The Big Book is Alcoholics Anonymous’s primary text. It originated the Twelve-Step program now used widely among addictions outside alcohol. It was one of the first to suggest that alcoholism was an illness, not a character defect.
In this 1-page summary, we’ll discuss the major ideas underlying Alcoholics Anonymous and give an overview of the Twelve Steps.
Think of alcoholism as an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. This craving is beyond the mental control of alcoholics. As a result, alcoholics can never safely use alcohol in any form at all. They cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving, and it becomes virtually impossible to stop.
This craving is not a matter of willpower. Most alcoholics have lost the power of choice in drink. Willpower is basically nonexistent as it relates to alcohol.
This craving is hard to understand for people who don’t feel it. Moderate drinkers often think of alcoholics, “these people are weak. I can take or leave alcohol—why can’t he?” Moderate drinkers don’t have this problem of an uncontrollable craving.
To recover, an alcoholic must be sober for the rest of his life. A single drink can kick off a vicious cycle of drinking.
It’s tempting for an alcoholic who has been sober for some period of time to believe that he can drink in moderation. This is a delusion. The book cites an alcoholic who had stayed sober for 25 years, and that he might give alcohol another try. Within two months, he was in a hospital, puzzled and humiliated. Within 4 years, he was dead.
The only way to escape the clutches of alcohol is to never drink again.
AA is not a religious organization. It demands belief in a higher power, but you can choose your own conception of what that means, whether that’s a religious god or not. You need only believe in some power that is greater than yourself, because, as a mere individual, you have no effective mental defense against drinking.
The Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve-Step program consists of these major actions:
The Big Book is Alcoholics Anonymous’s primary text. (Its long title: Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism). The Big Book is one of the best-selling books of all times (30 million copies sold). It originated the “twelve-step program” now used widely among addictions outside alcohol. During a time when alcoholism was seen primarily as a character defect (and not, say, genetically determined), the Big Book showed alcoholism as an illness, rather than a character defect.
However, Alcoholics Anonymous is controversial for its unclear (and sometimes embellished) efficacy, as well as outsiders’ perception of its practices. We’ll address those concerns upfront.
The evidence that Alcoholics Anonymous works any better than other treatments (like psychotherapy or interventions with medical staff) is mixed. It’s clear that AA works better than nothing, but it’s unclear that it works significantly better than other interventions. Here’s a useful writeup of the research literature.
Part of the problem with studying AA is tied to how it’s run. AA is anonymous, so tracking patients is harder. Also, AA is run by independent groups, so there’s less standardization of how the groups are run. Furthermore, many studies study a “twelve-step program” run by therapists, but these are different from formal AA meetings that are run by AA members.
Here’s a reasonable, if vague, interpretation:
The problem of addiction is hard enough that it’s good to have a variety of treatment options, and for patients to try a bunch out and choose the one that works for them.
There’s plenty of criticism of AA as operating like a cult. From our reading of the Big Book, AA’s principles seem relatively benign. The idealized version of an AA group seems to be secular and accepting of a diverse range of people.
The commonly known requirement of “belief in a higher power” bothers people who believe medical treatment should be secular. The Big Book makes pretty clear this does not require the Christian conception of God. An AA member puts it in a secular framing: “It's not just a God, or a spiritual power, but the fact that you're just a singular being that can't, in your own, resolve this. Even a group of friends and family, something inarguably larger than yourself, is enough.”
It’s possible that AA’s decentralized, autonomous design has caused some member groups to be run in a polarizing way. It’s not hard to imagine that some AA groups are more rigid, religious or Christian, or predatory. And since AA was started in the US in the 1940s, there are traditions such as prayers that probably started out Christian-influenced that have to be explained away.
In sum, the Alcoholics Anonymous intervention consists of these major actions:
We’ll cover these actions in more detail throughout this summary. First, we’ll discuss the context in which Alcoholics Anonymous treatment occurs.
(Shortform note: throughout this summary, we’ll refer to “you” as a recovering alcoholic. Quotes referring to “we” or “us” come from the Big Book and refer to alcoholics as a whole.)
Think of alcoholism as an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. This craving is beyond the mental control of alcoholics. As a result, alcoholics can never safely use alcohol in any form at all. They cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving, and it becomes virtually impossible to stop.
