How do you know if you are ready
to take the Real Thirteenth Step?
1. Have you identified and
admitted your obsessive, compulsive or addictive behavior and maintained
abstinence or sobriety for six months to one year without relapse?
2. Have you completed each of
the 12-Steps at least once in a 12-Step Recovery Program?
3. Have you been following your
program faithfully for at least this time period?
4. Do you have a sponsor, buddy,
therapist, or other knowledgeable person with whom you can discuss your
recovery?
5. Do you spend some time each
day to meditation, prayer, or solitary contemplation?
6. Are you aware of the
difference between your conscious personality and the Higher Power within?
7. Have you learned to recognize
and handle successfully the triggers and mechanisms that set off your
compulsive/addictive behavior?
8. Have you shared your story
repeatedly with others and listened to theirs?
9. Are you able to rely on
others for support and ask for help when you need it?
10. Have you had a successful
relationship with a sponsor, buddy, or other support person for a
significant length of time?
11. Have you had sufficient
therapy, individually, and/ or in group, to heal the damaging legacy of your
addiction?
12. Have you severed or limited
all relationships with people who supported your addictions and compulsions,
unless they are also fully in recovery?
13. Can you say "no"
when tempted or pressured?
14. Do you know the difference
between instant and deferred gratification, and can you choose intelligently
between them?
15. Can you act on thoughtful
decision s instead of impulsively reaction to events and circumstances?
16. Do you have a clear sense of
who you are and what your goals are?
If you answered "yes' to
most of these questions, you are probably ready to take the 13th Step. If most
of your answers were "no," you need to do further work within a
recovery and learn additional skills you need to complete recovery.
