THE 12 STEP, 12 TRADITIONS AND 12 CONCEPTS
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THE 12 STEPS OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
If you want what we have to offer, and are willing to make the effort to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps. These are the principles that made our recovery possible.
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We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
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We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
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We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
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We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
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We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
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We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
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We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
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We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
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We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
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We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
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Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
This sounds like a big order, and we can’t do it all at once. We didn’t become addicted in one day, so remember—easy does it.
There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these that are indispensable are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. With these we are well on our way.
We feel that our approach to the disease of addiction is completely realistic, for the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel. We feel that our way is practical, for one addict can best understand and help another addict. We believe that the sooner we face our problems within our society, in everyday living, just that much faster do we become acceptable, responsible, and productive members of that society.
The only way to keep from returning to active addiction is not to take that first drug. If you are like us you know that one is too many and a thousand never enough. We put great emphasis on this, for we know that when we use drugs in any form, or substitute one for another, we release our addiction all over again.
Thinking of alcohol as different from other drugs has caused a great many addicts to relapse. Before we came to NA, many of us viewed alcohol separately, but we cannot afford to be confused about this. Alcohol is a drug. We are people with the disease of addiction who must abstain from all drugs in order to recover.
Twelve Steps reprinted for adaptation by permission of AA World Services, Inc.
Reprinted from the Little White Booklet, Narcotics Anonymous.
© 1986 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
THE 12 TRADITIONS OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
We keep what we have only with vigilance, and just as freedom for the individual comes from the Twelve Steps, so freedom for the group springs from our Traditions.
As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that would tear us apart, all will be well.
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Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on NA unity.
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For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority— a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
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The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.
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Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole.
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Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
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An NA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the NA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
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Every NA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
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Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
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NA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
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Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the NA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
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Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
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Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
Understanding these Traditions comes slowly over a period of time. We pick up information as we talk to members and visit various groups. It usually isn’t until we get involved with service that someone points out that “personal recovery depends on NA unity,” and that unity depends on how well we follow our Traditions. The Twelve Traditions of NA are not negotiable. They are the guidelines that keep our Fellowship alive and free.
By following these guidelines in our dealings with others, and society at large, we avoid many problems. That is not to say that our Traditions eliminate all problems. We still have to face difficulties as they arise: communication problems, differences of opinion, internal controversies, and troubles with individuals and groups outside the Fellowship. However, when we apply these principles, we avoid some of the pitfalls.
Many of our problems are like those that our predecessors had to face. Their hard won experience gave birth to the Traditions, and our own experience has shown that these principles are just as valid today as they were when these Traditions were formulated. Our Traditions protect us from the internal and external forces that could destroy us. They are truly the ties that bind us together. It is only through understanding and application that they work.
Twelve Traditions reprinted for adaptation by permission of AA World Services, Inc.
Reprinted from the Basic Text, Narcotics Anonymous, Fifth Edition.
© 1988 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
THE 12 CONCEPTS OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS SERVICE
The Twelve Traditions of NA have guided our groups well in the conduct of their individual affairs, and they are the foundation for NA services. They have steered us away from many pitfalls that could have meant our collapse. Our various service units serve, for example, they do not govern; we stay out of public debate; we neither endorse nor oppose any of the many causes that our members may feel strongly about; our approach to addiction is a non-professional one; we are fully self-supporting. The traditions have provided our fellowship with essential guidance throughout its development, and they continue to be indispensable.
The Twelve Concepts for NA Service described here are intended to be practically applied to our service structure at every level. The spiritual ideals of our steps and traditions provide the basis for these concepts, which are tailored to the specific needs of our fellowship’s service structure. The concepts encourage our groups to more readily achieve our traditions’ ideals, and our service structure to function effectively and responsibly.
These concepts have been crafted from our experience. They are not intended to be taken as the “law” for NA service, but simply as guiding principles. We find that our services are stabilized when we conscientiously apply these concepts, much as our steps have stabilized our lives and our traditions have stabilized and unified our groups. The Twelve Concepts guide our services and help ensure that the message of Narcotics Anonymous is available to all addicts who have a desire to stop using and begin practicing our way of life.
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To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have joined together to create a structure which develops, coordinates, and maintains services on behalf of NA as a whole.
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The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the NA groups.
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The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority necessary to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to it.
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Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous. Leadership qualities should be carefully considered when selecting trusted servants.
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For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single point of decision and accountability should be clearly defined.
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Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to influence our decisions.
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All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that body’s decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in its decision-making processes.
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Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness of our communications.
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All elements of our service structure have the responsibility to carefully consider all viewpoints in their decision-making processes.
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Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress of a personal grievance, without fear of reprisal.
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NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must be managed responsibly.
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In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our structure should always be one of service, never of government.
This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.
Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All rights reserved. Published 1991. Approved Edition 1992.