The Twelve Traditions
The Twelve Traditions of CMA
- Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon CMA unity.
- For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority- a loving God as expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
- The only requirement for CMA membership is a desire to stop using.
- Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or CMA as a whole.
- Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the addict who still suffers.
- A CMA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the CMA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
- Every CMA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
- CMA should remain forever non-professional, but our service centres may employ special workers.
- CMA, as such, ought never be organised; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- CMA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the CMA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, television, films and other public media.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.