Frequently Asked Questions

How to use this website
Posts will be added below the description of the facilitator and the workshop. To see posts grouped by subject click the category you wish to access from the links to the right under the title “Categories”. If you are not able to find a writing assignment or phone conference recording it may mean that it is not available yet. To view a post on a page by itself click the headline of the post.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ
When sharing on the Sunday night Big Book step study meeting, please identify yourself as; I’m …………, and I’m reading. Please do not state that you are in Stephanie’s workshop, for it is a break of my anonymity.

1. What are the requirements to belong to this group?
This is an All Addictions Big Book Step Study workshop, so anyone from any twelve step fellowship is welcome. There is no attendance or sobriety/abstinence requirement. I will be asking all participants to attend at least one Big Book step study meeting a week and do a fifteen minute quiet time each day. I will give a weekly writing assignment that will deepen their understanding of the pages I went over in that weeks workshop. I will also give participants words from that nights reading to look up in a dictionary. These assignment are completely voluntary. I suggest that you read them to your fellowship sponsor or get someone from the workshop with whom you can share them with. We call these people “buddies”.

2. Are there All Addictions Big Book step study meetings on the phone bridge?
There is an All Addictions Big Book step study meeting every Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST, and every Tuesday at 3 p.m. EST.

2. What constitutes a quiet time?
I suggest starting with a prayer of your choice. Then read a piece of recovery or spiritual literature. Write on what you’ve read, and then meditate for at least five minutes on a word, phrase, or concept that came from the reading.

3. What do I need in way of supplies?
You need a Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (any edition for the first 164 pages are all the same), a three ring binder (notebook), loose leaf paper, pen, and WILLINGNESS.

4. Are we an official twelve step group?
No, we are not affiliated with any twelve step fellowship. This is an independent act of service on my part (Stephanie-see bio). We are a group of twelve step people, who come together to study the steps as they are laid out in the Big Book of AA, and to develop and/or deepen our relationship with our Higher Power. This group has one facilitator for the entire twelve step process, which goes against how official twelve step groups work. To be an official twelve step group, there must be a singleness of purpose, not all addictions together, and there must be a rotation of service positions. This is why I ask you not to mention this group or our website at your specific fellowship meetings, IT BREAKS TRADITIONS, and puts us into controversy. Please use word of mouth, or after the meeting is over ask for permission to announce this workshop. I call it a workshop so no one will in anyway get us confused with a official twelve step meeting.

5. How long will this workshop last?
It takes about a year and a half to go through steps one, two, and three. We then take approximately 28 weeks to write our fourth step. Then the next eight steps will take another year and a half. It will take three plus years to complete all twelve steps. This is an unusual workshop because I go line by line, paragraph by paragraph. I dissect each line, and then give my experience, strength and hope on the principal or concept they are talking about. This workshop has depth and weight, and is not for everyone who wants to skim over the material and start writing their fourth step. I understand that want/need and encourage you to find a Big Book step study sponsor and read through steps 1, 2, 3 in a few hours and start writing. Many people have successfully done the steps that way, and I see value to it being done that way. I have chosen to do a workshop on the way I was taken through the steps. My sponsor went over each page in detail and answered my many questions, so I am going to give you a similar experience that I had. We also read the AA 12/12 steps and tradition in tandem with the Big Book.

6. What if I miss a lot of the workshops for various reasons?
You have the option of listening to the workshops on the website. If you have missed a few workshops, I do advise you to listen to as many of the past workshops as you can.

7. What is the Set Aside Prayer?

“God please set aside everything I think I know about myself, the twelve steps, this book, the meetings, my disease. But most especially God, help me to set aside everything I think I know about YOU, so that I may have an open mind and a new experience with all these things, please let me see the truth.”

This prayer is to help us who have been in the halls of recovery for some time, who have done the steps in other way, stay humble, and teachable. This prayer is to help us realize that we need to be always working on our relationship with our Higher Power through working the twelve steps as they are laid out in the Big Book.

8. How do I listen to the conference call on my iPod?

1. In Stephanie’s blog where it says (for example): “MP3 file to download: » Week one-foreward to first edition,” RIGHT click on the link.
2. Choose “Save Target As”.
3. Save this into your “Music Transfer” Folder on your computer
4. Open iTunes
5. In iTunes click, on the top left, click “File” and then “Add File to Library”
6. You’ll see it’s now in iTunes (easiest way to see it is to click “Recently Added” section on the left hand side of iTunes and you’ll see it on top. You can move this to your iPod from there.

9. How do I listen to this weeks workshop?
int or Verizon, that is fine.

10. When I leave a comment on this website, what does it mean, “waiting on moderation?” And do we need to log in?
Your comment will be entered into a que so that the content can be reviewed before it shows on the website. This will ensure that all comments posted will be relevant to the topic of the All Addictions Big Book Step Study. Sharing comments of your experience, strength, and hope with others on this website is encouraged and appreciated.

11. Who do I share my writing assignment with?
Your writing assignment is to be shared with your “buddy” from the workshop or a “buddy” group, and/or your specific fellowship sponsor. Additionally, when it is time for your fifth step you will share it with your “buddy” or specific fellowship sponsor or another appropriate person. Stephanie is your step study sponsor (unless you have someone else you are working with) however you will work on your writing assignments with your “buddy”/”buddy” group or step one fellowship sponsor.

12. Can I announce the conference call at my fellowship meetings?
NO. This is an All Addictions Big Book Step Study workshop. The sole purpose of this workshop is to study and experience the steps as they are laid out in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are not affiliated with any Twelve step fellowship. This workshop is facilitated by one person, who had completed the steps as they are laid out in the Big Book and wants to share her experience, strength and hope with others. Please do not announce this workshop at any specific fellowship meetings. IT BREAKS TRADITIONS.

13. How do I get listed on the e-mail/phone list?
If you would like to be added or receive the list then email with your First name, Last Initial, time zone, phone number, and email address. If you would like to include your cell carrier.

14. What do I mean when we say “Step one fellowship?
This is your 12 step fellowships that you go to for sobriety in a specific area, such AA, OA, Al-Anon, etc.