12 Step Workshop - Fast Track To Sobriety

on Sunday, 01 March 2015. Posted in The Steps

Part 1/12 (to see other parts of the article, click on the pages at the bottom)

The following workshop called "Fast Track to Sobriety" is based a series of 4 talks, each about an hour long, given over by an experienced 12-Stepper who merited to see the promises of the program come true in his personal life. (Note: The original workshop was based on using the 12-Steps for Lust addiction, but the text below was adapted to apply to all addictions).

This inspiring outline of the 12-Steps can be used either as an introduction for newcomers on how the program works, or as a refresher course for old-timers. In any event, it should not be relied on by itself, but rather as a useful tool in conjunction with working the steps in a group and with a real sponsor.

This workshop should be ideally be read in conjunction with the Big Book of AA, upon which it is based. DOWNLOAD THE BIG BOOK HERE (right click and choose "Save Link As" to save it onto your computer).

Note: In quotes from the Big Book in the coming pages (in blue) some words have been changed to adapt this workshop for all addictions. For example, an "alcoholic" is referred to simply as an "addict", and "drinking" is referred to as "acting-out".

Introduction to Part 1

On page 83-84 of the Big Book, the authors share with us the 12 promises of this program:

"We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."

DO YOU WANT THESE PROMISES TO BE FULFILLED IN YOUR LIFE?

This is workshop is for you if:

  • You have the DESPERATION of a 'drowning man'
  • You want to go through the 12 steps FAST 
  • You need to experience a Spiritual Awakening so the Compulsion to act-out is REMOVED
  • You still have some unanswered questions about the program
  • You have sobriety but are not 'Happy Joyous and Free'
  • If you have long term sobriety and want a 'refresh'

The workshop is divided into 4 parts: 

  • Part 1: Step 1 
  • Part 2: Steps 2, 3, 4 
  • Part 3: Steps 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
  • Part 4: Steps 10, 11, 12

Forward

We will be taking the 12 steps in order to achieve and maintain a healthy spiritual condition, which will help us realize happiness and freedom.

We will be relying on the recipe outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

If we follow the recipe in this book we are guaranteed to achieve and maintain a healthy spiritual condition and realize happiness and freedom.

That is what happened to countless others as a result of going through these steps.

To begin, we are only required to have two things: (1) An open mind (2) A willingness to change.

In Part 1 we will cover the following: Step 1.

  • The Nature of Addiction (Craving, Allergy)
  • R.I.D (restlessness, irritable, discontent)
  • A Psychic Change 
  • Lack of Human Power
  • The Essence of Step 1
  • The program is NOT about acting-out 
  • Acting-out is not our main problem
  • Unmanageability 
  • Are You a REAL addict?
  • How do you know if you have taken the first step?

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