HALT Recovery Central's Addiction Blog

The following is from About.Com’s Alcoholism site.

Making amends may seem like a bitter pill to swallow, but for those serious about recovery it can be good medicine for the spirit and soul.

Step 9
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Step 9 is another one of the 12 steps, that initially appears most difficult, but the rewards of putting this principle into practice can be immense. The spiritual principle involved is that of forgiveness, not only from others, but forgiveness of self, which can bring healing to both parties.

After completing Step 8 — made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all — the next logical step is to make those amends if possible, and the suggestion is to do so directly to those who have been harmed. By making direct amends to the person harmed the temptation to skirt the issue because of embarrassment or pain is avoided.

Simple but not easy!

But those making the amends find many times that the person to whom they have harmed is more than willing to accept those amends happily — and a healing process begins not only in the relationship, but in each individual. This is not always the case, however. Sometimes the injured party is not willing to forgive and forget. Regardless, spiritual progress for those in recovery depends upon doing their part right and making direct amends.

This step does carry a condition — except when to do so would injure them or others. If the act of making amends will open old wounds or create new harm, then making direct amends should be avoided. The benefit of making amends to the recovering person does not outweigh the need to do no more harm.

Below are some personal stories of how Step 9 works submitted by visitors to the bulletin board here at the About.com Alcoholism site as our study of the 12 Traditions and 12 Steps continues:

More about Step 9

Not an Apology
“An amend is not an apology. It is a clear and purposeful act designed to clear up a problem from the past.”Healing
“I gladly bear my soul of my wrong-doing so that the other person doesn’t have to carry around any excess garbage.”

Staying Honest
“I am glad we have this step, It keeps us honest with ourselves and others.”

Facing the Truth
“I keep on working it by staying sober, that is also a form of an amend.”

A man who sexually assaulted a college student at a 1984 fraternity party and then tried to apologized 21 years later as part of his twelve step program of recovery, has been given a 10-year prison sentence with all but 18 months suspended. He was also ordered to perform 500 hours of community service related to issues of sexual assault and alcohol abuse on college campuses.

William Beebe, 42, was originally charged with rape in connection with the sexual assault of Liz Seccuro at a fraternity house at the University of Virginia in 1984. He was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated sexual battery after prosecutors found evidence that Seccuro was attacked by more than one person at that frat party.

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Welcome to the H.A.L.T. Recovery Central Blog. On this site you’ll find the latest information about recovery and addiction, as well as information about the H.A.L.T. Recovery Central Traditional 12-Step Meeting for alcohol and narcotics addicts.

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:

• Craving–A strong need, or urge, to drink.
• Loss of control–Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.
• Physical dependence–Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
• Tolerance–The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get “high.”

For clinical and research purposes, formal diagnostic criteria for alcoholism also have been developed. Such criteria are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association, as well as in the International Classification Diseases, published by the World Health Organization

Club drugs* are a pharmacologically heterogeneous group of psychoactive compounds that tend to be abused by teens and young adults at a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Rohypnol, and ketamine are some of the drugs in this group; so are MDMA (ecstasy) and methamphetamine, which are featured in a separate InfoFacts.

GHB (Xyrem) is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for use in the treatment of narcolepsy (a sleep disorder). This approval came with severe restrictions, including its use only for the treatment of narcolepsy, and the requirement for a patient registry monitored by the FDA. GHB is also a metabolite of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA); thus, it is found naturally in the brain, but at concentrations much lower than doses that are abused.

Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) started appearing in the United States in the early 1990s. It is a benzodiazepine (chemically similar to Valium or Xanax), but it is not approved for medical use in this country, and its importation is banned.

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