The Twelve Traditions of Suicide Anonymous
A SA meeting should be protected from two threats:
1.) External stigmatization and
2.) Internal personal willfulness.
To protect ourselves from these threats we rigorously adhere to the 12 Traditions .
Without these Traditions, SA would not exist. Here are the SA Twelve Traditions:
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon SA unity.
Personal recovery depends upon the survival of SA. Placing our “common” welfare
above all else provides the unity for SA to exist. This does not mean we lose our
individuality. It means that as a group we commit ourselves to the principles of recovery.
We unite in this common goal.
Initially, we attended SA meetings because we didn’t know what else to do. We weren’t
100% sure this was the answer to our problems. Quickly we learned that if we were to
survive and thrive we must commit to these principles. We found ourselves facing the
hardest choice: commit to recovery or die. Commitment is hard at first and at times
seemed impossible. At first we may have had to act “as if”. We found that SA offered us a
new way of life we had never known before. Later, we began to feel comfortable in our
skin. Then we learned to live.
Finally, we learned the great paradox of all 12 Step meetings: in order to keep what we
have, we had to give it away. Our SA community is a group of individuals, each doing their
part, their way. Through the continuous give and take among group members the lifeblood
of SA flows.
In time, we added the survival of the SA group to the list of our greatest desires. Our
common welfare comes first – this is ever present in our minds. Constant vigilance is
needed within each individual to keep the welfare of the group first. We are like those early
pioneers of AA who were able to grasp that the existence of their program depends heavily
on an “all for one and one for all” mentality.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as this
Power may be expressed through our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted
servants; they do not govern.
People have asked, “Who runs this organization?” “Do you elect officers?” We answer
simply, “No.” No person is in charge. There is one authority – a loving God as this Power
may be expressed through our group conscience. At first it is impossible to see how this
works. Later, it is obvious that it is the only way it will work.
If you are a person starting a group, you are in charge of getting it off the ground. To
keep the lifeblood flowing, however, there must be give and take. As soon as possible, the
responsibilities and decisions need to be handled by the group as a whole. We have found
time and time again that our Higher Power speaks loudly through the entire group. The
collective spirituality of the group is always greater than that of any individual.
As a group grows, it will become obvious that individuals must handle some
responsibilities. At present, in Memphis, we have two people share the responsibilities of
secretary. One person is responsible for the literature and the other for the maintenance of
the web site. We also have a treasurer, who collects money at each meeting, banks it, and
pays bills approved by the group. To find chairpersons for meetings we pass a sign up
sheet. Every four months we have speaker meetings, each speaker selected by group
conscience.
A word of caution – beware of your own ego. Remain open to reason. Any one of us
can tell you that we have had a “great idea”, only to have our idea voted down in a group
conscious vote. If we humbly follow and support the decisions made in this manner,
however, we are later able to see the flaws in our “great idea”.
At meetings we never say what someone should do. We simply speak about what works
for us. We lead by example. Practice of the SA principles speaks louder than words ever
could.
To live means to grow, and to grow means change. Expect a group to change. Let your
Higher Power dictate the direction a group will take. Resistance to change will only cause
distress. Remember that you are a trusted servant – no person governs.
3. The only requirement for SA membership is the desire to stop living out a pattern
of suicidal ideation and behavior. Any two or more persons gathering together for
this purpose may call themselves a SA group, provided that as a group they have no
other affiliation.
There is no test to determine if you are a suicide addict. The only requirement for
membership in SA is a desire to stop living out a pattern of suicidal ideation and behavior.
Each person who enters the SA fellowship is on equal footing. There are no classes and no
place for intolerance of any kind. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your experiences
have been. At first, some people think they don’t qualify unless they have attempted
suicide. Wrong! It is the pattern of suicidal thinking that grants us membership. In short, if
you feel you belong, you do.
Suicide Anonymous is not a club. There are as many different life experiences as there
are members. We believe that SA has saved our lives, and therefore we would never
exclude any person. We are all granted membership, and thereby a chance to live, by the
loving grace of our Higher Power.
Suicide Anonymous must stand alone in its purpose. There can be no other affiliation.
The work of SA must not be clouded by outside issues. If SA were to affiliate with another
group, or cause, the requirement for membership would change. Such change would
certainly exclude some people.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or SA
as a whole.
To state things simply, we don’t care what route you take as long as you get there.
Each SA group has to decide how to conduct its meetings. For example, in our meetings we
don’t endorse cross-talking, that is responding directly to another member or making
comments about other people’s statements – no advice giving.
