Step 12: The Gift of Freedom
“Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others who still suffer, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” BRB p. 279 My life in recovery got better when I stepped into service. Early on,...
The Tenth Time I Tried to Stay Alive
On conditional love, an absent father, hypervigilance, and learning to become my own loving parent. I lost track somewhere after the fifth psychiatric admission. Each one followed the same shape: a self-inflicted injury, a doctor asking why I wanted to kill myself,...
What Could the Proposed Revision to Concept II Mean?
Many ACA groups are starting to discuss and cast a vote on a proposed revision to Concept II of the Twelve Concepts of Service. At first glance, the change appears small—but one new phrase has become the focus of discussion. What is changing? Current Concept II...
Step 10: Taking Inventory Without Turning Against Myself
After a difficult conversation, I can replay it for hours. I think about what I said, what I should have said, whether my tone was wrong, and whether I made everything worse. Sometimes I decide pretty quickly that the whole thing was my fault. For a long time, I...
International Literature Update
ACA WSO is delighted to celebrate another milestone in our international translation efforts.The first ACA publication ever released in Slovak is now available: Strengthening My Recovery (eBook). Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the Slovak translation team and...
STUCK
In a rut Frozen in time It’s 2026 The mind, body, and spirit Believe it is still the 1970’s Festering in the past Suspended in an air bubble Running laps in the hamster wheel Same scenario Time is passing me by Skin is aging Hair is graying Looking over my shoulders...
The First Time I Asked Someone to Sponsor Me Online
For the first few months I attended ACA meetings online, I didn’t think much about finding a sponsor. Honestly, I was still getting used to being in the meetings at all. Sometimes I kept my camera off. Sometimes I wanted to share but couldn’t make myself raise my...
I Didn’t Think a 12-Step Program Was for Me Just Because I Grew Up In a Dysfunctional Home
When I first heard that ACA was a 12-step program, I wasn’t sure what to do with that. I thought 12-step programs were for people who had a specific addiction they were trying to stop. Drinking. Drugs. Gambling. Something obvious. Something you could point to and say,...
Reclaiming Play: Joy, Healing, and the Inner Child
One of the most surprising discoveries in my recovery has been that healing is not only about facing my pain. It is also about reclaiming my joy. Many of us grew up in homes where play was interrupted by chaos, addiction, neglect, fear, or overwhelming responsibility....
Becoming My Own Loving Parent: How Tradition 6 Brought Me Back to Myself
There are moments in my recovery where I can feel myself leave. Not physically—but internally. It happens when I start focusing on what other people are doing or not doing, when I notice who isn’t working the steps, when I feel frustrated that others aren’t taking...