We've all heard of AA or NA, and truth be told there are so many A's out there now that I can't keep them straight. The first of the two I'm going to talk about is Alcoholics Anonymous or AA . Alcoholics Anonymous was made famous by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio in 1935.
AA states that its members' primary purpose is "to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety". With other early members, Bob Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith developed Alcoholics Anonymous or AA Twelve Step program of spiritual and moral development. Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Traditions
were introduced in 1946 to help AA gain a more secure structure and to help it grow. The Traditions
recommend that members and groups remain anonymous in the public eye, selflessly help other alcoholics that wish to stop
drinking, and to not affiliate AA with any other organization. The
Traditions also recommend that Alcoholics Anonymous members acting on behalf of the
fellowship steer clear of any issues involving the public. Some of the other fellowships such as Narcotics Anonymous were formed later and have adopted and adapted the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions to their primary purposes.
Internal surveys on the 12 step approach states that about 40% of it's members stay clean and sober for less
than a year. About 80% of those sober more
than one year, but less than five will remain sober and active in one of the many programs for another year. About 90% of the members that can abstain from their addiction for five years
or more will stay active in their specific program for the remainder of their life.
Beware and don't let your guard down. There is no known cure for addiction. Unfortunately, the little monkey on your back never leaves. He just sits there and waits for the right moment in time to pounce and become an active part of your life once again. I have quit and been active in a 12 step program somewhere between 30 and forty times with varying lengths of sobriety, just to have that monkey come swinging back into my life again.
I use some of the steps in my current plan that has kept me clean and sober for over six years now. I'm not a strict 12 stepper. I believe that everyone needs to form his or her own unique recovery system or program. In my plan, there are what I like to call phases that I went through. I will talk about these in my upcoming post.
If you are interested in what I have done to stay clean, bookmark my blog or sign up for a version to be sent to your email.
I use some of the steps in my current plan that has kept me clean and sober for over six years now. I'm not a strict 12 stepper. I believe that everyone needs to form his or her own unique recovery system or program. In my plan, there are what I like to call phases that I went through. I will talk about these in my upcoming post.
If you are interested in what I have done to stay clean, bookmark my blog or sign up for a version to be sent to your email.
Until then, you can start by taking a good look inside yourself and write down the true reasons you want to be clean and sober. No reason is stupid or silly, just write it down. And, once again, read and learn. I have listed a great book at the bottom of this post. Don't worry if you don't have the money for a book. There is lots of free information right here on the web. You've just got to look for it.
