The Twelve Steps are the core of Cornerstone's program of personal recovery from drug addiction. They are not abstract theories; they are based on the trial-and-error experience of early members of A.A. They describe the attitudes and activities that these early members believe were important  in helping them to achieve sobriety.

We have developed a way of life without the use of chemicals. By taking certain steps, not one of us has failed to find love and happiness in this way of life. If you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it, you are ready to follow theses steps:

1. We admitted that mind-changing chemicals had caused at least part of our lives to become unmanageable.
2. We found it necessary to stick with winners in order to grow.
3. We realized that a Higher Power, expressed through our love for each other, can help restore us to sanity.
4. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understand Him.
5. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
6. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
7. We became willing to allow our Higher Power, through the love of the Group, to help change our way of life, and humbly asked Him to help us change.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people, whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them, others, or ourselves.
10. We have continued to look at ourselves and when wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. We have sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us and the courage to carry that out.
12. We, having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, try to carry our love and understanding to others and to practice these principles in our daily lives.

These steps are not easy, but they are simple and they do work. If you follow these steps, we guarantee that you will be armed with a way to cope with life'’s problems.

HONESTY is the freedom from self deception, the willingness to admit wrong, and fairness in our dealings with others. With HONESTY we can develop FAITH and the belief that we CAN change with the help of God, AS WE UNDERSTAND HIM.

» The Big Book Online-Fourth Edition

Role of the sponsor

To aid in the recovery, it is imperative that new members find a sponsor who will use their knowledge to guide them with the twelve steps and its application with real life experiences. The sponsor is one who has been in the program for quite some time and has proven their sobriety and their ability to hold themselves and others accountable. Learn more about the role of a sponsor.