The Twelve Traditions

Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon CoDA unity.
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving higher power as expressed to our
group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
The only requirement for membership in CoDA is a desire for healthy and loving relationships.
Each group should remain autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or CoDA as a whole.
Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to other codependents who still suffer.
A CoDA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the CoDA name to any related facility or outside
enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim.
A CoDA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Co-Dependents Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ
special workers.
CoDA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly
responsible to those they serve.
CoDA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the CoDA name ought never be drawn into public
controversy.
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain
personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions; ever reminding us to place principles before
personalities.