12 Traditions Annotated

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon LAA unity. Each member of LAA is a small aspect of a larger whole. Group welfare and support come first, with individual health and safety coming in a very close second.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority; a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern. This is God in whatever form works for each group’s collective consciousness.

3. The only requirement for LAA membership is a desire to recover from love addiction. No one is turned away if they wish to overcome love addiction and/or codependency. Still, we must not disrupt meetings for the sake of the whole group.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups, or LAA as a whole. There is no centralized LAA authority that affects individual groups unless the action of the group affects other meetings. The common welfare is paramount.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to others who still suffer from love addiction and codependency. Once the message is delivered, we must let our Higher Power take control.

6. A LAA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the LAA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose. LAA does not give money or an endorsement to organizations outside the group’s mission. The mention of our involvement in other 12- Step programs is not an endorsement.

7. Every LAA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. Public solicitation of funds, to support the LAA group, individual members, or the overall LAA movement, is unwise.

8. LAA should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers. The core of the group meetings is non-professional, peer support. Sometimes, LAA hires members to perform specific services that help the group or regional organization.

9. LAA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve. Leadership should rotate. There are some elected positions, including a secretary for minutes and a committee, but these positions should frequently cycle.

10. LAA has no opinion on outside issues, hence the LAA name ought never be drawn into public controversy. LAA as a whole should not use the group identity to express support or opposition to issues outside LAA itself. These include political views, sectarian religion, or public reform. Individual members talking about such things, do not represent LAA. Special-interest meetings are allowed.

11. Our public relations policy is based upon attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films [and other media]. Personal anonymity of members is deeply important but not mandatory. If a member is working with the outside community, they can choose to break their anonymity.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of the traditions, placing principles above personalities. The principle of anonymity has spiritual significance. Anonymity reminds members to practice genuine humility.


Approved by the International Business Committee on January 1, 2022