Virtual Meeting Formats & CA Readings – Cocaine Anonymous Online Meetings

SUGGESTED PARTICIPATION MEETING FORMAT

Welcome to the (________) meeting of Cocaine Anonymous. My name is (________) and I am an addict.

(OPTIONAL) Would you please join me in a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer?

Are there any other addicts present? Welcome! Not to embarrass you, but so that we could get to know you better, will those of you in your first 30 days of sobriety please let us know who you are? Would you please state your name and your disease? If you’re visiting from out of town or new to the Area, please introduce yourself.

Cocaine Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from their addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. There are no dues or fees for membership; we are fully self-supporting through our own contributions. We are not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. We do not wish to engage in any controversy and we neither endorse nor oppose any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay free from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances, and to help others achieve the same freedom.^*

We use the Twelve Steps of recovery because it has already been proven that the Twelve-Step recovery program works.

It is a custom in Cocaine Anonymous to read We Can Recover, taken from Hope, Faith & Courage. I’ve asked (________) to read for us.

The Twelve Traditions are to the group what the Twelve Steps are to the individual. I’ve asked (________) to read for us.

(OPTIONAL) It is also a custom to read Who is a Cocaine Addict?, Who is a C.A. Member?, or Alcohol. I have asked (________) to read for us.

(OPTIONAL: LEADER QUALIFIES FOR 5-10 MINUTES) This is a 1½-hour participation meeting. We encourage newcomers to ask any questions they may have regarding the program and recovery. Please do not share if you have had any drugs or alcohol in the last 24 hours. There is no cross-talk at this meeting, and all questions should be directed at the speaker. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes. Who would like to start?

*Adapted with permission of the A.A. Grapevine, Inc.

(7TH TRADITION) We are fully self-supporting through our own contributions. At this time we will observe the 7th Tradition. Provide link or QR code to make a 7th donation.

(OPTIONAL) We give virtual chips and virtual claps at this meeting for 30, 60 and 90 days, 6 and 9 months, 1 year, 18 months, and 2 or more years of continuous sobriety—free from all mind- altering substances. Please keep your sharing brief so that we may have time for participation afterward. Is there anyone here in their first 30 days of sobriety who wishes to take a newcomer chip? 30 days? 60 days? 90 days? 6 months? 9 months? 1 year? 18 months? 2 or more years?

(OPTIONAL) We give a cake for every 365 days of continuous sobriety. We have (________) birthdays.

Now we will continue with participation.

(TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING ENDS) Our time is up. If you have any questions that went unanswered, or if you feel the need to share, please introduce yourself to someone after the meeting and exchange phone numbers. We are all here to help. Are there any secretary’s announcements?

(AFTER SECRETARY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS) I would like to close by having (________) read The Promises, A Vision for You, Reaching Out or Unity (from the Unity pamphlet).

After a moment of silent meditation for the addict who still suffers, would (________) lead us in the prayer of his/her choice?

SUGGESTED STEP STUDY MEETING FORMAT

Welcome to the (________) meeting of Cocaine Anonymous. My name is (________) and I am an addict.

(OPTIONAL) Would you please join me in a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer?

We use the Twelve Steps of recovery because it has already been proven that the Twelve-Step recovery program works.

It is a custom in Cocaine Anonymous to read We Can Recover, taken from Hope, Faith & Courage. I’ve asked (________) to read for us.

The Twelve Traditions are to the group what the Twelve Steps are to the individual. I’ve asked (________) to read for us.

(OPTIONAL) It is also a custom to read Who is a Cocaine Addict?, Who is a C.A. Member, or Alcohol. I have asked (________) to read for us.

It is the format of this meeting to read from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is followed by a discussion of the reading. Tonight we are on Step __________.

(LEADER READS STEP) We will now go around the room and each read a paragraph.

(AFTER READING OF THE STEP)

(7TH TRADITION) We are fully self-supporting through our own contributions. At this time we will observe the 7th Tradition. Provide link or QR code to make a 7th donation.

*Adapted with permission of the A.A. Grapevine, Inc.

