Relapse Twelfth Step Within Twelfth Step Share By admin Posted on December 1, 2018 2 min read 0 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr It was 4 p.m., and I was experiencing food cravings. What to do? The Big Book instructed me to throw myself into helping others. “I could not expect to keep what I had gained unless I gave it away” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 253). I needed to call some program people and ask how they were doing. I got out my little notebook of OA names and phone numbers. A newcomer’s name was on the list. Would she want to be called? Would she even remember who I was? Despite my doubts, I called her anyway. She was happy to hear from me, and she definitely remembered me. My food cravings passed as we chatted. I phoned her several more times over the next few months. We discovered we were both dog lovers, and we were very close neighbors! We made plans to walk our dogs in the park, and I really enjoyed walking and talking with her. Our walks became a regular habit. In the meantime, my car died. I was having trouble getting to meetings, but the newcomer offered me rides. When I thanked her for them, she said, “Actually, your needing rides is helping me. It’s getting me to meetings when I wouldn’t go by myself.” So my Twelfth Step came right back to me, and I have found a friend. — Renee P., Austin, Texas USA
