This is a list of Twelve Steps alternate wordings of the Twelve Steps set of guiding principles for recovery from addictive, compulsive, or other behavioral problems that was originally developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. The twelve-step method has been adapted widely by fellowships of people recovering from various addictions, compulsive behaviors, and mental health problems.
In some cases, where other twelve-step groups have adapted the AA steps as guiding principles, they have been altered to emphasize principles important to those particular fellowships or to remove gender-biased or specifically religious language.
Gamblers Anonymous has made significant changes to Steps 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12 by reducing references to God, including a financial inventory, and eliminating "Spiritual Awakening".
Most of the alternate wordings are in Step 1 and Step 12:
Program Step 1 Step 12 Reference Alcoholics AnonymousWe admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.Al-Anon/AlateenalcoholothersAdult Children of Alcoholicsthe effects of alcoholism or other family dysfunctionothers who still suffer Narcotics Anonymous our addiction addicts Nar-Anonthe addictothersCocaine Anonymouscocaine and all other mind-altering substancesaddicts Co-Dependents Anonymousothersother codependents Steps 3, 7, 11 - replace Him/His with God for gender neutralityDual Recovery Anonymousour dual illness of chemical dependency and emotional or psychiatric illnessothers who experience dual disordersOvereaters Anonymousfoodcompulsive overeatersFood Addicts in Recovery AnonymousfoodothersDebtors Anonymousdebtcompulsive debtorsCrystal Meth Anonymouscrystal methcrystal meth addictsMarijuana Anonymousmarijuanamarijuana addicts Pills Anonymouspills and all other mind-altering substancesaddictsSexaholics AnonymousLustSexaholics Sex Addicts Anonymousaddictive sexual behaviorother sex addicts Steps 3, 7, and 11 replace "Him" with "God" and "His" with "God's" for gender neutrality Step 12 replaces "in all our affairs" with "in our lives" due to multiple meanings of "affairs" Sex and Love Addicts Anonymoussex and love addictionsex and love addicts Steps 3, 7, 11 - replace Him/His with God for gender neutrality Step 12 replaces "in all our affairs" with "in all areas of our lives" due to one meaning of "affairs", i.e., adulterySexual Compulsives Anonymoussexual compulsionsexually compulsive peopleGamblers AnonymousgamblingHaving made an effort to practice these principles in all our affairs, we tried to carry this message to other compulsive gamblers.Celebrate Recovery to control my tendency to do the wrong thing others
See also Twelve-step program List of twelve-step groups
References