Bart Ross – Recovery Services Manager
Restored to Sanity in a 12-Step Program. What does it really mean?
In the Alcoholics Anonymous program, Step 2 tells us that we are “restored to sanity.” But what does that really mean? How do we understand “sanity” in the context of AA’s early years, when the program was founded in the 1930s?
“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” (Big Book pg.59)
The term “sanity” in the early days of AA was more narrowly defined than it is today. It primarily referred to being able to think clearly and make rational decisions. In a time when addiction was often seen as a moral failing, rather than a complex mental health issue, “sanity” meant being free from the obsession that controlled an alcoholic’s thinking and behavior. In this article, we’ll explore what “sanity” meant in the 1930s, why this is such a crucial part of recovery, and how the AA program aims to restore it.
The Definition of Sanity in AA.
When Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in the 1930s, the term “sanity” was more straightforward. Sanity, in this context, simply meant the ability to think logically and make rational decisions. Alcoholics/addicts are considered “insane” in the context of the 12-Steps because, despite our knowledge of the harm alcohol or drugs are causing, we are unable to stop. The obsession with alcohol/drugs clouds our ability to think clearly and make a sound decision not to drink or use drugs, even when we could see the damage we were doing to our lives. Once we have the obsession, we are no longer able to reason.
In The Big Book, the term “insanity” is often used to describe the compulsive, irrational thinking that kept alcoholics trapped in the cycle of addiction. A person in active addiction might recognize their problem but feel powerless to change their behavior due to this distorted thinking. The result is a continuous cycle of restless, irritable, and discontented followed by an obsession to drink; we then begin drinking and go on a spree; at some point, we experience consequences and become remorseful, and we then make broken promises to ourselves and others.
The cycle starts over, and we drink again with many failed attempts to stop forever, all driven by an obsession that seemed beyond our control.
“Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable, and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks-drinks which they see others taking with impunity. After they have succumbed to the desire again, as so many do, and the phenomenon of craving develops, they pass through the well-known stages of a spree, emerging remorseful, with a firm resolution not to drink again. This is repeated over and over, and unless this person can experience an entire psychic change there is very little hope of his recovery.” (Big Book DOCTORS OPINION)
In this context, being “restored to sanity” means breaking free from that obsessive, irrational thinking. It isn’t just about quitting drinking or using drugs—it is about being able to think clearly again, free from the grip of the mental obsession with alcohol and drugs. We work on our recovery, not our sobriety. When Step 2 talks about being restored to sanity, it’s essentially describing the process of returning to a state of clear, rational thinking where alcohol and drugs no longer dominate the mind.
“We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.” (Big Book Foreword)
The idea of “restoring sanity” is crucial to the success of alcoholics/addicts. In the 1930s, it was realized that addiction wasn’t just about physical dependence—it was also about the way alcohol had taken over their thoughts and their lives. Alcoholics were seen as “insane” not because they had lost their ability to reason altogether, but because they could not control their behavior despite knowing the consequences of their actions. This is what made the obsession with alcohol so powerful.
“So he returned to this doctor, whom he admired, and asked him point-blank why he could not recover. He wished above all things to regain self-control. He seemed quite rational and well-balanced with respect to other problems. Yet he had no control whatever over alcohol. Why was this?” (Big Book pg.26)
The founders of AA realized that if alcoholics were to stay sober, they needed more than just a way to stop drinking. They needed a way to restore their ability to think rationally and make decisions that were in their best interest. The solution wasn’t in willpower but in addressing the deeper psychological and spiritual roots of the obsession with alcohol. A sick mind cannot fix a sick mind.
“You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” Albert Einstein
The 12-Step program, particularly Step 2, we begin a journey that would help us overcome the mental obsession that drove us to drink/drug. In Step 1, acknowledging that our thinking has become distorted, we become willing to believe in a Higher Power that can restore our mental clarity. The idea is that once sanity is restored, we will no longer be consumed by the obsession to drink or use and could start living a life of balance and rationality.
