Do I have to work the Steps in order or on a schedule?

No. There's no timeline or requirement. Members work the Steps at their own pace, often with a sponsor, and return to them as often as they find helpful.

What is a sponsor in Al-Anon?

A sponsor is a more experienced member who shares how they've worked the program, including the Steps. Having one is encouraged but entirely optional.

Do the Twelve Steps require a specific religion?

No. The Steps refer to a "Power greater than ourselves" that each member understands in their own way. Al-Anon isn't affiliated with any religion, and members of all faiths and none are welcome.

How are the Steps used in a meeting?

Members often share the personal lessons they've learned from practicing the Steps in everyday life. Listening to others' experiences is one of the main ways newcomers begin to understand the program.

The Twelve Steps

These Twelve Steps, adapted nearly word-for-word from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, have been a tool for spiritual growth for millions of Al‑Anon/Alateen members.

At meetings, Al‑Anon/Alateen members share with each other the personal lessons they have learned from practicing from these Steps. Many members also lean on Al-Anon's slogans.

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Al‑Anon's Twelve Steps, © 1996 by Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Copyright renewed 2000 by Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

They're a set of spiritual principles that guide recovery in Al-Anon. Adapted almost word-for-word from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, they help members find perspective and peace regardless of the drinker's behavior.
No. There's no timeline or requirement. Members work the Steps at their own pace, often with a sponsor, and return to them as often as they find helpful.
A sponsor is a more experienced member who shares how they've worked the program, including the Steps. Having one is encouraged but entirely optional.
No. The Steps refer to a "Power greater than ourselves" that each member understands in their own way. Al-Anon isn't affiliated with any religion, and members of all faiths and none are welcome.
Members often share the personal lessons they've learned from practicing the Steps in everyday life. Listening to others' experiences is one of the main ways newcomers begin to understand the program.