Psychology Q4

https://www.alcohol.org/alcoholics-anonymous/

https://www.alcohol.org/contributors/

https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/en_tradition_longform.pdf

The 12 Traditions of AA across the World

The 12 Traditions in Alcoholics Anonymous are outlined

below.

1. The common welfare comes �rst. Each member of AA

is a small aspect of a larger whole. Group welfare and

support come �rst, with individual health and safety

coming in a very close second.

2. There is one ultimate authority, which is a loving God.

The loving God does not need to be the Christian God.

Rather, this is God as the ultimate authority in whatever

form works for each group’s collective consciousness.

3. The desire to stop drinking is the only membership

requirement. No one is turned away if they wish to

overcome alcohol abuse. Membership with the group is

based only on abstinence from alcohol and following

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the 12 Steps, not on money or conformity. Any two or

more individuals using the 12 Steps to overcome

alcohol use disorder and problem drinking can use the

name AA if they have no other a�liation.

4. Each AA group is autonomous, except in matters

a�ecting all groups. There is no centralized AA authority

that a�ects individual groups; the group is responsible

only to the group’s conscience. The one exception

involves neighboring AA groups, which should be

consulted if one group’s decisions a�ect others. No

regional committee or individual member should take

an action that a�ects the AA group, nor should regional

authorities or individual members take actions that

a�ect AA as a whole without consulting the General

Services Board. The common welfare is paramount.

5. Each group’s primary purpose is to carry the message

to those still struggling with alcohol. Each AA group is

essentially a spiritual entity whose higher purpose is to

save those who still struggle with problem drinking by

bringing their message of hope.

6. AA does not give money, endorsement, or prestige to

organizations outside the group’s mission. The

problems of money, property, and authority divert

group members from their process of recovery, and

may add stress that can prevent them from being

successful. Facilities used for meetings should not use

“Alcoholics Anonymous” in their name. Any property

used by the AA group should be owned and managed

separately from the members, maintaining the divide

between the spiritual and material. The AA group

should never go into business as an entity, although

individual members should have or work toward gainful

employment. Cooperating with individuals, businesses,

or organizations is encouraged, but not to the point of

endorsement, whether implied or actual.

7. Each group must self-support and decline outside

contributions. Individual members who are able to

should contribute �nancially to any needs the group

has. Public solicitation of funds, to support the AA

group, individual members, or the overall AA

movement, is unwise and can pull focus from the

group’s collective success to material struggles. It is

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also important that individual AA group treasuries do

not accumulate more money than what is required for

speci�c AA purposes.

8. The core of the group meetings is nonprofessional,

peer support. In the context of AA leadership,

“professionalism” is de�ned as a trained counselor

whose occupation is to provide therapy for fee or hire.

AA does not employ these professionals to lead groups,

but instead focuses on the mutual support of peers

helping each other through. Sometimes, AA hires

members to perform speci�c services that help the

group or regional organization, but these tasks never

include leading the group.

9. There is no central organizing body. As little

organization as possible should be used to maintain the

group’s identity. Leadership should rotate. There are

some elected positions, including a secretary for

minutes and a committee, but these positions should

frequently cycle. The trustees in the General Service

Board in New York are custodians of the overall AA

Traditions and Steps, and maintain contributions and

public relations. They also print the AA Grapevine

However, the General Services Board has no authority

over speci�c groups, and they do not govern; their

focus is on serving AA as a whole.

10. AA remains apolitical, with no opinion on outside issues.

AA members should not use the group identity to

express support or opposition to issues outside AA

itself. These include political views, sectarian religion, or

alcohol reform. AA opposes no one and exists to help

people struggling with alcohol abuse.

11. Personal anonymity of members is deeply important.

Anonymity exists to protect group members from

public scrutiny and opinion. AA should avoid sensational

advertising, and the names, faces, or other identities of

members should never be used to promote the

program, shame members, or otherwise attract

attention. Praising groups or individual members is

unnecessary; recommendation to AA should be only for

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