Tradition 12

Anonymity allows us to come together in unity to fulfill the primary purpose of the program. We can even come together between different 12-Step programs through mutual respect and keeping the principles of recovery before personalities. Anonymity protects members from being known as alcoholics or drug addicts. Most individuals use their first name and last initial to remain anonymous, such as the co-founder of AA, Bill W. or the founder of NA, Jimmy K. It is important that we feel safe at meetings and that what we share about will not be exposed to the public. Anonymity does not guarantee privacy or confidentiality, therefore intimate details of situations are better saved to one-on-one conversations with our trusted sponsor. Still, we can share our feelings and struggles during meetings and get some relief. I give and receive help through both sharing and listening. I try to remember, “Pain shared is pain divided, joy shared is joy multiplied.”  It does me good to talk about what I’m going through, expressing my feelings, and then getting support from fellow group members, even if I avoided revealing details. This way I’ve shared my needs for empathy and allows others to offer love and support. The power comes through our feelings, rather than our words when we share from our heart.