The CSTCC welcomes Questions from the Fellowship concerning the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts. Our responses are individual, and neither binding nor authoritative. We do not speak for the whole of S.L.A.A.
Question from the Fellowship (Committee Reference #2024-8):
As a program based on democratic ideals, I believe S.L.A.A. is open to being manipulated and controlled by a few individuals who interpret the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts to suit their own selfish needs and goals. What spiritual principles in the Traditions and Concepts can we use to defend against this type of behavior?
Response #1:
For me, the manner or process in which an individual chooses to manipulate and control is not relevant to what I feel needs to be done. What is relevant is the damage and disunity created by those actions. I believe it is my responsibility, as a member of the fellowship, to speak up when someone is trying to manipulate or control a group / committee that I’m a part of.
Tradition One states that our common welfare should come first, and that personal recovery depends upon unity. I believe this is the primary Tradition for guidance in these types of situations. Reference sections that I find helpful, from S.L.A.A. literature as well as from other more established Twelve Steps programs, are below:
- The S.L.A.A. draft book titled “A Framework for Living, the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous” speaks to the importance of group unity in the Tradition One chapter (p. 46): “Group unity is required for our individual recovery. Without the Fellowship, most of us would be unable to get sober; without the Fellowship, most of us would be unable to stay sober. Without sobriety, we lose any chance at joy, serenity, or purpose in our lives.”
- The Al-Anon book titled “Paths to Recovery, Al-Anon’s Steps, Traditions and Concepts” generally references this issue and our need to speak up under Tradition One (p. 136): “Sometimes, however, members consciously or unconsciously disregard the Traditions. In such instances each of us has a responsibility to remind them of the Traditions in a caring, loving way.”
- The A.A. Booklet titled “The Twelve Traditions, A Distillation of A.A. Experience” addresses the issue head in the Tradition One section (bottom of the third page): “Each of the other Traditions explains one specific way to protect the unity of the Fellowship and the A.A. group. Those early members quickly recognized power-drivers as potential group-wreckers. And they’re still around – the members who are always sure that they’re always right – the members who are happily ready to assume all the burdens of leadership and grimly unwilling to share them, let alone give them up. But a group does need officers. How can we cope with this dilemma? Tradition Two provides the answer…”
Per Tradition Two, our ultimate authority is a loving higher power as expressed through the group conscience. The group conscience process is an incredibly powerful antidote to the actions taken by a controlling individual. In my experience, when I and the other members of a group show up and speak our truth in these difficult situations, a higher power is very involved in the outcome.