(7TH TRADITION) We are fully self-supporting through our own contributions. At this time we will observe the 7th Tradition. Provide link or QR code to make a 7th donation.

(OPTIONAL) We give virtual chips and virtual claps at this meeting for 30, 60 and 90 days, 6 and 9 months, 1 year, 18 months, and 2 or more years of continuous sobriety—free from all mind- altering substances. Please keep your sharing brief so that we may have time for participation afterward. Is there anyone here in their first 30 days of sobriety who wishes to take a newcomer chip? 30 days? 60 days? 90 days? 6 months? 9 months? 1 year? 18 months? 2 or more years?

We now have time for participation. We ask that you limit your sharing to your experience, strength and hope as it relates to the Step that was read. If you have not taken the Step, we welcome you to ask any questions regarding this Step. We also ask that you not share if you have had any drugs or alcohol in the last 24 hours. There is no cross-talk at this meeting, and please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes. Who would like to start?

(AFTER SECRETARY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS) I would like to close by having (________) read The Promises, A Vision for You, Reaching Out or Unity (from the Unity pamphlet).

After a moment of silent meditation for the addict who still suffers, would (________) lead us in the prayer of his/her choice?

SUGGESTED GENERAL SPEAKER MEETING FORMAT

Welcome to the (__________) meeting of Cocaine Anonymous. My name is (_____________) and I am an addict.

(OPTIONAL) Would you please join me in a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer?

Cocaine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. There are no dues or fees for membership; we are fully self-supporting through our own contributions. We are not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution. We do not wish to engage in any controversy and we neither endorse nor oppose any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay free from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances, and to help others achieve the same freedom.^*

We use the Twelve Steps of recovery because it has already been proven that the Twelve-Step recovery program works.

It is a custom in Cocaine Anonymous to read We Can Recover, taken from Hope, Faith & Courage. I’ve asked (_______) to read for us.

The Twelve Traditions are to the group what the Twelve Steps are to the individual. I’ve asked (_______) to read for us.

(OPTIONAL) It is also a custom to read Who is a Cocaine Addict?, Who is a C.A. Member?, or Alcohol. I have asked (_______) to read for us.

This is a Speaker Meeting. We ask that you relate to the feelings being shared so that you can better identify with our stories. This is followed by a question/answer, participation period. Our speaker tonight is __________________.

(REMIND SPEAKER WHEN TIME IS UP)

(7TH TRADITION) We are fully self-supporting through our own contributions. At this time we will observe the 7th Tradition. Provide link or QR code to make a 7th donationl.

*Adapted with permission of the A.A. Grapevine, Inc.

(OPTIONAL) We will now begin participation. We encourage newcomers to ask any questions they may have regarding the program and recovery. Please do not share if you have had any drugs or alcohol in the last 24 hours. There is no cross-talk at this meeting, and all questions should be directed at the speaker. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes. Who would like to start?

(OPTIONAL) We give virtual chips and virtual claps at this meeting for every 30, 60 and 90 days, 6 and 9 months, 1 year, 18 months, and 2 or more years of continuous sobriety – free from all mind-altering substances. Please keep your sharing brief so that we may have time for participation afterward. Is there anyone here in their first 30 days of sobriety who wishes to take a newcomer chip? 30 days? 60 days? 90 days? 6 months? 9 months? 1 year? 18 months? 2 or more years?

Now we will continue with participation.

(AFTER SECRETARY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS) I would like to close by having (_______) read The Promises, A Vision for You, Reaching Out or Unity (from the Unity pamphlet).

After a moment of silent meditation for the addict who still suffers, would (_______) lead us in the prayer of his/her choice?

SUGGESTED GROUP BUSINESS MEETING FORMAT*

Welcome to the business meeting for the (_____________________________) group of Cocaine Anonymous. My name is (________) and I am an addict. I am also the __________ for this group.

(OPTIONAL) Would you please join me in a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer?

Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. Please state your name and any group service position(s) you might hold.

