The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I am totally new to this. I don't understand what the different 12 steps are. I would like to know what they are. I was also wondering if religion was a big part of this. I'm not very religious. I hope someone will help me understand all this.
Hi I am new to this also and I do not know all the steps, but I do know you took the first one by asking for help and being here as I did two weeks ago. You do n ot have to be relgious to work this program it is not a relgious group, HP Higher power may not be GOD in the form as many choose to call their higher power. I do know that your higher power is whom you choose to pray to and ask for guidence. God is of your understanding, To begin I can only suggest what helped for me since I am not here to give advice just listen and help cause I to am new and trying to understand. In finding this room I have found many who share with me and I take what they say that may help and I leave the rest behind if you can relate. The most important focus is you which is and always difficult since our A drains us from the true person we are and forget to see. If only for 5 min start slow DO SOMETHING FOR YOU!!!!! and gradually add more time comming here is for you so GREAT START!!!! Sometimes we get silly in open chat but it is a great stress relief. Each min. you take for you will help you find sernity, that is one thing I will promise. When you take from others shares and leave the rest you will grow in strength, wisdom, and hope but be able to follow your own heart and choices for you! It works if you work it! Remember we are all in the same boat some of us have more knowledge and tools and some are just learning as you are, but we welocme you with loving arms. The 3 C'c have helped me see that I am not to blame they are I DID NOT CAUSE IT< I CAN CURE IT < AND I CAN NOT CHANGE IT, I only can change myself, Good luck LOve cloud and rember ONE DAY AT A TIME
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, - 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 understood Him.
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 Him 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 understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His 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 and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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" And what did we gain? A new life, with purpose, meaning and constant progress, and all the contentment and fulfillment that comes from such growth."
a simple answer to your question...........is you do NOT have to believe in God to be a part of alanon.
you do need to admit that this problem is bigger than you...........that you can not do it alone........and that you need the help of something bigger than you. at first the rooms of alanon and the people in it may serve as your Higher Powre..........for others being close to nature is their spirituality........keep coming to meetings and i promise you will find what/who your Higher Power is....