps has a promise associated with them. When you complete each of the 12 steps in the program of recovery, you will see these promises come true. A person facing this step may not understand what it means, how to apply it in his or her life, or may have shunned religion and. Many of us have heard of the ninth step promises from page 8384 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous. Step 1 of the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous youtube. Its actually really exciting, because its the first day of a new life. The 9th step promises are read out loud at the end of aa meetings, usually before the closing prayer. Aa promises the aa big book 12step promises of recovery.
Everyone makes mistakes, but owning up to them settles conflict before it can fester and become blown out of proportion. Some of the promises are directly associated with completion of a step. The individual must be willing to take this step no matter how severe the personal consequences. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. No conscious contact, no world of the spirit, no promises. The nineth step promises big book alcoholics anonymous. Apr 18, 2017 alcoholics anonymous is a 12step program that, if worked thoroughly and honestly, will be a significant asset toward your recovery. The 147 promises of the big book of alcoholics anonymous. Ninth step prayer higher power, i pray for the right attitude to make my amends. Step 5 5th step promises once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted.
The big book, alcoholics anonymous, promises that if we make sincere amends for the harm we caused others, working the ninth step to the best of our ability. Step nine of aa alcoholics anonymous is the perfect time to let go of the horrible way we feel. How it works 12 step online online aa meetings and 12. An overview of 9th step promises of aa the 9 th step promises are read at just about every single aa meeting. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in. Dec 04, 2010 watch step 1 of the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous. In their minds, when reading these promises, many oa members substitute the words alcohol liquor and alcoholic with the words food and compulsive eater, but in respect for the wishes of alcoholics anonymous, we repost these words verbatim from the big book. The big book is one of the bestselling books of all times 30 million copies sold. Our workbook companion to alcoholics anonymous 12 steps of recovery from alcoholism and addiction is called steps by the big book.