About the Debtors Anonymous 12-Step Recovery Program

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Debtors Anonymous (DA) is a well-known, 12-step recovery program with peer support for people in debt. DA is mainly based on Alcoholics Anonymous and follows the same format. In fact, Debtors Anonymous came to fruition when a core group of recovering members of Alcoholics Anonymous realized many people turn to alcohol to avoid the stresses caused by debt. It is estimated that the average household credit card debt in the United States is $15,204. If you face a serious debt addiction, you are not alone. Call our 24/7 hotline today at 1-888-376-9282 Who Answers? to find out how you can get help for your problem.

What is the Debtors Anonymous 12 Step Program

The program structure of Debtors Anonymous follows the AA text Twelve Traditions and Twelve Steps. The principles in this text have been adopted by many other 12-step support groups. This format is generally based on the belief that anonymity encourages people to speak openly and honestly, ensuring people get the help needed from the rest of the group. The only requirement to join Debtors Anonymous is that you have a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt. Whether that debt is small or large, Debtors Anonymous will put you on the path to recovery and give you the tools you need to avoid going into debt again.

To successfully begin recovery, it is helpful to first gain an understanding of how and why people get into debt. Some of the most common causes of debt addiction include:

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What Else Should I Know About the Program?

“To successfully begin recovery, it is helpful to first gain an understanding of how and why people get into debt.”The 12 steps of Debtors Anonymous are identical to the 12 steps used by Alcoholics Anonymous. The only difference is that the steps used by DA are slightly modified to relate to debt as opposed to alcohol addiction. Members find these steps are effective when used long-term, and the success rates are high for all groups that adhere to them.

The first step for every member is to admit he is completely powerless over debt, and that his life has become unmanageable. Once you have admitted that you are completely embroiled in debt and your life is out of your control, the second step is to come to a belief that a higher power is able to restore you to psychological wellness and a normal life. This higher power represents your personal image of God and is not specific to any particular religion. The third step is to turn your life and will over to God as you understand him.

After these three first steps, each member must create an in-depth moral inventory. This moral inventory explores the aspects of your life that are immoral and cause harm to yourself and others. Taking an honest moral inventory is a painful process, but it will enable you to complete the fifth step. The fifth step is to admit the nature of your wrongdoings to God, yourself and another person. After completing the fifth step, each member focuses on his intent to change and prepares to allow God to remove all the character defects that led to these wrongdoings. The seventh step is to humbly ask God to remove these shortcomings.

Most of the following steps are less spiritual and focus more on cleaning up your life. The eighth step is to make a list of each and every person you have harmed. Regardless of your current relationship with each person on this list, you must humble yourself and become willing to make amends with all of them. The ninth step is to find every person on your list and make direct amends unless doing so would injure yourself or others. This step is the most difficult for many members, as it frequently requires them to relive painful memories as they reconnect with people from the past. The support of the group is very important during this step, and it is comforting to know that other members had to go through the same thing.

The 10th step is to take personal inventory, and admit it right away when you are wrong. The 11th step requires members to seek God through meditation and prayer to improve their contact with him. Prayers should always be centered on a desire for knowledge of his will as opposed to prayers for specific items and worldly desires. The 12th and final step is to use what you learned to keep your life on track, and to use your personal testimony to reach other people who are suffering from the stresses of debt.

Finding Debtors Anonymous 12-Step Recovery Meetings

If you or someone you know is currently embroiled in debt, Debtors Anonymous may provide the support system needed to become free from debt forever. Now is a better time than ever to seek the help and support of others who have also found themselves in your situation. Remaining in debt can only get worse over time.

Last updated on December 8, 2018
2018-12-08T00:18:37+00:00

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What to Know About Debtors Anonymous

Article Summary

Debtors Anonymous (DA) is a peer support program and organization for recovery from problematic spending that leads to serious debt. 1 DA uses the 12-step system that was originally pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous during the 1930s. And, like all traditional 12-step programs, participation is free of charge and everything shared remains confidential.1

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What Is Debt Addiction?

Addiction to debt is considered a behavioral addiction, and peer support groups have shown promise as part of an effective therapeutic approach to these types of addictions. Debtors Anonymous suggests that participants stop incurring any new debt even before they find a DA meeting in their area. Then the program advises new participants to attend at least 6 meetings to decide whether the DA approach is helpful to them.

If you think you might have a debt addiction, read the following signs that indicate a dysfunctional relationship with money and debt:2

Another telling sign of an addiction is continuing to engage in the addictive behaviors despite negative consequences, such as always feeling guilty, poor school or work performance, job loss, strain in important relationships, significant financial problems, or legal issues.3

However, while all of these signs of an addiction are concerning, it is important to remember that not all overuse of credit cards is considered compulsive or qualifies as an addiction. In tough financial times, some people are left with no other way to pay for daily expenses besides using their credit cards.

Also, Debtors Anonymous does not help people who use debt for usual, planned, or emergency expenses. The purpose of the group is to help those who incur debt by compulsively buying items they do not need or who live above their means by paying for meals, vacations, and other luxuries with unsecured credit that they are not able to pay off.1 Individuals or families who have incurred debt but are not compulsive debtors are best served by finding credit counseling services to restore their financial health.

How It Affects Your Mental Health

One significant consequence of debt addiction is the potential for worsening mental health issues.4 Research has found that adults who are in debt are 3 times more likely than those not in debt to have a mental health disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, or a combination of these.4 Those who have other addictive behaviors in addition to a debt addiction (such as alcohol or drug dependence or problematic gambling) tend to have even more significant mental health problems.4 Studies also discovered that issues occur at even higher rates in those who have multiple sources of debt and who need to get loans because of this: among this population, approximately 50% struggle with a mental health disorder. 4

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What to Expect at a Meeting

Participants in DA meetings can expect to meet other people in their area who are also experiencing financial, social, and personal difficulties due to overuse of unsecured debt. Some of the participants in these meetings may have experienced the loss of a job, a business, relationships, their health, or even contemplated or attempted suicide due to the aftermath of constant compulsive borrowing.

Support groups such as DA provide a safe space for anyone struggling with addiction to share these problems and to discuss any painful memories associated with their addiction. Group members may also enlighten the group with the things they learned “the hard way” due to their addiction. However, members of support groups, such as DA, also share and discuss their successes. This provides hope, encouragement, and a positive outlook regarding recovery.

They might share tips about how they got out of debt and how to avoid triggers that led them to compulsive borrowing in the first place. The atmosphere in these support groups is usually one of mutual encouragement. Using the 12 steps of Debtors Anonymous as a guide, participants in DA meetings discuss how to make amends to those whom they have hurt through their unhealthy financial patterns and habits, as well as how to strengthen their resolve to maintain a debt-free lifestyle.

If you are interested in attending a DA meeting, visit its website to find one near you. There’s no need to struggle with compulsive spending and crushing debt alone.

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