12 Traditions

The 12 Traditions Of Attitude Behaviour Anonymous

A downloadable version of these traditions is available by clicking here.

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.B.A 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 A.B.A membership is a desire to change our attitude; those patterns and behaviours.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.B.A as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the person with an attitude those patterns and behaviours who still suffers.
6. An A.B.A group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.B.A name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every A.B.A group ought to be fully self-supporting declining outside contributions.
8. Attitude Behaviour Anonymous should remain forever non-professional but our service centres may employ special workers.
9. A.B.A, as such, ought never be organized but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Attitude Behaviour Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.B.A name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

(Reprinted for adaptation with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World services, Inc. New York 10163.)