Renowned addiction expert Patrick Carnes, PhD, author of A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps, outlines twelve guiding principles to help those in recovery develop an essential skill set for life.
Renowned addiction expert Patrick Carnes, PhD, author of A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps, outlines twelve guiding principles to help those in recovery develop an essential skill set for life.
Twelve Steps. Twelve Traditions. And yes, Twelve Principles. The Steps outline the actions that lead to extraordinary healing. The Traditions exist as guides to the functioning of the Fellowship. Embedded in both is a series of Principles by which to measure your progress.
Anyone who lives a Twelve Step way of life will recognize the principles passed on in A Gentle Path through the Twelve Principles. They have existed among fellowships as a hidden curriculum of fundamental truths about recovery for decades, but never before have they been distilled into a succinct set of values that, when practiced, help each of us to develop an essential skill set for life. The principles--such universal touchstones for human self-realization as acceptance, awareness, responsibility, openness, honesty, courage, commitment, and meaning--are concepts that enable a deep inner study and focus to make a new life happen in recovery.
Recovery means reengineering your life with a focus on renewal. The Twelve Principles are designed to help you get there.
Patrick J. Carnes, Ph.D., is an internationally known authority and speaker on addiction and recovery issues. He has authored over twenty books including the bestselling titles Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction, Facing the Shadow, Betrayal Bond, Don’t Call It Love, A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps and The Gentle Path through the Twelve Principles.
Dr. Carnes’ research provides the architecture for the “task model” of treating addictions that is used by thousands of therapists worldwide and many well-known treatment centers, residential facilities, and hospitals. He founded IITAP (International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals), which provides CSAT (Certified Sex Addiction Therapist) training and certification as well as cutting-edge information for addiction professionals. Dr. Carnes currently serves as a Senior Fellow and Executive Director for the Gentle Path Program at The Meadows in Wickenburg, Arizona.
But for the grace of God, I can follow, discern, treasure, apply, and value these 12 best, corresponding principles to use, to know, to adhere to, to apply to each Step with defined purpose, and take into myself as my Higher Power's Guidelines to lead me to greater heaven someday. I now read these 12 principles and begin to believe in and wonder about them, feel inspiring, purposeful thoughts toward goodness, fill my grateful heart with joy, help me to choose life-enhancing ways which are extremely beneficial to building new healthy attitudes and a brighter vision toward developing a greater mindset on this amazing code of ethics, determined to bring out my benevolent, genuine, altruistic nature, thus deepening the meaning of our life of sobriety. We are blessed to be able to go through a spiritual awakening with a deeper meaning and much personal growth in working our 12 Steps while in the great fellowship of others in AA recovery.