The 12 Steps of AA

1. Honesty. We admitt that we are powerless over alcohol, that our lives have become unmanageable.  
• Addicts tend to spend a lot of time denying that they have a problem or believing they can quit whenever they want. The first step towards lasting addiction recovery is admitting you have a problem and are powerless to help yourself.
2. Hope. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 
• The second step brings a spiritual slant to addiction recovery. Members have to find faith in a Higher Power or something greater than themselves. You get to define who or what that power is and believe it can help you heal and recover even if you experience setbacks.
3. Faith. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
• The third step encourages members to let go of their egos and put themselves at the mercy of their defined Higher Power. Doing this helps them to rely on something or someone greater than themselves to help them navigate the path to sobriety. 
4. Courage. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
• Step four allows members to perform an honest character and behaviour evaluation, so they can devise strategies to overcome defects that may have contributed to their alcoholism. A personal appraisal takes courage, as members may have to confront some painful and uncomfortable truths about themselves. 
5. Integrity. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human, being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
• The individual will have to speak openly about their defects to God, themselves, and another human being. Step 5 seeks to help members grow out of the guilt and shame of addiction so that they can begin to live more honestly.
6. Willingness. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 
• Step 6 arises from the belief that one cannot get rid of bad habits that cause addiction without some assistance from a Higher Power. The individual must also be willing to let those defects go without looking back. 
7. Humility. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
• Admit their shortcomings and accept that even their best is not enough to help them overcome addiction. Humility helps members realize that while they are responsible for exercising their free will to make responsible choices, relying humbly on a Higher Power is also a critical component to recovery. Step 7 is about aligning one’s own will with that of one’s own Higher Power. By going to meetings and hearing other peoples’ stories and by honestly trying to connect with one’s own Higher Power, one begins to open channels of intuition that were previously blocked by addiction. Step 7 is reaching to a Higher Power for help to restrain oneself from using one's own will for selfish purposes.
8. Love. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 
• Step 8 requires members to write down the name of everyone who has been hurt by the addiction and be willing to make amends. This step is one of the most challenging as you have to come to terms with how much you’ve hurt people and take responsibility for your actions.
9. Responsibility. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
• Step 9 builds on the previous step and involves going to any length to make amends for past mistakes. The individual must be willing to work through the discomfort of opening up to those you’ve hurt with your addiction and trying to repair damaged relationships. 
10. Discipline. Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. 
• Addiction recovery is a process, and step 10 helps you come to a point where you can control your actions at every moment. The idea behind this step is that you cultivate the discipline to maintain your progress for the rest of your life.
11. Spiritual Awareness. 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. 
• Step 11 encourages members to remain in touch with a Higher Power (by prayer and meditation), paying attention to inspiration or promptings as a guide for navigating their recovery journey.
12. Service. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 
• After completing the first 11 steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous program successfully, members are expected to guide other recovering addicts with their experience. Step 12 also involves practising the AA principles in every aspect of your life.