STEPS, TRADITIONS AND CONCEPTS
Al-Anon’s program of recovery is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Steps are the foundation for personal recovery and the Traditions help groups sustain their unity and fellowship.
Because of their proven power and worth, A.A.’s Twelve Steps have been adopted almost word for word by Al‑Anon. They represent a way of life appealing to all people of goodwill, of any religious faith or of none. Note the power of the very words.
The Traditions that follow bind us together in unity. They guide the groups in their relations with other groups, with A.A. and the outside world. They recommend group attitudes toward leadership, membership, money, property, public relations and anonymity.
The Traditions evolved from the experience of A.A. groups in trying to solve their problems of living and working together. Al‑Anon adopted these group guidelines and over the years has found them sound and wise. Although they are only suggestions, Al‑Anon’s unity and perhaps even its survival are dependent on adherence to these principles.
Carrying the message, as suggested in the Twelfth Step, is Service, Al‑Anon’s third legacy. Service, a vital purpose of Al‑Anon, is action. Members strive to do as well as to be. Anything done to help a relative or friend of an alcoholic is service: a telephone call to a despairing member or sponsoring a newcomer, telling one’s story at meetings, forming groups, arranging for public outreach, distributing literature and financially supporting groups, local services and the World Service Office.