The Twelve Steps are based on a set of spiritual principles that were created by Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935. They have been used by millions of people across the world in an effort to make their lives more manageable. Newcomers to AA or NA are not asked to accept or follow these Twelve Steps in their entirety if they feel unwilling or unable to do so. They will usually be asked to keep an open mind, to attend meetings at which recovered alcoholics describe their personal experiences in achieving sobriety, and to read A.A. literature describing and interpreting the A.A. program. A.A. members will usually emphasize to newcomers that only problem drinkers themselves, individually, can determine whether or not they are in fact alcoholics. At the same time, it will be pointed out that all available medical testimony indicates that alcoholism is a progressive illness, that it cannot be cured in the ordinary sense of the term, but that it can be arrested through total abstinence from alcohol in any form.

Dr. E.M. Jellinek, a native of Brooklyn, NY is recognized as one of the premier researchers in the field of alcoholism. He was one of the strongest proponents of alcoholism as a disease. He even went on to typify drinkers into four classes, with the two most severe classes being alcoholics. His writings and descriptions did more for the acceptance of the disease concept of alcoholism and of A.A. as a respectable therapeutic modality than any other medical force of the time. Most every patient in A.A.-based recovery centers in this country encounters the "Jellinek Curve", which describes the progression of the disease. Although, in the Chemical Recovery ministry, we do not concur with all of Dr Jellineks theories, his chart is very useful in better understanding the stages of addiction.

Relapse is a part of recovery - but that doesn't mean we should seek it out. There are many ways to tell whether you or someone you know may be headed for a relapse - that is, start using drugs or alcohol again. This section will help you to examine the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that appear in a person along the road to relapse. The individual may not have all the signs in the order listed but they will have some of them.

As recovering addicts we are overcomers on a daily basis. This book deals with Toms battle with MS and how he was able to use it to glorify God. It teaches us how to use scripture to win the battle.

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