steps
This Step requires complete honesty and acceptance of defeat, marking the turning point from denial to surrender.
step 1
What fermented drink was first produced by ancient Sumerians and Egyptians around 3,000 BCE?
what is beer/mead
assigning a title to ourselves or
others based on one
or two experiences
or events.
Labeling
Alcohol is classified as a?
What is a depressant
This Purple Rain superstar struggled with chronic pain and opioid use before his untimely death in 2016.
Who is Prince?
Robin Williams won an Oscar for playing a therapist in this 1997 film starring Matt Damon.
What is Good Will Hunting?
Often described as “a mirror for the soul,” this Step challenges us to face our fears, resentments, and moral shortcomings without justification or avoidance.
step 4
In 1898, the Bayer company marketed this derivative of morphine as a “non-addictive” cough suppressant.
Heroin
Assuming everything
has to be fair and equal
even when this doesnt
reflect reality.
Fallacy of Fairness
This uncomfortable phase happens when the body reacts to the absence of drugs or alcohol it’s dependent on.
Withdrawal
The “Godfather of Soul” battled addiction and multiple arrests later in life, but his legacy as a funk pioneer remains unmatched.
Who is James Brown
Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for playing a man drinking himself to death in Las Vegas in this 1995 film.
What is Leaving Las Vegas?
This Step focuses on daily spiritual growth through prayer and meditation to strengthen our conscious contact with a Higher Power.
step 11
Ancient Chinese texts from 2700 BCE describe the use of this plant for both medicine and spiritual rituals.
Cannabis/Weed/Marijuana
Predicting the future and
reading people's minds.
Assuming how an
event will end based
on limited evidence.
Jumping to Conclusions
Alternative answer - *future tripping*
These are people, places, and things that increase the risk of relapse.
What are triggers?
This Parliament-Funkadelic leader was open about his long struggles with crack cocaine before later getting clean.
Who is George Clinton?
This 2000 film starring Russell Crowe tells the story of mathematician John Nash’s battle with schizophrenia.
What is A Beautiful Mind?
The spiritual principle of willingness defines this Step, where we prepare for transformation but take no direct action yet.
step 6
In the early 1900s, this soda drink actually contained cocaine.
Coca cola
False beliefs apout our control
(or lack thereof) over a situation.
Feeling responsible for events
that are out of your control.
That you have control over
everything or no control
over anything.
CONTROL FALLACIES
This “HALT” acronym reminds clients to check themselves before relapse by asking if they are what four things?
What are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired
Known for Super Freak, this funk star struggled with cocaine and legal troubles throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Who is Rick James?
In this 2018 movie, Timothée Chalamet plays Nic Sheff, a young man struggling with meth addiction.
What is Beautiful Boy?
In this Step, hope begins to replace despair as we open our minds to the idea that healing might come from something greater than ourselves.
step 2
During the 19th century, this alkaloid derived from opium became popular as a “miracle painkiller” and was even used in children’s medicine.
morphine
The same rules that apply to others should not apply to you. Thinking you are special or superior to others.
Entitlement
During detox, medical staff often monitor this to ensure clients safely adjust to being off substances.
What are vital signs (or blood pressure, pulse, and temperature)?
This bassist, who invented slap bass with Graham Central Station, openly discussed overcoming drug addiction during his career.
Who is Larry Graham?
Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly star in this disturbing film about heroin addiction.
What is Requiem for a Dream?
This Step asks us to confront the wreckage of our past by acknowledging harm done and cultivating the courage to repair it.
step 8
This U.S. period from 1920 to 1933 banned alcohol sales, leading to bootlegging and speakeasies.
Prohibition
Taking something personally that
may not be personal. Blaming
yourself for things that are
outside your control. Believing
that everything someone says
or does is because of you
or a reflection of you.
What is personalizing
This type of therapy helps clients recognize distorted thinking patterns and replace them with healthier thoughts and behaviors.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
This funk-influenced soul singer, who wrote Ain’t No Sunshine, spoke openly about depression and leaving the industry.
Who is Bill Withers?
Based on a true story, this 2010 film stars Mark Wahlberg as a boxer battling family dysfunction and addiction.
What is The Fighter?
This Step is where humility is practiced through action, not words — we sincerely ask for the removal of traits that block us from growth.
step 7
The modern medical understanding of addiction as a disease, not a moral failing, began with this organization’s founding in 1935.
Alcoholics Anonymous
The importance of a
significant achievement
is lessened. Instead of
celebrating your achievements,
you pretend they aren't that meaningful.
MINIMIZATION
This term describes the brain’s tendency to seek pleasure and avoid pain — often hijacked during addiction.
What is the reward system (or dopamine system)?
This funk/disco singer known for Love Rollercoaster struggled with alcohol dependency later in life.
Who is Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner?
This 1993 Hughes Brothers film depicts the struggles of two friends growing up amid poverty, drugs, and violence in Watts, Los Angeles.
What is Menace II Society?
This Step represents a spiritual decision rather than an intellectual one — a willingness to surrender control and trust in guidance beyond self-will.
step 3
In the 16th century, this European country first imported tobacco from the Americas, leading to its widespread use across Europe.
Spain
Holding a fixed, false belief
despite overwhelming evidence.
An unshakeable belief in
something that's untrue
DELUSIONS
This relapse stage happens before physical use, when thoughts and emotions begin drifting back toward old behaviors.
What is an emotional or mental relapse?
This Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist and songwriter, also known as “the Wizard of Woo,” faced bipolar disorder and addiction.
Who is Bernie Worrell?
This 1996 cult classic directed by Danny Boyle follows a group of heroin users in Scotland.
What is Trainspotting?
This Step is the ultimate expression of service and gratitude — sharing recovery with others and living these principles in all areas of life.
step 12
This ancient civilization used opium, known as “the joy plant,” as early as 3,400 BCE.
Mesopotamia
Achieving incredibly high
standards in an attempt
to avoid catastrophe.
Perfectionism, excessive
attention to detail.
UNRELENTING
STANDARDS
This ongoing condition means that recovery requires lifelong management and support, not a one-time cure.
What is addiction as a chronic disease?
This Ohio Players band member died of a suspected heroin overdose, reflecting the darker side of funk fame.
Who is Ralph “Pee Wee” Middlebrooks? (sometimes credited in funk tragedies)
Denzel Washington stars as a cop battling corruption and drug addiction in this 2001 film.
What is Training Day?