The Twelve Traditions are to the group what the Twelve Steps are to the individual. I’ve asked (________) to read them for us.

Would (_________) please read the minutes of our last business meeting? [If written minutes have been circulated, reading may be waived by unanimous consent.]

The floor is now open for any corrections to the minutes. [Pause to allow members to raise hands for recognition; any corrections are taken in order and noted by the Secretary.]

I will now entertain a motion to accept the minutes as read (or amended). [Motion is made and seconded, any discussion is heard and then members vote; a simple majority is required to approve the minutes.]

Would anyone like to be added to the agenda for new business or open discussion? [Pause to allow members to raise hands for recognition; new agenda items are noted by the Secretary.]

We will now move through the rest of our agenda:

Group Servant Reports**

GSR [Reports on District and/or Area meeting(s) attended]
Alternate GSR [Reports on District and/or Area meeting(s) attended in absence ofGSR]
Secretary [Reports on how the meeting is going]
Treasurer [Gives detailed financial report, typically including the following information]***
- Beginning balance of group treasury $_______
- Funds collected since last business meeting: $_______
- Expenses paid $_______
- Donations to District/Area/World $_______
- Ending balance of group treasury $_______

[Motion required to approve Treasurer’s report]

Additional Group Servants (For example, Chips & Literature, Clean Up, Coffee Maker,

Greeter, Set Up, etc.)

Old Business

[Based on previous month’s new business and any previously tabled or otherwise outstanding motions. When old business has been completed, move directly into new business.]

New Business

Any new motions to be made for the group.
Nominations and voting for open group service positions.
Any matters brought from District and/or Area that need to be discussed and/or voted on (for example, pending motions, election of new District and/or Area trusted servants, etc.)

[Motion required to close new business] Open Discussion

[Any questions or additional concerns to be discussed by the group which do not require a vote]

[Motion to close business meeting, unless it automatically ends ata specified time.] We will now close with the Serenity Prayer.

*”Many groups hold a business meeting monthly or at other intervals to discuss such items as: group finances, distribution of 7th Tradition, meeting format, election of trusted servants, etc. It is suggested that records be kept of group business meeting decisions. Each group is autonomous, and the group conscience decides how business meetings may be conducted.” (C.A. World Service Manual, 2019 edition, page 17.)

**”C.A. groups may create such service positions, as they deem necessary to carry on the group functions with such job duties and sobriety requirements, as they feel appropriate. Such positions by way of illustration might include: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Literature, Coffeemaker/Hospitality, Greeter, etc.” (C.A. World Service Manual, 2019 edition, page 17.) The size of the group should be taken into consideration when determining which additional service positions to fill. Ideally, no group member should hold more than one service commitment, but such decisions are up to the group conscience. Responsibilities may also be transferred from one position to another in accordance with the group conscience.

***For additional information, please refer to The 7^thTradition (Where Does the Money Go?), which can be found in the Literature section of the C.A. World Services website, ca.org.

WE CAN RECOVER

Welcome to Cocaine Anonymous. We are all here for the same reason—our inability to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. The first step towards solving any problem is admitting that there is a problem.

The problem, as we see it, consists of an obsession of the mind and an allergy of the body. The obsession is a continued and irresistible thought of cocaine and the next high. The allergy creates an absolute inability to stop using once we begin.

We wish to assure you that there is a solution and that recovery is possible. It begins with abstinence and continues with practicing the Twelve Steps of recovery, one day at a time. Our program, the Twelve Steps of Cocaine Anonymous, is the means by which we move from the problem of drug addiction to the solution of recovery.

We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.*

Cocaine Anonymous is a spiritual program, not a religious one. In C.A. we believe each individual can choose a Higher Power of his or her own. In short, a God of his or her own understanding.

No one comes into Cocaine Anonymous to find God. We came into these rooms to get rid of a terrifying drug habit. Look around this room. You are surrounded by people who came as a last resort. We came into these rooms emotionally, financially and spiritually bankrupt. We have experienced all sorts of tragedies as a result of cocaine, drugs and/or alcohol. We have lived many of the same horrors you have, yet today we are free from the misery, terror and pain of addiction.

