Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Step Nine

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

GOOD judgment, a careful sense of timing, courage, and
prudence—these are the qualities we shall need when we
take Step Nine.

After we have made the list of people we have harmed,
have reflected carefully upon each instance, and have tried
to possess ourselves of the right attitude in which to pro-
ceed, we will see that the making of direct amends divides
those we should approach into several classes. There will
be those who ought to be dealt with just as soon as we
become reasonably confident that we can maintain our so-
briety. There will be those to whom we can make only par-
tial restitution, lest complete disclosures do them or others
more harm than good. There will be other cases where ac-
tion ought to be deferred, and still others in which by the
very nature of the situation we shall never be able to make
direct personal contact at all.

Most of us begin making certain kinds of direct amends
from the day we join Alcoholics Anonymous. The moment
we tell our families that we are really going to try the pro-
gram, the process has begun. In this area there are seldom
any questions of timing or caution. We want to come in the
door shouting the good news. After coming from our first