Alcoholics Anonymous (lovingly called the "big book" of AA) makes many promises to those who thoroughly follow the path of the AA program.

Here are are some of them: "If we are painstaking about this phase of our development we will be amazed before we are half-way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook on life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. We will intuitively understand situations that used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves." AA Big Book pg 83-84.

The same book also promises, or warns, that if the alcoholic stops working his program he will inevitably fall again.

Relapse is defined as a return to drinking or drug use after a period of abstinence with the intention to permanently quit drinking or using.

Often called a "slip" by AA members, such an evident failure to stay sober is disappointing and a source of anquish to the alcoholic. Family members or loved...

What is a spiritual principle?

Do you consciously use spiritual principles in your life on a daily basis?

In recovery a spiritual principle is defined as an attitude or guideline, that when acted on, increases one's connectedness with others and a higher power or creative energy.

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are thoroughly founded on principles like humility, willingness, perseverence, forgiveness, responsibility, brotherly love, and they require action based in faith.

I consider the 12 steps the "mother of all recovery" because of the millions of alcoholics who have used them to find sobriety. There are also programs using the same 12 steps that are effectively helping gamblers, overeaters, sex addicts, and the list goes on.

AA absolutely does not have a monopoly on these principles. Most religions extol their benefits and encourage their incorporation into their adherents' lives.

In fact, the phenomenally successful, life-changing 12 steps as they stand written today by Bill Wilson had their roots in another movement called the Oxford Group. Bill W. made subtle but significant changes and expanded what the Oxford Group had developed into what is unquestionably the most followed spiritual roadmap today.

The Golden Rule, "it is more blessed to give than to receive", turning the other cheek, and praying for one's enemies are all spiritual principles which...

Which are you, a good actor, or a bad one?

"All the world's a stage. And all the men and women merely players..."--William Shakespeare.

An apt description, expressed by a great playwrite and student of human nature. There are some interesting aspects of the bard's observation that pertain to recovery.

Acting, for instance, has more than one definition. One meaning is "to pretend, or to play a role not reflective of reality" and to a certain extent every one of us is an actor in this sense.

The very word "persona" comes from the Greek and meant the mask that a stage actor wore, literally that through (per) which the sound (sona) came when the players spoke their lines.

We each have a persona that we allow the world to see, a mask that we hope others will find pleasing or acceptable. There is an inner self that we all possess called our character (somewhat ironically) which we consider to be our "real selves". We are reluctant to share our inner selves; addicts seldom let anyone see theirs.

"We are only as sick as the secrets we keep."--popular recovery saying.

The disease of addiction is characterized by an elaborate system of denial. Denial that one even has a problem is the underlying "script" that every alcoholic or junkie must follow in his "performance" to those around him.

Addicts develop the...

When do our intentions, good or bad, become reality?

"Faith without works is dead"--James 2-26

What is the first step toward actually making a difference in our lives and in the world around us?

Inner change or change in circumstances always requires a physical action. We are guided and motivated by our thoughts, emotions and the ideas of others, but we must get up out of bed (out of ourselves, actually) AND DO SOMETHING, ANYTHING, if we are to bring about the tiniest change in our lives or in our world.

This seems obvious, but we alcoholics and addicts have a tendency to think that our intentions somehow justify our behavior, our actions or our lack of action.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to taking the necessary action is that we believe that a particular problem is too big for us to make a difference.

All the starving people in Africa, nuclear weapons spreading throughout the world, hundreds of lost and abandoned pets right in our very community, seemingly hopeless hordes of alcoholic and addicted unfortunates, any one of these can make us feel overwhelmed, insignificant and incapable of making the situation better.

If we allow this feeling to deter us from taking actions, truly nothing will change.

Someone asked Mother Teresa how she could continue her work faced with the immensity of countless desperate and dying orphans. She replied, "I...

A long-time AA member used the following demonstration to help a new-comer he was sponsoring. After listening patiently to a long, whining diatribe, he placed a hula hoop on the ground in front of his sponsee. He said, "You seem distracted from your recovery because you are focusing on other people's business and matters beyond your control. Do me a favor and step into the Hula Hoop...".

Somewhat mystified he did so. The sponsor then said, 'Everything you need to stay sober and have a happy life is inside the hoop. Everything outside the hoop is none of your business.""

"But you don't understand," the newcomer responded in exasperation, "my wife won't listen to me, my boss is unfair, and my daughter is in trouble!" His sponsor firmly reiterated that only what was within the hoop was his to change, and that his sole responsibility was to do so!

Used in this "zen" fashion, the Hula Hoop has a set of instructions: The Serenity Prayer.

"God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change....

Courage, to change the things I can and...

Wisdom, to know the difference.

I used to think the requested "courage to change" would make me a crusader righting all the many wrongs I perceived in the world.

Today, I know that it means having the courage to look at myself and to change my attitudes and actions....