What is harm?

When writing Step Eight, the question arises of what is harm.

Here is a simple guide.

Harm is when, without justification or overriding cause, I give rise to:

(1) Physical suffering
(2) Emotional suffering
(3) Loss of money
(4) Loss of or damage to property
(5) Inconvenience or other 'stealing' of time

The sixth form of harm is harder to understand: it is where I get in the way of another's spiritual growth.

This takes many forms, but here are some examples:

(1) Preventing a crisis when it is in the natural course of things (for instance, letting unacceptable behaviour persist instead of confronting it)

(2) Doing something for someone they should do for themselves (for instance, fostering dependency)

(3) Shielding someone from the consequences of their actions (for instance, preventing someone from hitting a rock bottom).

This should provide a sufficient start.