Everything published on Stepwise Recovery is shaped by two commitments that sit in deliberate tension: honesty about lived experience, and the anonymity that twelve-step recovery is built on. This page explains how we hold both.
Written anonymously, on principle
Our articles and guides are written by people in recovery. That lived experience is the reason the writing rings true — and it is also the reason you will not find names or faces attached to it. Anonymity is not a branding choice. It is a principle inherited from the traditions of the fellowships whose work made our own recovery possible: principles before personalities, and no individual presenting themselves as the face of recovery. Our authors are anonymous not because they lack experience or care, but because anonymity is part of the recovery culture this site exists to serve.
Clinically reviewed
Because addiction is a health matter, lived experience alone is not enough. Our published content is clinically reviewed by a qualified substance misuse practitioner, who checks it for factual accuracy and for safety — that nothing we publish could steer someone away from help they need. Where an article touches on medical ground, such as withdrawal, medication or mental health, we err firmly on the side of telling you to speak to a professional.
What our content is — and what it is not
Stepwise content is peer-experience literature: people who have walked this road describing what they found on it, checked by someone qualified to catch what experience alone can miss. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for treatment. Our medical disclaimer sets this out in full, and the research and fellowship literature behind our guides is listed on our sources and citations page.
The meeting directory
Meeting listings follow their own published rules — what qualifies for inclusion, how listings are verified, and why we would rather list fewer meetings than wrong ones. See our directory listing policy.
Corrections
If we have got something wrong, we want to know. Get in touch and tell us what needs fixing — factual corrections are made as soon as they are verified. For meeting listings that have moved or closed, the fastest route is the update form on any meeting page.