However, if an SA group is to fulfill the needs of its members it must focus on the
needs of that particular group. What works for one group may not work for another. As
long as relief from suicidal ideation and behavior is the group’s objective, each group
operates by its own group conscious and is free to try anything that might work.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to those who still
suffer from suicidal ideation and behavior.
The very survival of Suicide Anonymous depends on maintenance of this tradition. We
are a unified group of individuals. Each member brings his or her expertise. It is the
blending of different talents that yields the best results. We pass recovery from one suicide
addict to another. By helping others we help ourselves. We understand that the gift of
recovery can only be kept if we continue to give it away. There is no cure for this addiction,
only reprieve.
Imagine if you would, a group of people who want to get together to help suicide addicts
by bringing them religion, medical advice, politics, therapy or any number of issues. Time
spent in each meeting would branch out in many directions. Our primary purpose would be
lost. People who don’t agree with the views of others would be alienated.
If SA were to attempt multiple objectives our reason for existing would fade and then
vanish over time. Some members have left Suicide Anonymous believing themselves to be
cured, only to return later worse for wear, and are able to attest to the fact that without the
support of Suicide Anonymous recovery is not possible. We are able to do together things
that would be impossible alone.
6. An SA group or SA as a whole ought never endorse, finance, or lend the SA name
to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or
prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
As people in recovery from suicidal ideation and behavior, it would be easy for us to
branch out to other areas. We could find any number of ways to “spread our word”, and yet
we don't. There are reasons for this.
First, anonymity would be impossible if SA tried to branch out, and anonymity is
essential. Many members would refuse to attend if they believed their attendance could
become public knowledge.
Secondly, SA would have no control over the entity we endorsed. What if our project
became a topic of public controversy? The SA name would be tarnished.
Thirdly, addiction is a disease of remissions and exacerbations. If a person chosen to
represent SA relapsed, again the SA name would be tarnished.
The job of helping suicide addicts recover is the full time job of SA with room for nothing
else.
7. Every SA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Fully self-supporting means exactly that – we accept support from no outside source.
What would happen if SA accepted donations from outside sources? Sometime ago we
were presented with a generous offer of money from co-workers of a victim of suicide. After
much discussion, the group conscious vote was to turn down their kind offer. Our hearts
certainly went out to the generous people, but we couldn’t accept their offer. Suicide
Anonymous must remain accountable only to itself. Any distraction would pull us away from
our primary purpose.
However, it does take money to run an SA meeting. There are meeting places to rent,
literature to be distributed, birthday celebrations to finance, and a number of other things
that cost money.
We “pass the hat” toward the end of each meeting. Those who can, drop in a dollar or
more. Those who can’t, don’t. It’s that simple. It never costs money to attend SA If you don’
t have any money to donate then nobody expects you to.
As suicide addicts we tend to be self-centered at first, thinking mostly of ourselves. It takes
practice to start thinking about something or someone else. Making donations provides us
a sense of being part of the group. We’re not just showing up each week to see what we
can gain for ourselves.
Suicide Anonymous never seeks to make a profit. The treasurer collects the donations
each week and pays what is required by group conscience vote for the sole purpose of
supporting SA.
8. SA should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ
special workers.
We never claim to be professionals. We are peers in this organization. Our sole
purpose is to help ourselves and other suicide addicts. As members of SA., volunteering
our time to the organization is part of our recovery program. We never want to lose this
crucial part of recovery.
However, when Suicide Anonymous grows to a certain point, a person or persons may
be needed to help with the demands of the organization. The volume of phone calls, mail,
emails, and other business could reach a point that would be too much for volunteers. In
this instance Suicide Anonymous must be able to pay for services needed to support
itself.
9. SA as such ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or
committees directly responsible to those they serve.
An SA group is an individual group of peers and must function as such. The needs of
each group are specific to that group. How could people who do not attend a meeting tell
that group how it should run? No directives are handed from one group to another, just as
no member directs another to do anything.
We of SA Memphis will gladly offer suggestions when asked, but we would never
attempt to run another meeting. SA groups answer to one authority, their Higher Power.
There are times when it is necessary to form committees or service boards. These groups
function solely to provide service work. They suggest, never dictate. Power lies within the
group conscious.
10. SA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the SA name ought never be drawn
into public controversy.
Many organizations are dedicated to suicide prevention. Since this is what Suicide
Anonymous is about, it would be tempting for us join them. However, following the lead of
AA, we believe that SA should stay out of public controversy.
