12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

(Explanation of the glossing system)

FIRST-ON-LIST, WE ADMIT, PAST RESIST (2h)alt.DRINK-ALCOHOL, IMPOSSIBLE. CONTROL, HAVE-NONE.

(2) SECOND-ON-LIST, LATER WE REALIZE POWER SUPREME HELP-us LIVE RIGHT* CAN.

(3) THIRD-ON-LIST, OUR GOAL++, OUR alt.WISH, OFFER-TO-God. HE CARE-FOR-us. GOD MEAN WHAT? THINK-YOURSELVES.

(4) FOURTH-ON-LIST, IMPORTANT ANALYZE++-self. SCARED, NOT-THAT. GO-AHEAD ANALYZE.

(5) FIFTH-ON-LIST, UP-TO-NOW WE alt.WRONG INDEX-LIST. DO-DO? ADMIT-TO GOD, ADMIT SELF, ADMIT-TO-lf OTHER PERSON INDEX-lf.

(6) SIXTH-ON-LIST, INDEX-LIST, WE FEEL READY ALLOW HIM-God REMOVE.

(7) SEVENTH-ON-LIST, WE HUMBLE, REQUEST-FROM-God (role play) CHARACTER WRONG, PLEASE REMOVE.

(8) EIGHTH-ON-LIST, #IF WE alt.INSULT-rt PEOPLE, MAKE-LIST MUST. FINISH, READY TELL-rt, (role play) ADMIT ME WRONG ME.

(9) NINTH-ON-LIST, #IF WE INSULT-rt SOMEONE, TRY SOLVE. UNDERSTAND, LEAD-TO WORSE, (shake head) LEAVE-rt.

(10) TEN, ANALYZE++-self. #IF AGAIN WRONG, WE ADMIT MUST.

(11) ELEVEN, WE (<) PRAY, (>) MULL-OVER, FOR-FOR? WE REALLY-WANT RELATIONSHIP-WITH GOD. GOD MEAN WHAT? THINK-YOURSELVES. WE TRUST HIM TEACH-us LIVE RIGHT PLUS HELP-us SUCCEED.

(12) TWELVE, RECENTLY TELL-STORY STEP++, HELP-us SOUL CHANGE*. MEAN #IF WE MEET-lf ALCOHOLIC, IMPORTANT* HELP-lf, (2h)"WOW". PLUS EVERYDAY FOLLOW STEP++.


Notes: FIRST-ON-LIST and so on - NDH [5], PO > signer, FO > DS, and DH taps thumb for "FIRST-ON-LIST, DH [1] taps index finger for SECOND-ON-LIST, and taps middle finger for THIRD-ON-LIST and so on. For SIX- to NINE- the hand shape twists the thumb contact of the DH against the thumb of the NDH. TEN- and on are the same as the cardinal (regular) number.

HAVE-NONE - (2h)[B], POs > signer move upwards past mouth and swing upwards and apart while mouth blows on hands as they pass.

SUPREME - (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top.

CARE-FOR-us - (2h)[K] are crossed at wrists and FT > signer move in a vertical circle normal (perpendicular) to the chest.

THINK-YOURSELVES - Index finger of [L] touches the temple, then moves forward while changing to an [A}, PO > NDS, FO away, and sweeps > NDS.

NOT-THAT - (2h)[5], POs away, FOs up, wave from side to side symmetrically.

GO-AHEAD - (2h)[B^ dot], POs ><, FOs away, move forward in a jerk.

INDEX-LIST - index finger of DH points to thumb, then index finger, then middle finger of NDH [5], PO > signer, FO > DS.

(role play) - face the person or entity that you are talking to.

LEAVE-rt - (2h)[5], POs ><, FO > rt, moves downwards as if leave something alone.

MULL-OVER - (2h)[O] - held at forehead and fingers pill-roll, that is thumb is rubbed against all the FT and back.

REALLY-WANT - the sign WANT but shaken back and forth to show intensity.

STEP++ - (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs away, DH is held ahead of NDH, then NDH leapfrogs over DH, and DH over NDH. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - procedure.

ALCOHOLIC - ALCOHOL SICK AGENT is the preferred sign in AA.

(2h)"WOW" - shake out both hands.

Text:

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.

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