Affective Disorders Anonymous (ADA)

The Twelve Traditions- Copyright Permission

The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous have been reprinted and adapted with the permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.  ("A.A.W.S."). Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Traditions does not mean that A.A. is affiliated with this program. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only - use of A.A.'s Traditions or an adapted version of its Traditions in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but address other problems, or use in any other non-A.A. context, does not  imply otherwise. As requested by A.A.W.S., the original version of the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous is reprinted below:

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS:

 1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on A.A. unity.

 2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority--a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscious. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

 3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

 4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

 5. Each group has but one primary purpose--to carry it's message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

 6. An A.A. group ought to never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

 7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

 8. Alcoholics Anonymous should forever remain nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

 9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

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