Admit that no amount of trying is going to change the way that drugs and alcohol affect your brain.

Recognizing a higher power.

Surrender your life to a higher power.

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Admitting to ourselves and God of the exact nature of our wrongs.

Steps 8 and 9 are combined into Course 6 in the Position of Neutrality’s Interactive Step Experience (ISE). These steps focus on making amends and are critical for healing and repairing relationships affected by one’s addiction. Here’s an overview of each step:

Step 8: “Making the List”

• Objective: This step involves making a list of all persons harmed and becoming willing to make amends to them all. It’s about taking responsibility for past wrongs and preparing to address them.
• Process: Individuals review their personal inventory from Step 4 to identify those they have harmed. This step requires careful consideration and honesty, as it sets the foundation for the next step of making amends.
• Outcome: By the end of Step 8, participants should have a comprehensive list of people they have hurt and a genuine willingness to make things right, wherever possible.

Step 9: “Making Amends”

• Objective: This step involves making direct amends to such people, wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. It’s a step of action where one attempts to repair the damage caused by their actions.
• Process: The process can include a variety of forms of amends, such as direct conversations, letters, or actions that demonstrate change. It requires sensitivity and discretion, as not all forms of amends are appropriate or safe for all parties involved.
• Outcome: Successfully completing this step can lead to significant healing and resolution, both for the individuals who were harmed and for the person making amends. It’s an important step in rebuilding trust and relationships.

Course 6, encompassing Steps 8 and 9, is a crucial phase in the recovery process. It moves beyond personal acknowledgment and internal change, focusing on taking concrete actions to rectify past wrongs. These steps are often challenging yet profoundly rewarding, as they play a vital role in restoring relationships, building integrity, and fostering a deep sense of personal accountability and healing.

Continue to take personal inventory, admit wrongdoing, and improve our conscious contact with God.

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of this process, we try to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.