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Step One: AA, DA, GA, NA, & OA
First of all, NO amount of internet surfing will "work" Step One
for you. Step One is an ongoing shift in awareness that must be done daily,
sometimes described as "One Day at a Time" (abbreviated ODAT or ODAAT). When
the kind of change you are undergoing is NEW then this is often One Minute at a
Time (still called ODAT (or ODAAT), though). A popular way of "hanging on"
during these "one minute at a time" times is the
Serenity Prayer.
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If you have a problem, you are "new," and you have never been
to any kind of 12 Step Meeting, then the single most important thing you can
do to help yourself is to follow the links provided at this site to locate
either a suitable meeting (for
alcohol,
gambling,
drugs,
compulsive spending,
overeating, or
other problems)
and to attend a meeting.
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When you attend your first meeting, or any meeting in a new
town, be sure to get a
meeting schedule.
Although these may vary in format, generally they are similar. You may also
be able to locate meetings by means of an
online meeting search
(such as this one). But, as of yet, nothing is quite "standardized"....
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Also, get the number of several people (as many as possible,
but probably no more than 20) so that you can call them and ask questions,
get feedback, etc. Pick up the 500 pound (or 200 kilo) phone and dial a few
numbers. You'll probably have to go through a few answering machines to get
a human. |
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You may need detox because withdrawal from alcohol and
drugs, for example, can cause profound and frequently life threatening
reactions. If you are even a little shaky, then you need
professional help. Here's
another way
to locate nearby professional help. |
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As you attend more meetings, and start to "work the program,"
you'll need to get a
sponsor to guide you through the process of working the steps. Generally,
newcomers make one of two mistakes when getting a sponsor: (1) not being
adequately "selective" and trusting someone who isn't so trustworthy (despite
appearances) and (2) not getting any sponsor whatsoever (out of fear of being
betrayed).
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As you continue to "rework" this First
Step, sometimes progress can be hard to see. A journal can be helpful.
This link is an example of the journaling process done by a member of OA:
OA Step One
Journal |
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As you acquire more time "sober" (or "clean" or "abstinent"
or whatever term the fellowship(s) that you are a member of use), you might
be awarded a medallion.
Some groups even have a "birthday
night" once a month to honor people who have accumulated various amounts
of time "clean" and/or "sober"... ...these medallions have been around in
various forms since about the
early 1960's... ...click
here for more medallions.... |
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AA (and the other fellowships) are well known for having
extensive histories. (Want
more history?) Many thousands make annual pilgrimages to the International
Convention and to
Founders
Day at Dr. Bob's house in
Akron, Ohio. Dr. Bob was one of the original two co-founders of AA, the
other being Bill Wilson.
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