Maybe some of us were worse off than you; maybe some of us didn’t hit as low a bottom as you. Still the fact remains that those of us who are recovering have come to believe that a Higher Power of our own understanding can restore us to sanity.

There is a solution; we can recover from addiction. One day at a time, it is possible to live a life filled with hope, faith and courage.

*The Twelve Steps are reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Steps does not mean that A.A. is affiliated with this program. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism. Use of the Steps in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A. but which address other problems does not imply otherwise. THE TWELVE STEPS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS

Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon C.A. unity.
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.
The only requirement for C.A. membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances.
Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or C.A. as a whole.
Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the addict who still suffers.
A C.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the C.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
Every C.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Cocaine Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
C.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
Cocaine Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the C.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of public media.
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

The Twelve Traditions are reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Traditions does not mean that A.A. is affiliated with this program. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism. Use of the Traditions in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A. but which address other problems does not imply otherwise. THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: 1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.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.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. 4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. 5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. 6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.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.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. 8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers. 9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve. 10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.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.

WHO IS A COCAINE ADDICT?

Some of us can answer without hesitation, “I am!” Others aren’t so sure. Cocaine Anonymous believes that no one can decide for another whether he or she is addicted. One thing is sure, though: every single one of us has denied being an addict. For months, for years, we who now freely admit that we are cocaine addicts thought that we could control cocaine when in fact it was controlling us.

“I only use on weekends,” or

“It hardly ever interferes with work,” or

“I can quit, it’s only psychologically addicting, right?” or “I only snort, I don’t base or shoot,” or

“It’s this relationship that’s messing me up.”

Many of us are still perplexed to realize how long we went on, never getting the same high we got at the beginning, yet still insisting, and believing—so distorted was our reality—that we were getting from cocaine what actually always eluded us.

We went to any lengths to get away from being just ourselves. The lines got fatter; the grams went faster; the week’s stash was all used up today. We found ourselves scraping envelopes and baggies with razor blades, scratching the last flakes from the corners of brown bottles, snorting or smoking any white speck from the floor when we ran out. We, who prided ourselves on our fine-tuned state of mind! Nothing mattered more to us than the straw, the pipe, the needle. Even if it made us feel miserable, we had to have it.

Some of us mixed cocaine with alcohol or other drugs, and found temporary relief in the change, but in the end, it only compounded our problems. We tried quitting by ourselves, finally, and managed to do so for periods of time. After a month, we imagined we were in control. We thought our system was cleaned out and we could get the old high again, using half as much. This time, we’d be careful not to go overboard. But we only found ourselves back where we were before, and worse.

We never left the house without using first. We didn’t make love without using. We didn’t talk on the phone without coke. We couldn’t fall asleep; sometimes it seemed we couldn’t even breathe without cocaine. We tried changing jobs, apartments, cities, lovers—believing that our lives were being screwed up by circumstances, places, people. Perhaps we saw a cocaine friend die of respiratory arrest, and still we went on using! But eventually we had to face facts. We had to admit that cocaine was a serious problem in our lives, that we were addicts.

Reprinted from the C.A. pamphlet To the Newcomer.

WHO IS A C.A. MEMBER?

While the name “Cocaine Anonymous” may sound drug-specific, we wish to assure you that our program is not. Many of our members did a lot of cocaine; others used only a little, and some never even tried coke. We have members who drank only on occasion, those who casually referred to themselves as drunks, and others who were full-blown alcoholics. Lots of us used a wide variety of mind-altering substances. Whether we focused on a specific substance or used whatever we could get our hands on, we had one thing in common: eventually we all reached a point where we could not stop.

According to C.A.’s Third Tradition, the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. Whatever you may have been using, if it led you to this meeting, you’re probably in the right place. Over time, virtually every single one of us has realized that our real problem is not cocaine or any specific drug; it is the disease of addiction.