It would be a tragedy to lose SA because we lost sight of our true purpose - recovery
from suicidal ideation and behavior. Anonymity, unity and singleness of purpose are the
backbone of SA. Members, as individuals, can and do support other organizations. But,
they are careful never to use the name of Suicide Anonymous in their work.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need
always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, TV, film, and other
public media. We need guard with special care the anonymity of all fellow SA
members.
The practice of “attraction rather than promotion” is common to 12 Step organizations.
We in Suicide Anonymous believe it is essential. It is impossible to “promote” SA, anyway,
since the benefits of SA are our individual experiences. No one member can tell how a
person might benefit by becoming a member.
Suicide Anonymous, as a whole, need not remain anonymous however. Otherwise,
how would new members find out about it? We have a web site and literature which
describe SA in great detail. In addition, doctors and therapists recommend SA to their
patients.
It is the anonymity of individual members that we seek to protect. An individual
member may choose to break his or her own anonymity to another person, but should
never break the anonymity of another SA member.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to
place principles before personalities.
If Suicide Anonymous were to open itself to publicity, many, if not all, members would
not participate. The fact that each member remains anonymous enables us to sit in a room
together and talk about ourselves in intimate detail. Each week we discuss how suicide
addiction impacts us personally. We share as little or as much about ourselves as we
choose. And we don’t have to worry that what we share in a meeting will become public
knowledge. This provides us a sense of security so critical to our recovery.
Again, Suicide Anonymous itself need not remain anonymous. As an organization, it
must grow in order to thrive. Knowledge of SA is a must for people in need of help to get
help. Informative ads, fliers, and public service announcements spread the word of SA’s
existence with no mention of individuals. Meetings open to the general public also help to
spread the word. As always, each decision to spread the word of SA is approved by group
conscience.
In our work humility is essential. We place principles before personalities. SA is not
fodder for our egos. In meetings there is give and take among equal members - only. No
person claims superior knowledge. Old timers are still learning. Newcomers also bring
something to the table. Regardless of time in the program, we are all on equal footing.
The spirituality of SA as a whole is greater than that of an individual. In that spirit,
decisions are made by the collective conscious of the group, not by one individual or
several individuals.
© 1996 by Suicide Anonymous. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Suicide Anonymous.
A SA meeting should be protected from two threats:
1.) External stigmatization and
2.) Internal personal willfulness.
To protect ourselves from these threats we rigorously adhere to the 12 Traditions .
Without these Traditions, SA would not exist. Here are the SA Twelve Traditions:
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon SA unity.
Personal recovery depends upon the survival of SA. Placing our “common” welfare
above all else provides the unity for SA to exist. This does not mean we lose our
individuality. It means that as a group we commit ourselves to the principles of recovery.
We unite in this common goal.
Initially, we attended SA meetings because we didn’t know what else to do. We weren’t
100% sure this was the answer to our problems. Quickly we learned that if we were to
survive and thrive we must commit to these principles. We found ourselves facing the
hardest choice: commit to recovery or die. Commitment is hard at first and at times
seemed impossible. At first we may have had to act “as if”. We found that SA offered us a
new way of life we had never known before. Later, we began to feel comfortable in our
skin. Then we learned to live.
Finally, we learned the great paradox of all 12 Step meetings: in order to keep what we
have, we had to give it away. Our SA community is a group of individuals, each doing their
part, their way. Through the continuous give and take among group members the lifeblood
of SA flows.
In time, we added the survival of the SA group to the list of our greatest desires. Our
common welfare comes first – this is ever present in our minds. Constant vigilance is
needed within each individual to keep the welfare of the group first. We are like those early
pioneers of AA who were able to grasp that the existence of their program depends heavily
on an “all for one and one for all” mentality.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as this
Power may be expressed through our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted
servants; they do not govern.
People have asked, “Who runs this organization?” “Do you elect officers?” We answer
simply, “No.” No person is in charge. There is one authority – a loving God as this Power
may be expressed through our group conscience. At first it is impossible to see how this
works. Later, it is obvious that it is the only way it will work.
If you are a person starting a group, you are in charge of getting it off the ground. To
keep the lifeblood flowing, however, there must be give and take. As soon as possible, the
responsibilities and decisions need to be handled by the group as a whole. We have found
time and time again that our Higher Power speaks loudly through the entire group. The
collective spirituality of the group is always greater than that of any individual.
