Anonymity

Tools of Recovery

We practice anonymity, which allows us freedom of expression by assuring us that what we say at meetings or to other DA members at any time will not be repeated. Additionally in DA-HOW, we practice anonymity by not revealing the names of our sponsor or sponsees.

Anonymity is a tool as well as a tradition because it guarantees that we will place principles before personalities. It offers each of us freedom of expression and protection against gossip.

Anonymity assures us that only we as individual DA members have the right to make our membership known within our community.

Anonymity at the level of press, radio, films and television means that we never allow our last names or faces to be used once we identify ourselves as DA members.

Within the Fellowship, anonymity means that whatever we share with another DA member will be held in respect and confidence. What we hear at meetings should remain there. It should be understood, however, that anonymity must not be used to limit our effectiveness within the Fellowship. It is not a break of anonymity to give our names and addresses to the secretary of our group or to other service offices of DA for the purpose of conducting DA business, which is primarily twelfth-step work. It is likewise not a break of anonymity to enlist twelfth-step help for group members in trouble, provided we are careful to omit specific personal information. If their disease has reactivated and we persist in protecting their anonymity, we may, in effect, help kill them and their anonymity.

Anonymity is the part of the program that allows each of us to stand in front of our fellows and share for the first time – honestly - who we are, where we have been and where we hope to go: without fear that our story will be told outside these rooms.

For many of us, the DA rooms are the first place where we have no fear of being judged or criticized. We are accepted as we are at that moment. This is the first time for most of us that we experience sharing where we are not told what we did wrong.

We come into DA at rock bottom: mangled emotionally, financially and spiritually. We are supported back to health with honesty, open-mindedness and willingness. We are encouraged to speak of our pain and we are lovingly told “your secrets are safe.” Come share our recovery - recovery on a three-fold level: financial, emotional and spiritual.