Recovery and the road to sober living is fraught with distractions and obstacles, and sometimes it’s easy to use another person’s personality, living situation, or other concern for your own struggles with staying on track. However, working with a support group like those provided by 12 Step programs means being able to look beyond just your own recovery and caring for the problems of others. Putting your focus on the principles of your addiction treatment group, instead of just reacting to personality clashes, can help you and others get more out of your time together.
The Principle of Principles
The last part of the 12 Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous specific states that it’s essential to focus on recovery above all else, with a mention of how staying anonymous helps you achieve that focus. Focusing too much on the personality involved in a story about addiction, and not staying true to the principles, is a violation of the nature of the trusting bond built between members of a fellowship.
Understanding Personality Interactions
Of course, it’s still important to examine the personalities involved in a group to maximize positive interactions. Each person must do the hard work of examining their own personalities for behaviors that are not encouraging or supportive, but it’s important to stay focused on oneself rather than to start picking apart your fellow group members. Returning your mind to the principles themselves when someone’s behavior is making you uncomfortable will help you decide if it’s just a clash of values or something that needs to be reported to an organizer.
Following the 12th Tradition means putting your recovery ahead of your desire to be recognized for your other accomplishments or skills. You may be a business owner or a famous musician, but everyone is equal when you’re in the group and discussing your challenges and triumphs over addiction. Approaching this kind of group interaction with humility and a desire to genuinely try to empathize with others is a great way to stay away from temptations. For more help, visit us at My 12 Step Store for everything you need.