As a group grows, it will become obvious that individuals must handle some
responsibilities. At present, in Memphis, we have two people share the responsibilities of
secretary. One person is responsible for the literature and the other for the maintenance of
the web site. We also have a treasurer, who collects money at each meeting, banks it, and
pays bills approved by the group. To find chairpersons for meetings we pass a sign up
sheet. Every four months we have speaker meetings, each speaker selected by group
conscience.
A word of caution – beware of your own ego. Remain open to reason. Any one of us
can tell you that we have had a “great idea”, only to have our idea voted down in a group
conscious vote. If we humbly follow and support the decisions made in this manner,
however, we are later able to see the flaws in our “great idea”.
At meetings we never say what someone should do. We simply speak about what works
for us. We lead by example. Practice of the SA principles speaks louder than words ever
could.
To live means to grow, and to grow means change. Expect a group to change. Let your
Higher Power dictate the direction a group will take. Resistance to change will only cause
distress. Remember that you are a trusted servant – no person governs.
3. The only requirement for SA membership is the desire to stop living out a pattern
of suicidal ideation and behavior. Any two or more persons gathering together for
this purpose may call themselves a SA group, provided that as a group they have no
other affiliation.
There is no test to determine if you are a suicide addict. The only requirement for
membership in SA is a desire to stop living out a pattern of suicidal ideation and behavior.
Each person who enters the SA fellowship is on equal footing. There are no classes and no
place for intolerance of any kind. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your experiences
have been. At first, some people think they don’t qualify unless they have attempted
suicide. Wrong! It is the pattern of suicidal thinking that grants us membership. In short, if
you feel you belong, you do.
Suicide Anonymous is not a club. There are as many different life experiences as there
are members. We believe that SA has saved our lives, and therefore we would never
exclude any person. We are all granted membership, and thereby a chance to live, by the
loving grace of our Higher Power.
Suicide Anonymous must stand alone in its purpose. There can be no other affiliation.
The work of SA must not be clouded by outside issues. If SA were to affiliate with another
group, or cause, the requirement for membership would change. Such change would
certainly exclude some people.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or SA
as a whole.
To state things simply, we don’t care what route you take as long as you get there.
Each SA group has to decide how to conduct its meetings. For example, in our meetings we
don’t endorse cross-talking, that is responding directly to another member or making
comments about other people’s statements – no advice giving.
However, if an SA group is to fulfill the needs of its members it must focus on the
needs of that particular group. What works for one group may not work for another. As
long as relief from suicidal ideation and behavior is the group’s objective, each group
operates by its own group conscious and is free to try anything that might work.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to those who still
suffer from suicidal ideation and behavior.
The very survival of Suicide Anonymous depends on maintenance of this tradition. We
are a unified group of individuals. Each member brings his or her expertise. It is the
blending of different talents that yields the best results. We pass recovery from one suicide
addict to another. By helping others we help ourselves. We understand that the gift of
recovery can only be kept if we continue to give it away. There is no cure for this addiction,
only reprieve.
Imagine if you would, a group of people who want to get together to help suicide addicts
by bringing them religion, medical advice, politics, therapy or any number of issues. Time
spent in each meeting would branch out in many directions. Our primary purpose would be
lost. People who don’t agree with the views of others would be alienated.
If SA were to attempt multiple objectives our reason for existing would fade and then
vanish over time. Some members have left Suicide Anonymous believing themselves to be
cured, only to return later worse for wear, and are able to attest to the fact that without the
support of Suicide Anonymous recovery is not possible. We are able to do together things
that would be impossible alone.
6. An SA group or SA as a whole ought never endorse, finance, or lend the SA name
to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or
prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
As people in recovery from suicidal ideation and behavior, it would be easy for us to
branch out to other areas. We could find any number of ways to “spread our word”, and yet
we don't. There are reasons for this.
First, anonymity would be impossible if SA tried to branch out, and anonymity is
essential. Many members would refuse to attend if they believed their attendance could
become public knowledge.
Secondly, SA would have no control over the entity we endorsed. What if our project
became a topic of public controversy? The SA name would be tarnished.
Thirdly, addiction is a disease of remissions and exacerbations. If a person chosen to
represent SA relapsed, again the SA name would be tarnished.
The job of helping suicide addicts recover is the full time job of SA with room for nothing
else.
7. Every SA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Fully self-supporting means exactly that – we accept support from no outside source.
What would happen if SA accepted donations from outside sources? Sometime ago we
were presented with a generous offer of money from co-workers of a victim of suicide. After
much discussion, the group conscious vote was to turn down their kind offer. Our hearts
certainly went out to the generous people, but we couldn’t accept their offer. Suicide
Anonymous must remain accountable only to itself. Any distraction would pull us away from
our primary purpose.
