District 57 of Area 59 in Alcoholics Anonymous

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Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory:
See 'Fourth Step Inventory.'

Self-Centeredness:
The Big Book says, 'Selfishness- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.' According to Bill Wilson, recovery means 'destruction of self-centeredness.' The Twelve Steps help us achieve that goal.

Self-Knowledge Is Not the Answer:
This is a paraphrase from the Big Book, 'But the actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize...' We cannot achieve sobriety solely on the basis of knowledge about ourselves and the disease of alcoholism. It requires working the Twelve Steps.'

Self-Pity:
Feeling sorry for ourselves or dwelling in our own problems. We can get out of our problems by getting into someone else's- work with another alcoholic. Another remedy is to write a gratitude list.

Self-Seeking Will Slip Away:
This is characteristic is one of the Twelve Promises in the Big Book. It will come true for those who work the program. The promise means that we will seek to help others and to follow God's will for our lives rather than to seek fulfillment or our own selfish desires.

Self-Supporting through Our Own Contributions:
This expression is from AA's preamble, 'There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.' AA does not solicit nor does it accept contributions from anyone other than AA members.

Self-Will Run Riot:
This phrase comes from chapter 5 of the Big Book, 'Selfishness- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.... So our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making. They arise out of ourselves, and the alcoholic is an extreme example of self-will run riot, though he usually doesn't think so. Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness. We must, or it kills us!' The only solution we know is to work the Steps.

Serenity Prayer:
The Serenity Prayer reads in part, 'God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.' This prayer is often used as a mantra, of sorts, by AA members. It is a powerful tool for achieving balance when our emotions threaten to overwhelm us.

Service:
Service is one of AA's Three Legacies. The Big Book states, 'Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.' We are of service when we carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers through our words, attitudes, or actions.

Seventh Tradition:
The Seventh Tradition (short form) states, 'Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.' AA accepts contributions only from its members. There are no dues or fees for AA membership. Donations are strictly on a voluntary basis. AA headquarters restricts annual donations from any AA member to a maximum of two thousand dollars. Anything over this amount or any donation at all from a non AA member will be politely refused.

Sharing:
This term is derived from the AA preamble, 'Alcoholics 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 alcoholism.' The term 'sharing' is often used to describe an individual's discussion at an AA meeting.

Shotgun Sobriety:
As the phrase suggests, this type of sobriety is based on fear of drinking rather than on the application of AA principles. All of us in recovery have learned a healthy respect for the power of alcohol, but we do not live in terror of it. Long-term sobriety must be based on spiritual principles not on fear of alcohol.

Simple Program:
This phrase is derived from chapter 5 of the Big Book, 'Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves.' AA is a simple program for complicated people, so the saying goes. AA's Twelve Step program is simple because it works simply: one Step at a time and one day at a time. Simplicity in this sense, does not necessarily mean ease. Working the program requires an unwavering dedicated effort. Yet all the strength and willingness to work the program is freely give to all those who sincerely ask for them.

Slip:
A common term for relapse- drinking alcohol again after a period of sobriety in AA. The term is often used as an acronym as well: S.L.I.P; Sobriety Loses Its Priority.

Slippery Places (and Slippery Faces):
Slippery places is a reference to actual places or emotional states in which we are more likely to slip. These are, of course, to be avoided if reasonably possible. Slippery faces refer to old drinking buddies; the company of whom we should avoid as well. Another similar term is 'old playgrounds and old playmates.' It is dangerous even foolish to put ourselves in situations where we are likely to be tempted by alcohol. Even if we believe we are now strong enough to resist temptation, we best resist temptation by avoiding temptation altogether.

Smith, Robert Holbrook, M.D. (a.k.a. 'Dr. Bob'):
1879-1950. Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dr. Bob created the first AA group in the world, AA Group Number One, in Akron, Ohio.

Sobriety Date:
Depending on who you ask; our sobriety date is the date on which we had our last drink or the date in which we sobered up from our last drink.

Speaker's Meeting:
An AA meeting featuring one or more designated speakers who share their experience, strength, and hope for the entire meeting. The speakers talk about what life was like before AA, what brought them to AA and what their lives are like now.

Spiritual Awakening (a.k.a. Spiritual Experience):
The Big Book description is a, 'personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism.' It also describes it as a 'profound alteration in [our] reaction to life,' and as an 'awareness of a Power greater than ourselves.' The difference between an awakening and an experience is that an awaking occurs over time whereas an experience happens suddenly.

Spiritual Tool Kit:
This metaphor comes from chapter 2 of the Big Book, 'There was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet.' The tools to which it refers are the Twelve Steps, reliance on a Power greater than ourselves, and prayer and meditation

Spirituality:

Sponsor:
For those who are fond of acronyms, a S.P.O.N.S.O.R. is a Sober Person Offering a Newcomer Suggestions On Recovery. A sponsor is an AA member who serves as a mentor of sorts to a newcomer in the program. A sponsor typically helps a sponsee to work the Twelve Steps; shares his or her personal experience, strength, and hope; and helps the sponsee stay on the recovery track. Although not mentioned in the Big Book, per se, sponsorship has become widely accepted as a crucial part of the recovery program.

Step Study Meeting:
An AA meeting that focuses on a study of the Twelve Steps, usually at a rate no more than one per meeting.

Steps:
See 'Twelve Steps.'

Stinking Thinking:
This phrase refers to an alcoholic's reversion to old thought patterns and attitudes. Stinking thinking may include, blaming others, alcoholic grandiosity, fault-finding, self-centeredness, and skipping meetings. Stinking thinking is a warning sign to an alcoholic that he is not working the AA program and he or she is getting precariously close to their next drink.

Surrender:
To surrender in AA is to effectively take the first Three Steps. It means: 1) admitting that we are powerless over alcohol and that our live have become unmanageable, 2)coming to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity, and 3) turning our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. Surrender is the key to recovery. Only when we completely surrender are we willing to let a Power greater than ourselves restore us to sanity.