The craving is felt by alcoholics and never occurs in the typical temperate drinker. If you have a drink, then try to stop abruptly but can’t stop, you’re an alcoholic. If you can stop, you’re not an alcoholic.
This craving can be baffling to alcoholics. They are utterly unable to leave alcohol alone, no matter how strongly they consciously want to quit.
This craving is hard to understand for people who don’t feel it. Moderate drinkers often think of alcoholics, “these people are weak. I can take or leave alcohol—why can’t he?” Moderate drinkers don’t have this problem of an uncontrollable craving.
Similarly, alcoholics don’t want to think of themselves as constitutionally different from other people. Therefore, they try to prove they can drink like other people. They obsess over the idea that one day, he’ll be able to control his drinking and enjoy it from time to time. They try desperately to moderate their drinking: they drink beer only, drink only with meals, try never drinking alone, try drinking only at parties. None of these will work.
The first step in recovery is therefore to recognize that you aren’t like other people who can control their drinking. The delusion that you can drink safely has to be destroyed.
To recover, an alcoholic must be sober for the rest of his life. A single drink can kick off a vicious cycle of drinking:
It’s tempting for an alcoholic who has been sober for some period of time to believe that he can drink in moderation. This is a delusion. The book cites an alcoholic who had stayed sober for 25 years, and that he might give alcohol another try. Within two months, he was in a hospital, puzzled and humiliated. Within 4 years, he was dead.
The only way to escape the clutches of alcohol is to never drink again.
Furthermore, the only way to succeed is to follow the 12 Steps absolutely. No steps can be skipped; they are all essential for recovery.
It’s necessary for an alcoholic to be ‘treated’ by another recovering alcoholic.
Many non-alcoholic people attempt to help—doctors, spouses, parents, and friends. But they often fail in their approach, having never experienced alcoholism themselves.
In contrast, a recovering alcoholic can approach another alcoholic and gain their confidence within a few hours.
This doesn’t mean the recovering alcoholic is the only person involved in recovery. As we’ll discuss, people affected by the alcoholic’s behavior—such as the spouse, family, and employer—should also be included in the recovery. Furthermore, the AA member’s non-alcoholic acquaintances can also help—an AA member’s spouse can talk to a new member’s spouse, communicating her story, her mistakes, and reasonable expectations for what will happen.
AA is not a religious organization. It demands belief in a higher power, but you can choose your own conception of what that means, whether that’s a religious god or not.
You need only believe in some power that is greater than yourself, because, as a mere individual, you have no effective mental defense against drinking.
The Big Book specifically addresses agnostics and atheists:
Put your prejudice aside. You haven’t been able to solve your problems with your current beliefs. Why not give this new approach, which has worked for millions, a try?
Once you’re willing to entertain the idea of a higher power, you’re on your way.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are run by local groups. These groups are autonomous and not managed by a central organization.
There must be no fees or dues to join AA. This work is not meant to be used to earn a profit.
All members must remain anonymous to the public. This makes sure members focus on the principles and the work, not on personalities.
Alcoholics Anonymous originated the famous Twelve-Step program, which is now broadly used in addiction recovery outside of alcohol.
We’ll cover the Twelve Steps in their original phrasing, then discuss each in more detail.
Largely speaking, the steps fall into three themes:
In Steps 1-5, you accept the principles of the program, you make a complete list of your shortcomings, and you confess them to another person.
“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.”
Admitting that you’re too weak to solve your alcoholism is the first step. As discussed in the previous chapter, self-will is not sufficient for overcoming alcoholism. Alcoholics feel an overwhelming craving that they cannot overcome through force of will or as individuals.
Step 1 forces you to avoid denial that you have a problem. This will make you much more willing to engage in the rest of the steps on the path to recovery.
“We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
An individual alcoholic cannot become sober, but an alcoholic with the power of a greater force behind him can recover.
Once again, the conception of a higher power is flexible doesn’t necessarily mean a religious God. Even a group of friends and family, something larger than yourself, can be enough—because, after all, a group working together is stronger than an individual. You must give this a chance to make progress in the Twelve Steps.
Why does this belief in a higher power help? The Big Book explains: “Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if we kept close to Him and performed His work well. Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs. More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life.” Accepting this higher power reduced self-centeredness.
This belief is a rebirth. “God had done for him what he could not do for himself. His human will had failed. He had admitted complete defeat. Then he had in effect been raised from the dead.”
