Readers Respond: How Did Step 9 Help in Your Recovery?

Please share your personal experience with step 9. Post Your Answer

Step 9

Steps 3 through 9 relieved me of the bondage of self.and I'm happy joyous and free most of the time. I have recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body freed from the bondage of alcohol.

—Guest dave.s

Freedom

Step 9 relieved that awful feeling of separation and loneliness. This step brought me lots of freedom from myself. I'm now closer to God.

—Guest dave.s

Step 9

It is not until we have completed step 9 that we are totally happy, joyous and free. It separates the men from the boys so to speak. It says in the Big Book "from the first 100 recovered alcoholics" (not recovering alcoholics). I want to be recovered from this disease not suffering for ever. Not cured but freed. We say we are willing to do what ever it takes or supposed to want sobriety. If you only want a wishy washy sobriety then so be it. I didn't so I did what those did before me because I wanted what they had. Freedom from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. I have had scary experiences and had to swallow my pride. However, nobody ever shook to death. Fear is our enemy and what we need to overcome so trust God, clean house and make your amends. What are you waiting for. It's too late when the people die and it us who have to live with it. What is that saying you don't know what you have until it is gone. Be free,do it because you are worth it.

—Guest Wendy P

Step 9 for my recovery

I have learned that I can not hurt people and get away with it without making amends to them.

—Guest SoberDeb

recovery

I made all my amends to people I think I hurt. I asked my brother what was I was like when I was drinking, he said never mind, So I must have been really drunk that I don't remember what I did. I didn't get any answers, but today I have been sober 26 years, so AA helped me along the way, I do not have a sponsor, but I do read my AA books. Thank God for books.

—whisper2006pl2

Step 9

I have made amends to family and children, but I am not that far along in recovery to do all yet.

—Guest patty

Step 9.. My experience

Just quick and simple - It took the final load off!

—Guest Ian S

Step 9

When I was about 10 my brother and I broke into the neighbor's house and stole some things. With our reputation around the neighborhood he approached my dad who gave us a good whipping with a leather strap. The neighbor had a sadistic grin while we were getting whipped. Many years later and in the process of making amends I found myself sitting across the table at my home town 100th anniversary. I said thank you God and reached for my wallet to give him a $100 to compensate for the stuff I stole. Before I could even speak I noticed he had the same grin he had 40 years ago I promptly put my wallet back into my pocket and walked away. He was not in my 4th step.

—Guest norm chychota

Step 9

I believe that we walk around with an incredible amount of negative energy that keeps us off balance; as we discuss, this negativity is due to resentments (anger and hatred playing over and over in the mind), fears (insecurities of self), and GUILT (internally knowing that what we did was wrong). When I carry this much negative energy I MUST cope somehow - drink alcohol, sleep, eat, sex, drugs, display anger. The 4th and 10th steps processes resentments and fears so we get somewhat centered; but it is the 8th and 9th Steps that clear all that guilt from past harms. Guilty negative energy that sometimes we don't even know we are carrying - until we are set free by these Steps. Nick S

—Guest Nick S