However, it does take money to run an SA meeting. There are meeting places to rent,
literature to be distributed, birthday celebrations to finance, and a number of other things
that cost money.
We “pass the hat” toward the end of each meeting. Those who can, drop in a dollar or
more. Those who can’t, don’t. It’s that simple. It never costs money to attend SA If you don’
t have any money to donate then nobody expects you to.
As suicide addicts we tend to be self-centered at first, thinking mostly of ourselves. It takes
practice to start thinking about something or someone else. Making donations provides us
a sense of being part of the group. We’re not just showing up each week to see what we
can gain for ourselves.
Suicide Anonymous never seeks to make a profit. The treasurer collects the donations
each week and pays what is required by group conscience vote for the sole purpose of
supporting SA.
8. SA should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ
special workers.
We never claim to be professionals. We are peers in this organization. Our sole
purpose is to help ourselves and other suicide addicts. As members of SA., volunteering
our time to the organization is part of our recovery program. We never want to lose this
crucial part of recovery.
However, when Suicide Anonymous grows to a certain point, a person or persons may
be needed to help with the demands of the organization. The volume of phone calls, mail,
emails, and other business could reach a point that would be too much for volunteers. In
this instance Suicide Anonymous must be able to pay for services needed to support
itself.
9. SA as such ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or
committees directly responsible to those they serve.
An SA group is an individual group of peers and must function as such. The needs of
each group are specific to that group. How could people who do not attend a meeting tell
that group how it should run? No directives are handed from one group to another, just as
no member directs another to do anything.
We of SA Memphis will gladly offer suggestions when asked, but we would never
attempt to run another meeting. SA groups answer to one authority, their Higher Power.
There are times when it is necessary to form committees or service boards. These groups
function solely to provide service work. They suggest, never dictate. Power lies within the
group conscious.
10. SA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the SA name ought never be drawn
into public controversy.
Many organizations are dedicated to suicide prevention. Since this is what Suicide
Anonymous is about, it would be tempting for us join them. However, following the lead of
AA, we believe that SA should stay out of public controversy.
It would be a tragedy to lose SA because we lost sight of our true purpose - recovery
from suicidal ideation and behavior. Anonymity, unity and singleness of purpose are the
backbone of SA. Members, as individuals, can and do support other organizations. But,
they are careful never to use the name of Suicide Anonymous in their work.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need
always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, TV, film, and other
public media. We need guard with special care the anonymity of all fellow SA
members.
The practice of “attraction rather than promotion” is common to 12 Step organizations.
We in Suicide Anonymous believe it is essential. It is impossible to “promote” SA, anyway,
since the benefits of SA are our individual experiences. No one member can tell how a
person might benefit by becoming a member.
Suicide Anonymous, as a whole, need not remain anonymous however. Otherwise,
how would new members find out about it? We have a web site and literature which
describe SA in great detail. In addition, doctors and therapists recommend SA to their
patients.
It is the anonymity of individual members that we seek to protect. An individual
member may choose to break his or her own anonymity to another person, but should
never break the anonymity of another SA member.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to
place principles before personalities.
If Suicide Anonymous were to open itself to publicity, many, if not all, members would
not participate. The fact that each member remains anonymous enables us to sit in a room
together and talk about ourselves in intimate detail. Each week we discuss how suicide
addiction impacts us personally. We share as little or as much about ourselves as we
choose. And we don’t have to worry that what we share in a meeting will become public
knowledge. This provides us a sense of security so critical to our recovery.
Again, Suicide Anonymous itself need not remain anonymous. As an organization, it
must grow in order to thrive. Knowledge of SA is a must for people in need of help to get
help. Informative ads, fliers, and public service announcements spread the word of SA’s
existence with no mention of individuals. Meetings open to the general public also help to
spread the word. As always, each decision to spread the word of SA is approved by group
conscience.
In our work humility is essential. We place principles before personalities. SA is not
fodder for our egos. In meetings there is give and take among equal members - only. No
person claims superior knowledge. Old timers are still learning. Newcomers also bring
something to the table. Regardless of time in the program, we are all on equal footing.
The spirituality of SA as a whole is greater than that of an individual. In that spirit,
decisions are made by the collective conscious of the group, not by one individual or
several individuals.
© 1996 by Suicide Anonymous. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Suicide Anonymous.
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