“We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
Step 3 is the step of surrender. You turn your individual will over to a higher power. You have faith that the higher power will help you recover.
The Big Book has this specific phrasing: “God, I offer myself to Thee–to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!”
“We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”
This is soul-searching. As if you owned a retail store, do an inventory of yourself. Find the damaged and unsellable goods—search for your flaws that cause your failure when drinking. These are the flaws that drive you to drink—your anger, guilt, resentment, and other emotions.
Freeing yourself of these flaws means freeing yourself of the need to drink. If you become sorry for what you’ve done, and you have an honest desire to become better, you’ll be forgiven and avoid the guilt that drives people to drink.
Resentment is an especially common and powerful flaw. Make a list of what and who make you angry. Then ask yourself why you’re angry, and how this anger causes you injury. For example:
When doing a moral inventory of yourself, you must avoid blaming other people’s flaws. Focus just on yourself—where had you been selfish, inconsiderate, dishonest, or self-seeking? Make a list of your wrongs only.
If you can’t help blaming other people, consider that the people who have wronged you are themselves spiritually sick. Had they been perfectly fine and of right mind, they wouldn’t have behaved in a way that angered you. So treat those other people with the same compassion you would treat a physically sick person—by being tolerant, patient, and helpful.
“We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”
The goal is to confess every single dark corner of your past, every twist of character, to another person. This is a big shift from keeping your secrets—you admit your shortcomings out loud to another human being. This step relieves you of the burdens of your past, as though a great weight were lifted.
Why is another person important? In the authors’ experience, an individual, solitary confession is insufficient. It doesn’t push you to examine all your dark corners, and you leave your worst items in your inventory.
You should find a person who can keep your secret and is willing to help you. This often means a doctor, a discreet friend, or a member of your trusted community. Don’t choose someone you’ll hurt with this confession, such as your spouse or parent.
Explain to the person you’re confessing to what you’re about to do and why you have to do it. Help them understand that this is a matter of life and death. Most people are glad to help.
Go through all your confessions. After you finish, it should feel as though a huge weight has been lifted. You’ll look at the world afresh, with relief. You’ll feel your drinking problem has disappeared. You’ll be at peace.
At times, you may find it necessary to revisit Step 4, do more moral inventory, and then confess a second time.
In Steps 6-9, you seek to remove your shortcomings, and you make amends with people you’ve hurt in the past. This will relieve yourself of the burden that causes you to drink.
“We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”
In Steps 4 and 5, you investigated your shortcomings and confessed them to someone else. Step 6 is about being willing to let them go.
Why is this important? Your shortcomings have driven you to drink in the past. For instance, your tendency to resent other people may worsen situations that cause you to seek alcohol. If you try to become sober with these shortcomings still in your inventory, you’ll be much less likely to succeed.
Appeal to your higher power to rid yourself of every defect of character.
Don’t cling to something you don’t want to let go. Ask God to help you be willing.
“We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.”
Step 7 is about humility. You are not, and have never been, able to remove your shortcomings by yourself, no matter how high your willpower of determination. You need your higher power to do this for you.
The Big Book has this prayer for your higher power: “I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.”
“We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”
Steps 8 and 9 are about repairing your misdoings from the past. Where you had previously harmed others, you must now be willing to apologize for that harm and relieve your guilt.
(Shortform note: practically, the effect of these steps is to reduce guilt over your past misdoings. Guilt fuels a vicious cycle for alcoholics—feeling guilt over past actions, they drink; after drinking, they commit more mistakes, which causes them to feel guilty later; they now feel more guilt, and are more likely to drink. Relieving this guilt, by amending with people you’ve harmed, should reduce future temptation to drink.)
In Step 8, you make a list of all people you’ve harmed and become willing to make amends. You don’t need to make amends yet—you just need to be prepared to do so.
You can consult your moral inventory, which you made in Step 4 and confessed in Step 5, for a list of people.
If you aren’t willing yet, ask your higher power for the will until it comes. Remember that you were willing to go to any length to recover from your alcoholism.
“We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”
After you make your list in Step 8, your goal is to correct your mistake directly with the people you hurt. An amendment isn’t just an apology—it’s an act to solve a problem from the past.
