All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented,
-Alcoholics Anonymous, fourth edition, chapter 2 – “There is a solution”, p.17
as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. We are people who normally would not mix […] We are like the passengers of a
great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain’s table […] The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us.
The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action.
I created this site hoping that everyone — regardless of race, income, creed, religion, or social class — may find sobriety and recovery in the 12 Steps. I believe that 12 step programs have been one of the most inclusive and miraculous treatments to grace this planet in the last century. Everyone should be able to join the positive way of life they bestow.
TwelveStepping is a verb. It is the act of living well through applying and appreciating the twelve steps day by day. The steps are action.
With others in the journey, you can find those who can help you understand the steps and apply them in your life. Although a blog like this can help, nothing ensures your growth as much as taking the leap of faith yourself and checking out a meeting or 12 step gathering.
I write in gratitude to the countless many who’ve helped me in the path of the steps. As a result, I have built a life I am not ashamed to share and, I hope, far more helpful than the one I lived before.
Bill W., the founder of AA, saw immense promise in print media of his day for sharing the message of recovery. I suspect he would be astounded at the power of the Internet for sharing that message as well, and he would himself have been an avid blogger. The power of story and allegory was his.
The openness and democratization of the web are themselves facets of 12 step programs’ traditions. We should recognize where we stand in this age as messengers of solid recovery, hope, and strength.
About Me
I am writing to this site under the pen name “John D. (Doe).” I am not a Betty Ford clinic or a WebMD authority, but as someone who’s worked the 12 steps and stayed sober over a decade (12 years to be exact, as of the launch of this site), I offer suggestions won by experience. I believe the pen name more closely aligns with the belief that I am a student of the Program rather than an expert authority.
Additionally, friends and family, fortunately, encouraged me to try AA and NA early in my life. It didn’t take long for me to get in bad shape. But I think someone shared with them that the Program worked well for people like me. I owe my life to those faceless individuals who shared a positive message of recovery, which touched me at various points in my life. Ultimately, it was enough to bring me to my first meeting and start my journey to sobriety.
The student mindset leaves room to grow, and becoming stagnant is my biggest concern in sober life. TwelveStepping.com is my avenue of new growth and expanding how I share the message of recovery.
I hope to stay a student forever while I share my message through this site. I also hope that writing my experience helps readers join recovery faster and with fewer bumps in the road than I had. We don’t get many years on this whirling planet, so let’s not spend any more than we need to in the misery of addiction!