The 12 Steps of ACAD
These are the 12 Steps of ACAD. If you are familiar with other recovery programs, you will notice that these steps align with other 12 Step programs that have helped people all over the world achieve sobriety. The 12 Steps of ACAD are discussed in detail in the Big Red Book (BRB), the ACAD Fellowship Text, and can be worked using what is referred to as the 12 Step Yellow Workbook. In addition, the founder of ACAD, Tony A., also developed a series of 12 steps that is often read at ACAD meetings. Tony A.'s 12 Steps are unique to ACAD and can be worked on their own or in addition to the ACAD 12 Steps. You can hear Tony A. speak about the development of his version of the 12 Steps and how they differ from the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) here. If you are interested in working Tony A.'s 12 Steps, you can access the workbook here.
The ACAD 12 Steps
1. We admitted we were powerless over the effects of alcoholism or other family dysfunction, 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 understand God.
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 God 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 understand God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others who still suffer, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Tony A.'s 12 Steps
1. We admitted we were powerless over the effects of living with alcoholism and that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could bring us clarity.
3. We made a decision to practice self-love and to trust in a Higher Power of our understanding.
4. We made a searching and blameless inventory of our parents because, in essence, we had become them.
5. We admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our childhood abandonment.
6. We were entirely ready to begin the healing process with the aid of our Higher Power.
7. We humbly asked our Higher Power to help us with our healing process.
8. We became willing to open ourselves to receive the unconditional love of our Higher Power.
9. We became willing to accept our own unconditional love by understanding that our Higher Power loves us unconditionally.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and to love and approve of ourselves.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, praying only for knowledge of its will for us and the power to carry it out.
12. We have had a spiritual awakening as a result of taking these steps, and we continue to love ourselves and to practice these principles in all our affairs.