YES Recovery
YES Recovery, or the YES Recovery movement is a self-help
movement whose members co-operate to aid recovery from various addictions and
compulsions through the use of a plan referred to as the Yes
Recovery Document (http://wikisource.org/articles/Y/E/YES_Recovery_Document). Its origins
were on the Internet but it is applied and practised by individuals and groups
offline as well as online. YES is not an acronym but seen as a symbol of positivity
and the value of choosing a positive attitude.
The movement, which commenced in 2000, has its own 12 steps, 12 traditions, 12
suggestions and 12 principles, but no rules. The only requirement for membership is a "desire to stop using" and there are no
fees or dues.
The self-managing program acknowledges a heritage derived from the 12 steps
movement. However, there are some significant differences, probably the main one of these being that YES Recovery is a movement
with just one brief document and without institution nor organization. There are no institutional facilities, no headquarters and
no publications other than the YES Recovery Document, which is central to the movement.
The tradition of having a minimal approach to publishing arose as a response to what many have seen to be an over-emphasis on
literature and publishing houses owned by many recovery organizations. It was also desired that people with problems could get
involved quickly and easily without feeling a need to buy any endorsd products or literature. Likewise, it was considered that a
brief, public domain document would obviate the need for members to spend significant amounts of money on printing or
distribution.
Another significant difference between this movement and many recovery organizations is that there is no underlying culture of
belief in God as in 12 Steps programs. Belief or non-belief is not considered a requisite of
nor even relevant to the program.
Any meeting (online or off) of two or more people using the movement's document without additions or amendments is considered
to be an autonomous YES Recovery group and the mode by which members help each other to recover.
Like 12 Steps groups, each YES Recovery group is a part of a network. Unlike other similar organizations, however, YES
Recovery does not have a central office nor any structure or hierarchy of authority. As with the deliberate lack of books and
publications, the purpose of this mode of operation derives from the movement's desire to focus on recovery rather than
organization, and to avoid potential organizational pitfalls such as authoritarianism and corruption.
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