AMENDS

Definition of Amends:
Compensate or make up for a wrongdoing.

Synonyms of Amends:
Reparation, restitution, restoration, redress, atonement, expiation, requital, etc.

These notes are from recovery in AA and/or related 12 step programs.
Readers are encouraged to click the external link for more detail.
We hope you find them helpful.

Love in fellowship.

The man who hears our amends is sure to be impressed with our sincere desire to set right a wrong.
He is going to be more interested in a demonstration of good will than in talk of spiritual discoveries. –As Bill Sees It / Go to page 187 (PDF)

NB: To review more amends go to Step Nine

Making amends is simple. We approach the person we have harmed and say, “I was wrong.” There will be times when our friends won’t accept our amends. Perhaps they need time to process what has happened. If that is the case, we must give them that time. After all, we were the ones in the wrong, not them. We have done our part; the rest is out of our hands. –Just For Today | More…

We want to be free of our guilt. The Ninth Step is not about easing our guilty consciences; it’s about taking responsibility for the wrongs we’ve done. In working our Eighth and Ninth Steps, we should seek the guidance of our sponsor and amend our wrongs in a manner that won’t cause us to owe more amends. We are not just seeking freedom from remorse—we are seeking freedom from our defects. We never again want to inflict harm on our loved ones. One way to insure that we do not is by working the Ninth Step responsibly, checking our motives, and discussing with our sponsor the particular amends we plan to make before we make them. –Just For Today | More…

Projections about actually making amends can be a major obstacle both in making the list and in becoming willing. We need to be willing to make our amends regardless of the outcome. We can plan the amends, but we can’t plan the results. Although we may not be granted a full pardon by everyone to whom we owe amends, we will learn to forgive ourselves. In the process, we will find that we no longer have to carry the burdens of the past. –Just For Today | More…