AA Promises

Recovery is More Than Just Escape from Addiction

When people first become sober their main priority might just be to escape the misery of addiction. Some of them will suspect that a life away from alcohol will be boring and unsatisfying, but they are willing to accept this if it means escaping their current pain. It is only when they experience sobriety for themselves that they come to understand the full potential of a life away from alcohol.

Alcoholics Anonymous provides a program that does more than just help people to escape their addiction – that is just the tip of the ice-berg. If people follow the 12 Step program, they can experience a life beyond their wildest dreams. It needs to be pointed out, though, that the benefits of sobriety are not only limited to AA members.

The Promises of AA

The promises of AA start in the last paragraph of page 83 of the Big Book. The chapter is titled “Into Action”. It is here that the promised fruits of the program are laid out. A brief overview of those promises follows:

• We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. The reason why people fall into addiction in the first place is that they are in search of happiness. In the beginning, they may feel that they have found this happiness. In the end, they suffer more than they could have ever imagined. If people follow the 12 Step program faithfully, they will find the happiness they were always looking for.
• We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. Remorse about the past can lead to a great deal of unhappiness. Traumatic events can also continue to be a source of pain for people. The individual will be able to reach a stage in their sobriety where they are no longer haunted by the past.
• We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. Serenity is said to be the ultimate goal of recovery. This is when the individual reaches a stage where they can cope with almost without losing their sense of inner calm. Life becomes easy and full of joy.
• No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. Addicts will often feel that their life has just been a complete waste. In recovery they discover that sharing their experiences can give other people hope and encouragement. This greatly increases their self-esteem.
• That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. As people progress in sobriety they lose the burden of victimhood.
• We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. The greatest happiness in life is to be found from helping other people. When people follow the 12 Step Program faithfully they get to experience this for themselves.
• Self-seeking will slip away. Alcoholics tend to be self-obsessed and selfish. This gets them into all types of trouble. By following a spiritual program it will encourage them to escape self-absorption.
• Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. The individual will no longer view sobriety as boring and glum. Instead they see the freedom and possibilities that are there when people no longer try to hide away from life using chemicals.
• Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. Financial worries do not only affect alcoholics, but those who follow the 12 Steps will be able to let go of such concerns. Members develop confidence in the belief that if they do the right things. For that reason, the right things keep happening to them.
• We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. Once the mental fog of addiction disappears, the mind is able to function much better. Those who follow a spiritual path will often find that their intuition becomes remarkably reliable.
• We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Many members who follow the program claim that it feels like some higher power is guiding them through life.

The Promises for Non-AA Members

The promises of following a 12 Step program are undoubtedly attractive. While most people would like to such benefits they may not be willing to join Alcoholics Anonymous. There is now a growing acceptance within the recovery world that the 12 Steps are not a good option for everyone. Some people will have already tried the program and failed. Other individuals will just be put off by the religious undertones of the organization. The good news is that there are people who follow other paths in sobriety yet still manage to benefit from all the promises. In any event, there is little doubt that AA provides a well-travelled path to reach this destination.

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