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Topic #059/2025 Approval of the ‘Step 1 Cycle’ diagram
What do you want Conference to do?
Our homegroup is asking for Conference to approve the Step 1 Cycle diagram explaining the disease concept of the Mental obsession/Physical Allergy (attached) to become a recognised piece of AA Australia literature and to make available in digital form across AA platforms for groups to utilise.
What issue does this proposal address?
AA has no simple tool to help a newcomer quickly identify if they are suffering from alcoholism. The ‘Step 1 Cycle’ Diagram could be that tool.
In our Guidelines GL-01 Suggestions for leading beginners’ meetings page 3 and 4 refer to the parts in our literature to the importance of the Mental obsession and Physical Allergy. GL-01 states “A very important secret of successful Twelfth Step work is revealed in Chapter 7: “Working with Others” in the book “Alcoholics Anonymous” (The ‘Big Book’). It is developed more on pg 13 and 67, 68 of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age”
Background information that supports this proposal
The step one cycle is a great learning tool that explains alcoholism. Early identification will save more suffering alcoholics and encourage more persons into our life saving 12 step program.
The Step 1 Cycle Diagram is a visual representation of Dr Silkworth’s description of our disease. It neatly and concisely allows a new member of AA to overlay their own experiences to see if one identifies with the mental obsession and physical allergy aspects of chronic alcoholism.
Dr Silkworth says “They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks— drinks which they see others taking with impunity. After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well- known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over…” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition pg xxviii & xxix).
The Step 1 Cycle has been used at Public Information/Public Awareness Conferences (including DOCTORS Conference, GENNEXT, APSAD, DANA Conference) over last 10 years in Australia with great success in explaining the AA disease concept and has been widely discussed and used in our fellowship.
Please see appendix for diagram being proposed to add to AA literature lists.
How will this proposal benefit the fellowship or the still suffering alcoholic?
The step 1 cycle diagram is a great tool to connect the newcomer to the disease. Within our homegroup older experienced members often will chat with new members with diagram and explain the information comes from our basic textbook, Alcoholics Anonymous, chapter “Doctors Opinion”.
This is a quick and easy way to have members identifying with the deadly aspects of our disease, mental obsession and physical allergy, very early on in their journey into AA.
This could be replicated across Australia if Step 1 Cycle Diagram Tool was in wider use around Australia.
What are the estimated costs of implementing this suggestion?
Nil financial cost. Some time would be needed to digitally add AA logos and raise standard of diagram with headings. Diagram could then be added as downloadable pdf on website to fellowship for free. At what level of group conscience (if any) was this topic discussed?
This was discussed at our home group conscience and passed to put forward this topic for consideration from Conference Regrettably the time frame from the idea’s fruition and Conference Topic cutoff date prevented input from District and Area. Out group would not have hesitated to do so if time permitted.