It can be tempting to focus on our differences rather than our similarities, but this can blind us to potential sources of support in our recovery. As we hear other members’ stories, the most important question to ask ourselves is not, “Would I have partied with these people?” but rather, “Do these people have a solution that can help me stay sober?” We encourage you to stick around and listen with an open mind.

With its all-inclusive Third Tradition and First Step, Cocaine Anonymous welcomes anyone with a drug or alcohol problem and offers a solution. C.A.’s Twelve Steps are not drug-specific, and Cocaine Anonymous is not a drug-specific Fellowship. It doesn’t matter to us if you drank or what type of drugs you used; if you have a desire to stop, you are welcome here!

ALCOHOL

Alcohol is a mind-altering substance in liquid form. Many people don’t realize it is no different from cocaine or other drugs in its ability to lead to addiction. One drink is never enough, just as one hit, fix, pill or snort is never enough. We are masters at combining and substituting one drug for another to get high. Many of us never felt that alcohol was part of our problem.

THE PROMISES

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self- seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us— sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

This excerpt from Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 83-84, is reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (“AAWS”). Permission to use this excerpt does not mean that AAWS has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, or that AAWS necessarily agrees with the views expressed therein. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only—use of this material in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but which address other problems or concerns, or in any other non- A.A. context, does not imply otherwise.

A VISION FOR YOU

Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven’t got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us.

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.

May God bless you and keep you—until then.

This excerpt from Alcoholics Anonymous, page 164, is reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (“AAWS”). Permission to reprint this excerpt does not mean that AAWS has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, or that AAWS necessarily agrees with the views expressed herein. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only—use of this excerpt in

connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but which address other problems, or in any other non-A.A. context, does not imply otherwise.

REACHING OUT

I made it into this program because someone else worked their Twelfth Step on me. Someone passed it on to me. Someone was out there after they got clean and sober, caring about others. I need to never, ever forget that. Had they simply gone on with their lives and forgotten about people like me who were still out there using and suffering, I wouldn’t be here today. My gratitude begins with that fact. It is with that gratitude in mind that I reach out to others, especially the newcomers. I need to have them in my life. That is where my spirituality begins.

For me, spirituality comes from caring about others. I have found that the more I focus on improving the quality of the lives of others, the less I am into myself and my will. I feel a freedom and peace from within. The gifts I am beginning to receive in my life are greater than I could have ever imagined.

Something else I have done is that I have forgiven myself. I have forgiven myself for being an addict. I have forgiven myself for all the damage I did to my life, to my physical health, and to my career and finances. But most of all, I have forgiven myself for all of the horrible, negative and unloving things I have felt about myself. It was not until I offered and accepted my own forgiveness, that I was truly able to grow in my sobriety.

UNITY

Unity is a common bond that transcends all differences. We’ve discovered no matter how different our circumstances or the paths that brought us here, we all suffer from the same disease: addiction.

We admitted our lack of power and accepted that we could not recover alone. The strength and direction of our recovery is found in our unity.

We are people who might never have mixed. Addiction and recovery are the threads that bind us. We relate to such feelings as grandiosity, insecurity, jealousy, and false pride and are reminded we are all alike. By sharing our experience with other addicts and working the Twelve Steps of C.A., we come to know humility, security, acceptance, and self-worth.

Through applying the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions, we grow in love, tolerance, and respect for each other. This spiritual growth allows us to rise above prejudice, regardless of religion, ethnicity, economic status, age, gender, or sexual orientation, to carry the C.A. message. Though we are different, we are the same. Regardless of the author, we share the same story.

Recovery is possible—together.

Unity preserves our C.A. Fellowship.

Unity preserves our legacy of Hope, Faith, and Courage.

Unity preserves our personal recovery, our reunited families, and our rediscovered dreams. Simple steps toward unity include:

Carrying the C.A. message;
Encouraging the practice of love and tolerance of others;
Sponsoring workshops, activities, and functions that promote unity;
Enhancing communication among members by emphasizing principles before personalities;
Encouraging participation in service by all members;
Encouraging greeters to welcome newcomers at all levels;
Encouraging group inventories.