CODEPENDENCE - DEAN AMORY

not that of a legal adviser, a banker, a parent, a marriage counselor, or a social
worker. Nor is a sponsor a therapist offering some sort of professional advice. A
sponsor is simply another addict in recovery who is willing to share his or her
journey through the Twelve Steps."
{ HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-step_program" \l
– from NA's Sponsorship: Revised
"_note-4#_note-4" \o "" }
Sponsees typically do their Fifth Step with their sponsor. The Fifth Step, as well
as the Ninth Step, have been compared to { HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confession" \o "Confession" } and { HYPERLINK
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penance" \o "Penance" }. Many, such as {
HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Foucault" \o "Michel Foucault"
}, noted such practices "produces intrinsic modifications in the person" and
exonerates, redeems, purifies them; it unburdens them of their wrongs, liberates
{ HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-step_program" \l
them and promises their salvation.
"_note-KRIZ2002#_note-KRIZ2002" \o "" }
The personal nature of the behavioral issues that lead to seeking help in 12-step
fellowships results in a strong relationship between sponsee and sponsor. As the
relationship is based on spiritual principles, it is unique and not generally
characterized as "friendship." Fundamentally, the sponsor has the single purpose
of helping the sponsee recover from the behavioral problem that brought the
{ HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-step_program" \l "_notesufferer
into 12-step work
Sponsorship_QA#_note-Sponsorship_QA" \o "" }
, which reflexively helps the sponsor recover.
Acceptance of a Higher Power
A primary tenet of 12-step recovery requires a member to surrender willful selfreliance
(a characteristic of afflicted persons) and adopt a practice of reliance
upon a "{ HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Power" \o "Higher
Power" }" of the member's own understanding. Proponents of twelve-step
programs allege that { HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic" \o
"Agnostic" } and even { HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism" \o
"Atheism" } can be helped by the program, as a member’s concept of a Higher
Power may focus on the 12-step group itself. With time, any other entity,
thing(s) or object(s) that aid a member in accepting their powerlessness over
their problem, are claimed to become the Higher Power that will help them to
recover. It is colloquially stated that any Power perceived as being greater than
oneself will do, provided the power is not any other, single individual, or one's
own unaided will.
Literature studied in
most 12-step groups
is limited to their own
publications, as these
groups claim no
outside affiliation. The
members of 12-step
groups make the
distinction that the