Chapter 1: Bill's Story
1. What was Bill W.'s original name? William Griffith Wilson
2. What was Bill W.'s occupation? Stockbroker
3. What was the name of Bill W.'s wife? Lois Burnham Wilson
4. What was the name of the doctor who helped Bill W. get sober? Dr. William D. Silkworth
5. What was the name of the group that Bill W. and Dr. Silkworth formed? The Oxford Group
Chapter 2: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
1. What are the Twelve Steps?
1.We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. 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.
12. 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.
2. What are the Twelve Traditions?
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An AA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. AA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. AA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films. We need to guard with special care the anonymity of all AA members - especially those in public service.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
Chapter 3: More About Alcoholism
1. What are the three stages of alcoholism?
a) The early stage (drinking too much)
b) The middle stage (problems start occuring)
c) The advanced stage (severe dependency and physical/mental health issues)
2. What are the symptoms of alcoholism?
a) Loss of control over drinking
b) Continued drinking despite negative consequences
c) Physical dependence on alcohol
d) Tolerance to alcohol
e) Withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
Chapter 4: We Agnostics
1. What is the difference between agnosticism and atheism?
- Agnosticism is the belief that the existence or nonexistence of God is unknown or
unknowable. Atheism is the belief that there is no God.
2. How does AA define God?
- AA does not define God, but encourages members to find a higher power of their
own understanding as they are comfortable.
Chapter 5: How It Works
1. What are the three ways to work the Twelve Steps?
a) With a sponsor
b) With a group
c) Alone
2. What is a sponsor?
a) A person who has been sober in AA for a while and helps other alcoholics
3. What is a home group?
a) A group of AA members who meet regularly in the same location
Chapter 6: For Wives
1. What are some of the problems that wives of alcoholics face?
a) Financial problems
b) Physical abuse
c) Emotional abuse
d) Social isolation
e) Fear and anxiety
2. What can wives of alcoholics do to help themselves?
a) Get involved in Al-Anon
b) Seek professional help
c) Develop a support network
d) Take care of themselves
Chapter 7: Working with Others
1. What are the three principles of AA service:
a) Love
b) Service
c) Unity
2. What are the three levels of service in AA:
a) Group level
b) District / area level
c) World service
Chapter 8: To Employers
1. How can employers help alcoholic employees?
a) Be understanding and supportive
b) Provide resources and support
c) Offer flexible work arrangements
d) Avoid discrimination
Chapter 9: The Family Afterward
1. How can families help alcoholics after they get sober?
a) Be supportive
b) Be understanding
c) Set boundaries
d) Don't enable
2. How can families heal from the effects of alcoholism?
a) Attend Al-Anon meetings
b) Seek professional help
c) Develop healthy relationships
d) Focus on the future