12 Steps & More
Al-Anon offers simple yet enduring principles that help members navigate the challenges of loving someone affected by alcoholism.
Many members find strength, perspective, and encouragement by returning to the Al-Anon program's foundational principles and spiritual tools, brought together on this page.
On This Page:
The Serenity Prayer & Al-Anon Declaration
* Recovery through the Twelve Steps;
Unity through the Twelve Traditions;
Service through the Twelve Concepts of Service
Suggested Preamble
The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.
Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.
Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.
Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA
Al-Anon Legacies
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We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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The Traditions summarize the Al-Anon principles that have proven to help Al-Anon groups function effectively.
Our common welfare should come first; personal progress for the greatest number depends upon unity.
For our group purpose there is but one authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants—they do not govern.
The relatives of alcoholics, when gathered together for mutual aid, may call themselves an Al-Anon Family Group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend.
Each group should be autonomous, except in matters affecting another group or Al-Anon or AA as a whole.
Each Al-Anon Family Group has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps of AA ourselves, by encouraging and understanding our alcoholic relatives, and by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics.
Our Family Groups ought never endorse, finance or lend our name to any outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim. Although a separate entity, we should always co-operate with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Al-Anon Twelfth Step work should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
Our groups, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
The Al-Anon Family Groups have no opinion on outside issues; hence our name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, and TV. We need guard with special care the anonymity of all AA members.
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles above personalities.
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The Twelve Concepts of Service summarize the Al-Anon principles that have proven to help Al-Anon’s service organizations function effectively together.
The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al-Anon world services belongs to the Al-Anon groups.
The Al-Anon Family Groups have delegated complete administrative and operational authority to their Conference and its service arms.
The right of decision makes effective leadership possible.
Participation is the key to harmony.
The rights of appeal and petition protect minorities and insure that they be heard.
The Conference acknowledges the primary administrative responsibility of the Trustees.
The Trustees have legal rights while the rights of the Conference are traditional.
The Board of Trustees delegates full authority for routine management of Al-Anon Headquarters to its executive committees.
Good personal leadership at all service levels is a necessity. In the field of world service the Board of Trustees assumes the primary leadership.
Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service authority and double-headed management is avoided.
The World Service Office is composed of selected committees, executives and staff members.
The spiritual foundation for Al-Anon’s world services is contained in the General Warranties of the Conference, Article 12 of the Charter.
General Warranties of the Conference
In all proceedings the World Service Conference of Al-Anon shall observe the spirit of the Traditions:
that only sufficient operating funds, including an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle;
that no Conference member shall be placed in unqualified authority over other members;
that all decisions be reached by discussion, vote and whenever possible by unanimity;
that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy;
that though the Conference serves Al-Anon it shall never perform any act of government; and that like the fellowship of Al-Anon Family Groups which it serves, it shall always remain democratic in thought and action.
© Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
© Al-Anon’s Twelve Traditions, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
© Al-Anon’s Twelve Concepts of Service, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
© Al-Anon’s General Warranties of the Conference, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA
Al-Anon Declaration
Let It Begin with Me. When anyone, anywhere,
reaches out for help, let the hand of Al-Anon and Alateen
always be there, and—Let It Begin with Me.
Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA
Al-Anon Slogans
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Being willing to consider new perspectives and remain receptive to growth and change.
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Centers recovery in the present, recognizing that today's actions are more manageable than dwelling on the past or future.
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Recovery is a journey of continued growth and willingness, where each step forward is valued more than getting everything "right."
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Reinforces patience, self-compassion, and trusting that recovery unfolds over time rather than all at once.
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Reminds us that straightforward, uncomplicated approaches often work best, especially when life feels chaotic or overwhelming.
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Encourages setting healthy priorities, maintaining perspective, and focusing on our own well-being instead of becoming consumed by someone else's choices.
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Offers perspective through distinguishing what is truly significant from what can be released.
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Recovery is strengthened through ongoing participation, shared experience, and continued practice of the program.
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Reflects the understanding that meaningful change begins with ourselves, and that positive changes in one person can influence the entire family or relationship system.
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Encourages taking responsibility for our own lives while respecting others' right to make their own choices and experience the consequences without our interference.
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Creates space between impulse and action, allowing our responses to be guided by thoughtful reflection rather than emotion or habit.
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A reminder to focus on today's choices, actions, and opportunities for growth to aid in one’s recovery.