Clutterers Anonymous (CLA) is a
twelve-step program
Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), aided its members ...
for people who share a common problem with accumulation of
clutter
Clutter and its derivations may refer to any of the following:
Excessive physical disorder
* Clutter, a confusing, or disorderly, state or collection, and possible symptom of compulsive hoarding
* Clutter (marketing), numerous advertisements, a ...
. CLA says that it focuses on the underlying issues made manifest by unnecessary physical and emotional clutter, rather than hints, tips and lectures.
CLA had active meetings in about 70 cities in 24 states in the US, and several in England, Germany, and Iceland, as of 2011.
[http://www.clutterersanonymous.org Clutterers Anonymous] CLA Tradition 3 states, "The only requirement for CLA membership is a desire to stop cluttering."
Clutterers Anonymous replaces "powerless over alcohol" in the First Step of the
Twelve Steps
Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), aided its members ...
originally developed by
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...
(AA) with "powerless over our clutter."
CLA was founded in May 1989 in
Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The ...
.
Some members of CLA describe the inability to let go of objects as a consequence of
spiritual emptiness.
CLA-approved literature
The CLA-approved literature includes the two fundamental texts of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), ''Alcoholics Anonymous''
(the so-called "
Big Book") and the ''
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
''Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions'' is a 1953 book, which explains the 24 basic principles of Alcoholics Anonymous and their application. The book dedicates a chapter to each step and each tradition, providing a detailed interpretation of thes ...
''
eight CLA-specific leaflets, and a 28-page booklet, "Is CLA for You? A Newcomer's Guide to Recovery''.
Clutterers Anonymous
/ref>'' At some meetings, CLA members read directly from both books and may replace the word "alcoholic" with "clutterer."''
See also
*List of twelve-step groups
This is a list of Wikipedia articles about specific twelve-step recovery programs and fellowships. These programs, and the groups of people who follow them, are based on the set of guiding principles for recovery from addictive, compulsive, or ...
*Self-help groups for mental health
Self-help groups for mental health are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome mental illness or otherwise increase their level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing. Despite the different approaches, many of the psycho ...
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Clutterers Anonymous
Twelve-step programs
Organizations established in 1989
Non-profit organizations based in the United States
Compulsive hoarding