Why I Break My Anonymity Yet Respect Yours

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

It's obvious to anyone familiar with 12 Step Traditions that I am not in alignment with those requiring anonymity. (Tradition 11 says, Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films. and Tradition 12 says, Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, every reminding us to place principles before personalities.

When I first began writing Powerfully Recovered! I assumed I would publish anonymously, but as the book developed I began to feel uneasy with the idea of hiding behind the two anonymity traditions.

A Challenge to the Fellowship

After all, I am making a challenge to the 12 Step Fellowship and questioning much of what has become customary thinking in the various Fellowships. I finally decided you have an absolute right to know exactly who is making this challenge.

On the other hand, I also believe each one of us has the right to anonymity if we choose and I assume you want to protect yours. So I work hard to make sure I don't use anyone's name, , email or other identifier without specific permission.

Does Blanket Anonymity Still Serve?

That said, I've also included in Powerfully Recovered! a rather detailed appendix about my thinking about the whole anonymity issue. There I wonder if it truly serves us to insist on it for the following reasons:

Times have changed and there have been many anonymity breaks - none of which seem to have hurt 12 Step Programs. In fact, they may have helped remove the stigma associated with addiction/dysfunction.
Although remaining anonymous may mean we put principles before personalities, we have a number of personalities in most of the 12 Step Programs who are well known even though they don't use their whole name.
Anonymity promotes secrecy - and generally, I don't believe keeping secrets is good for recovery.
Anonymity can promote shame; it's my hunch we'd do better acknowledging each other and ourselves for our success. Such acknowledgement can go a long way toward increasing an individual's self-worth.

It's Your Choice

Of course, I believe each one of us has the right to choose - and it's choice I advocate. I would change the 11th Tradition to read: Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion. We need always protect the anonymity of others, even if we choose to break our own.

But once a need (for change) becomes clearly apparent in an individual, a group, or A.A. as a whole, it has long since been found out that we cannot stand still and look the other way. (As Bill Sees It, p. 115)

Love, peace and abundance,