One of the central themes in Step 2 is the idea of a “miracle.” In the Big Book, the process of being restored to sanity is described as a transformation that happens almost automatically—once the alcoholic stops fighting the thought of drinking. The “miracle” is that, over time, alcohol and drugs no longer holds the same power over us. We no longer obsess about drinking/using or feel the compulsive urge to do so.
What is this but a miracle of healing? Yet its elements are simple. Circumstances made him willing to believe. He humbly offered himself to his Maker – then he knew. Even so has God restored us all to our right minds. To this man, the revelation was sudden. Some of us grow into it more slowly. But He has come to all who have honestly sought Him. When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us! (Big Book pg.57)
The 12-Step program helps alcoholics and addicts restore our sanity by addressing the spirit.
The process begins with admitting powerlessness (Step 1), which allows the alcoholic/addict to confront the distorted thinking that made us believe we could control our addiction. Step 2—willingness to believe in a higher power—shifts the focus from self-will to openness to change through the help of a Higher Power, allowing for the restoration of mental clarity.
The following steps (Steps 3-9) involve a commitment to a Higher Power, a deep personal inventory of our life, making amends, and clearing emotional and spiritual obstacles, which help remove the resentments and fears that often fuel irrational thoughts and behaviors that block us from our Higher Power.
(Steps 10-12) encourage us to continue being awake to our thoughts, actions, and behaviors throughout the day, checking in with ourselves regularly to ensure we are staying true to the principles of sobriety and personal growth. When mistakes or wrongdoings are identified, we admit them promptly. Cultivate a sense of peace, understanding, and guidance through prayer or meditation. Seeking a personal relationship with God of our understanding. Practicing all the principles of the first 11 steps and passing it on to other alcoholics/addicts.
The ultimate goal of these steps is not just to stop drinking/using but to have a spiritual awakening that will “restore sanity” by addressing the thought patterns, and spiritual disconnects that lead to addiction.
Alcohol/drugs are no longer a constant obsession in our mind, we’re able to make rational, healthy decisions and live a balanced, purposeful life. A new design for living.
Being “restored to sanity” means that our thinking is no longer dominated by the obsession to drink/use. It doesn’t mean we would never have a thought about alcohol or drugs again, but it means that those thoughts would no longer control our actions. The obsession of drinking or using would lose its power, allowing us to live a life based on spirituality and freedom.
And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone – even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned. We will seldom be interested in liquor. If tempted, we recoil from it as from a hot flame. We react sanely and normally, and we will find that this has happened automatically. We will see that our new attitude toward liquor has been given us without any thought or effort on our part. It just comes! That is the miracle of it. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality – safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us. We are neither cocky nor are we afraid. That is our experience. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition. (Big Book pg.84-85)
Being “restored to sanity” in 12-Step programs is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. It’s a way of life.
It’s about continually growing and improving our ability to think clearly, make rational decisions, and live a life free from the obsession to drink/use. As long as we remain in “fit spiritual condition,” we can stay restored to sanity—and that’s what allows us to live a balanced, fulfilling life in recovery.
Being “restored to sanity” isn’t about making a constant, deliberate effort to avoid alcohol or drugs. That never worked for permanent sobriety and happiness, at least for me, it never worked. Instead, it’s about reaching a place where the thought of alcohol and drugs no longer dominates our minds. The obsession is removed, not through sheer willpower, but through a spiritual transformation that changes the way we relate to alcohol/drugs and, ultimately, to life itself.
Please feel free to reach out to me at bross@hanleyfoundation.org.
Hanley Center has been helping people all over the country achieve wellness for more than 40 years. In addition to providing age- and gender-specific treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders, Hanley offers a Patriots Program for first responders and veterans, a program specifically for pregnant women, and a boutique residential mental health program for adults. For information on our programs, call us today: 561-841-1033.
