Tried and True: AA Slogans That Everyone Can Subscribe To

Each year on June 10, Alcoholics Anonymous commemorates “Dr. Bob’s Last Drink Day,” which took place on June 10, 1935. Dr. Bob Smith, along with Bill W., co-founded AA, and this date is widely regarded as the program’s founding day.

In recognition of this historic moment, I’m sharing some of my favorite AA and 12-Step slogans—short phrases that have offered guidance, encouragement, and perspective to many people in recovery.

Recovery Process Slogans

Recovery is a journey…not a destination

Recovery from substance use is a process—a journey rather than a destination. There is no finish line where the work is complete, and life returns to “normal.” Instead, sober living becomes the new normal and continues for as long as a person chooses recovery.

Rather than feeling discouraged that the work doesn’t end after rehab or after recommitting following a relapse, it can be helpful to reframe recovery as a lifestyle choice. The stages of recovery—deciding to get sober, taking the first steps, committing to lifestyle changes, achieving abstinence, and maintaining it—can be seen as part of a life that offers greater clarity, health, and fulfillment.

When you shift your perspective, recovery no longer represents deprivation or burden. It can become a source of empowerment, wisdom, and long-term well-being.

Is your program powered by Will Power or Higher Power?

AA and many 12-Step programs emphasize the importance of calling on “a power greater than ourselves” to support sobriety. What that Higher Power represents is entirely personal. For some, it’s God; for others, it may be nature, spirituality, or a deeper sense of inner wisdom.

The significance lies not in defining the Higher Power, but in believing that support exists beyond one’s own limited resources. Many people in early recovery feel overwhelmed or depleted. Spirituality can offer hope by allowing individuals to believe they are not facing recovery alone.

This willingness to ask for help beyond oneself is often referred to as grace—a concept that can bring comfort, motivation, and renewed strength.

Maintaining Abstinence Slogans

HALT = Don’t get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired

This slogan is a staple among AA and 12-Step members. It’s great advice simply stated in an easy-to-remember format.

These four conditions are often triggers for trouble. During recovery, it’s important to maintain adequate physical, mental, and emotional health to think clearly and make good decisions.

Slip-ups often happen during times when one of these states has been compromised. Because addiction can alter physiology (for instance, diminished awareness of hunger) and emotion (increased irritability, chances of depression), using HALT to remind yourself to be aware of the dangers is a good tip.

SLIP = Sobriety Lost Its Priority

Yes, recovery must always be a priority in your life if you want to remain sober over the long haul. You can’t ever “forget” to “work the process.”

But just as you can re-frame the meaning of recovery itself, you can re-frame the need to prioritize it–from a feeling of being inconvenienced and having a “taskmaster” to a sense of having a “guardian” that protects your improved lifestyle and health.

Don’t quit 15 minutes before the miracle happens

The “miracle” is the “spiritual awakening” that comes from turning your substance use or addiction problem over to your Higher Power rather than trying to resolve it yourself.

It’s usually accompanied by a change of attitude that breaks you free from a self-destructive spiral. Signs that you have achieved this change in perspective may include: an increased tendency to let things happen rather than try to make them happen; reduced worry; increased acceptance and decreased judgment; and feelings of gratitude and acceptance.

This motivational saying is intended to encourage you not to quit your program or give up on your goals for sobriety, because you never know when the “miracle” will happen.

Emotional Growth Slogans

We are only as sick as our secrets

Emotional growth is a key element in recovery. It is not enough to stop drinking or using substances. True recovery means becoming more emotionally mature, responsible for yourself and your actions, and committed to improving your life and the lives of those affected by your use or addiction.

Secrecy and dishonesty often accompany substance use—first internally, then externally. Letting go of secrets and being truthful with yourself and trusting others is a powerful step toward reducing shame and fostering genuine healing.

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional

This slogan is a reminder that emotional maturity and personal growth do not happen automatically, simply as a result of aging. Each of us, whether we are in recovery or not, is responsible for acquiring our own mental and emotional maturity, no matter what age we are.

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