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A Walk through the 12 Steps: Step 12

© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

Step 12 of any 12-Step Program is related to having a spiritual awakening as the result of the previous Steps, and we are to try to carry this message to others, and to practice the principles of the Steps in our lives.

A spiritual awakening is a highly personal experience, yet many people define it as a kind of transformation or a radical change in perception that occurs as we work on ourselves through the 12 Steps. Sometimes a spiritual awakening happens suddenly in a flash of insight, and the entire world suddenly looks new and bright to us. However, usually we experience a gradual awakening of the spirit, a gentle change in the way we see ourselves and others. Some of us can actually feel reborn, hopeful, free of the fears and burdens that had previously prevented us from truly living. Although our fibromyalgia and the circumstances of our lives may not have changed, we can view them in a new and much clearer manner.

Having been affected by a chronic illness that robbed us of our dreams and paralyzed us with fear and rage or numbed our emotions, we doubted that there was any reason to hope for a better life. By working all the 12 Steps, and making friends who are also dealing with fibromyalgia, we are learning to take one day at a time and are sharing our hopes, fears, and pain with others who know exactly how we feel. This helps us to reach out and support others who are struggling with emotions and the sense of loss that fibromyalgia can cause when first diagnosed.

It is important to remember that each person is unique and different in how they deal with their fibromyalgia. Thus, by working all the 12 Steps, and applying them to our lives, we will have a better understanding of ourselves, and can then listen without judgment or giving advice to another. We learn through the Steps that we can not effectively help and support another without taking care of ourselves first. The experience, strength, and hope that we learn by following the 12 Steps is what we can share with another who is dealing with issues that we've already dealt with by following the Steps. Each one of us has a great deal to offer to others, and that will change and grow over time as we learn more about ourselves.

Most of us are searching for ways in which to reduce the symptoms of our fibromyalgia. Yet, we are also learning a different way in which to live and enjoy life. The 12 Steps offer us the opportunity to explore our emotions and spirituality, which may have never been looked at with any great depth before. In this way, our fibromyalgia is a blessing in disguise.