What

What Are the Anti-12 Steps?

Before you read them try this experiment: Recite step 1 of the traditional 12 steps. Now, reverse it. Don't just say the opposite, but reverse the intent of the step. Now try it with the others. See how you compare to the actual Anti-12 Steps. There is no correct wording. It is the concept and intent that is critical to the thinking necessary for the Anti-12 process.

So here they are (there are different versions for different addictions):

The Anti-12 Steps

1. I declared that I have total control over my drug use and that I can completely manage my life and still use drugs.

(We admitted we were powerless over our addiction and that our lives had become unmanageable.—AA/NA)

2. Came to know that I need no one and that drugs help me maintain my happiness and sanity.

(Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.—AA/NA)

3. Made a decision to harness the benefits (as I understand them) of any substance I chose to use.

(Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.—AA/NA)

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of all others.

(Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.—AA/NA)

5. Admitted to no one, including myself, any of my wrongs, no matter how evident.

(Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.—AA/NA)

6. I became entirely ready to defend, excuse, and justify my actions, using personal attacks on others (if necessary), and to minimize any mistake I make.

(Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.—AA/NA)

7. Boldly declare that I have no shortcomings (while secretly believing that anything bad I ever did could not be forgiven).

(Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.—AA/NA)

8. Made a list of all persons that had (or that I thought had) harmed me and searched for opportunities to "collect" on those debts.

(Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.—AA/NA)

9. Collected whatever I felt that I am "owed" whenever possible, regardless of the fact that doing so may cause injury or harm to someone else.

(Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.—AA/NA)

10. Continued to take an inventory of others’ "wrongs" against me and promptly collected on them when possible.

(Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.—AA/NA)

11. Sought through experimentation, "expert opinions", partying, and the advice of my using friends, a better, stronger, and longer high. I search only for more knowledge of how and what to use, and the means to do so without consequences.

(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.—AA/NA)

12. Having an enjoyable experience from the use of drugs, I tried to carry this message to other suffering sober people to lead them to practice these principles in all their affairs with me.

(Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts and to practice these principles in all our affairs.—AA/NA)

 
Creation & Copyright Michael Visger 1996.

 
Anti-12 Traditions  <--  This link will take you to the Anti-12 Traditions page.

     After reading these steps, you should notice two things.

First, the steps can be adapted for any behavior or addiction. Everything from drug addiction to gambling can be adapted to these steps to help illustrate how the addiction works.

Second, to truly benefit from the Anti-12 Steps, you have to acknowledge that many of them need no addiction to be practiced. The concepts such as "I am in control", taking others "inventories" and "experimenting" with what is self-gratifying are all concepts that humans practice.

This is part of the usefulness of the Anti-12 Steps. They illustrate how our everyday innocent "little" behaviors can be compounded into a big problem when there is no restraint or balance in what we do. By understanding the process that gets us into trouble, it's easier to see how to get out. By learning the lessons of the Anti-12 Steps, we can begin to see how addiction is a thinking process just as much as an "acting" process. It means that addiction isn't as confusing as many people claim. It makes sense, and so does using the traditional 12 Steps to get out.