The ACA Twelve Steps | Agnostic ACA

Step 1 – Spiritual Principles: Insight, Honesty

Adult Children of Alcoholics: We admitted we were powerless over the effects of alcoholism or other family dysfunction, that our lives had become unmanageable
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We admitted we were powerless over the effects of living with alcoholism and that our lives had become unmanageable.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I get it: What I’ve been doing is self-destructive. I need to change.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Admit we are powerless over other people, random events and our own persistent negative behaviors, and that when we forget this, our lives become unmanageable.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could bring us clarity.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I see the big picture: The way to stop relapsing into self-destructive behaviors is to build a healthier sense of self.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Came to believe that spiritual resources can provide power for our restoration and ‘healing.’

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We made a decision to practice self-love and to trust in a Higher Power of our understanding.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I have an action plan: From now on, I am squarely facing everything that is in the way of feeling really satisfied with my life.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Make a decision to be open to spiritual energy as we take deliberate action for change in our lives.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We made a searching and blameless inventory of our parents because, in essence, we had become them.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I honestly look at the effects of my actions on others and myself.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Search honestly and deeply within ourselves to know the exact nature of our actions, thoughts and emotions.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our childhood abandonment.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I take responsibility for my actions.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Will talk to another person about our exact nature.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We were entirely ready to begin the healing process with the aid of our Higher Power.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I see that my knee-jerk reactions have to do with being in the grip of more or less conscious fears.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Be entirely ready to acknowledge our abiding strength and release our personal shortcomings.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We humbly asked our Higher Power to help us with our healing process.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I strive to find my motivation in a deeper sense.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Work honestly, humbly and courageously to develop our assets and to release our personal shortcomings.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We became willing to open ourselves to receive the unconditional love of our Higher Power.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I stop blaming and feeling blamed, with a willingness to heal the wounds.
The Alternative 12 Steps: List all people we have harmed, including ourselves, and be willing to make amends to them all. Be willing to forgive those who have harmed us.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We became willing to accept our own unconditional love by understanding that our Higher Power loves us unconditionally.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I swallow my pride, and sincerely apologize to people I’ve hurt, except when this would be counterproductive.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Whenever possible, we will carry out unconditional amends to those we have hurt, including ourselves, except when to do so would cause harm.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We continued to take personal inventory and to love and approve of ourselves.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I live mindfully, paying attention to the motives and effects of my actions.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Continue to monitor ourselves, to acknowledge our successes and quickly correct our lapses and errors.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, praying only for knowledge of its will for us and the power to carry it out.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: I stay in touch with a broader sense of what I really want.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Increasingly engage spiritual energy and awareness to continue to grow in abiding strength and wisdom and in the enjoyment of life.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others who still suffer, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Tony A’s Twelve Steps: We have had a spiritual awakening as a result of taking these steps, and we continue to love ourselves and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The Proactive Twelve Steps: A growing sense of wholeness and contentment motivates me to keep at it, and to share this process with others who are struggling.
The Alternative 12 Steps: Practice the principles of these Steps in all our affairs and carry the 12-Step message to others.