The Big Book gives these recommendations for how to make amends:
Leave almost no one out of your amends. If you have any fear of your past or guilt over past actions, that may drive you back to the bottle. If you fear the outcome of your approach, leave it in your higher power’s hands—after all, if you don’t make amends, all is lost anyway.
Here are the few exceptions to consider in making amends:
There are some wrongs you can never fully right. Don’t worry about them if you can honestly say to yourself that you could right them if you could.
Having overcome your past, in steps 10-12 you continue into the future, seeking to continue improving yourself and becoming an agent of good by helping others.
“We continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.”
Recovery is an ongoing process, not a one-time step. Old habits die hard, and at times you’ll slip into your old behavior. If you allow resentment to build up, they’ll balloon into major problems, and you’ll experience a setback.
From now on, if you make a mistake, promptly admit it and make amends.
Continue to watch yourself for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. If they come up, ask your higher power at once to remove them. Discuss them with someone immediately, and make amends quickly. Then turn your thoughts to someone you can help.
If you get agitated or doubtful during the day, ask for the right thought or action.
Over time, you’ll realize you’re seldom interested in liquor. You haven’t been fighting temptation. Instead, the problem has been removed. You feel safe and protected.
Don’t get complacent about your recovery. “We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.”
Do you have to avoid every place that has liquor? No, not if you have a good reason for going to the place, other than stealing pleasure from the atmosphere.
As a recovering alcoholic, don’t proselytize to others and adopt a holier-than-thou attitude. Don’t show intolerance of drinking as an institution—this attitude isn’t helpful to anyone.
“We 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.”
In Step 11, you discover the plan that your higher power has for you, and you gain the will to carry it out.
For spiritual people, this step often involves prayer and meditation. For secular people, this involves stopping and reflecting on your thoughts.
Here’s a simple way of implementing Step 11:
As you complete these steps, you will feel renewed. Fear and insecurity will leave; ability and peace will replace them. “God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.”
“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”
A major part of the AA program is to reach out to other alcoholics and to help them recover as you had recovered.
This work is more than just helping other people—it helps you stay sober as well. You reinforce the principles within yourself. “Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs.”
(Shortform note: from a practical and psychological point of view, helping other people has a host of benefits for you:
To prepare for a prospect:
The approach:
Once a prospect agrees to be helped, you should now feel responsible to help him. Be prepared to spend a lot of time having your life interrupted by the alcoholic and his possible drinking sprees.
Be helpful with money, lodging, and resources as you can—but not to the extent of sabotaging yourself or the alcoholic. Helping an alcoholic too much makes him reliant on you and not his higher power.
Burn the idea into every person you help that he can get well regardless of anyone or anything. He does not need his wife to come back, to hold a steady job, or to have enough money. The only condition is that he trusts in God and cleans his house.
Through all of this, engage the family as they are willing. Share your own stories, especially around how you resolved your family conflicts. Prepare them for a period of growth and possible setbacks. Don’t participate in their quarrels.
In addition to the Twelve Steps, which are conducted by individuals, the Big Book discusses the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous as an organization and as separate groups.
How can AA best function? How can AA survive? The Twelve Traditions provide guidance:
The success of Alcoholics Anonymous is not accidental. Its principles and its Big Book are deliberately constructed in a way to appeal to new prospects and convince them that the Twelve Steps are worth trying.
Here is a collection of persuasive techniques that the Big Book uses, along with quotes to demonstrate it.
Don’t be accusatory and don’t blame the reader. The book deliberately avoids the use of the noun “you” and prefers to use “we.”
Don’t press the beliefs and classify the reader as an alcoholic. Lay your beliefs out there, then let people come to you once they identify and realize their situation matches the books’.
Give analogies to highlight the foolishness of alcoholic behavior.
Be inclusive to make no one feel alienated demographically, and to reduce the barrier of joining.
Teach by telling stories, not by instructing the reader. Provide plenty of anecdotes of success stories and warning stories.
Preempt skepticism about the motives of people promoting AA.
Empathize with the reader. Address their misgivings.
Give hope to the most helpless cases.
Use a third party authority as indirect validation of the program, namely doctors.
Don’t be pushy about onboarding. It only works for people who realize they need help and are at wits’ end. Let people come to their own conclusion about whether they need help, and be ready and willing when they are around.
Prepare the reader for the large changes that need to happen.
Have third parties directly address third parties (eg spouses, employers).
The higher power provides a supernatural, omnipotent ally standing beside you.