Author: John Carter
About Step 12 of the 12 Step Program
Another possible downside is the lack of trained professionals leading the groups. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.
While participating in the 12 steps of recovery can be beneficial for many people, consider the advantages and disadvantages of these programs before you decide if this approach is right for you. Believing in this higher power may help someone find meaning in their life outside of addiction. For instance, they may find a greater sense of community by joining a spiritual or religious group.
A recovering person may cause further damage to the affected person if they contact them. Eventually, one has less guilt and more motivation to improve the lives of others. Those in recovery can move forward “willing” to improve their social connections. “Defects of character” are reshaped by replacing old coping behaviors with healthier decisions. Learning new ways to behave is hard, so one might revisit this step multiple times.
What Are 12-Step Programs?
Addiction is not viewed here as a behavior controlled by willpower. Step One aims to relabel the addiction of any affected individuals as a disease similar to a lethal allergy. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Most 12-Step groups have also adapted the 12 traditions for their own recovery plans. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable. There is limited research into its effectiveness, but one drawback is that it relies on people effectively surrendering themselves to a higher power. People who are not religious or spiritual may struggle with this concept. One is that some people might not feel comfortable with religion or spirituality. Rather than accepting the concept of powerlessness and surrendering to a higher power, they might prefer the idea of taking action and responsibility themselves.
Finding Treatment
This step is structured around the belief that one is “powerless” over one’s chronic disease. The 12 recovery principles structure each member’s individual mindset. This is simply the groundwork to operate in tandem with additional group-focused guidelines.
- Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight addiction.
- Learning new ways to behave is hard, so one might revisit this step multiple times.
- Believing in this higher power may help someone find meaning in their life outside of addiction.
In fact, most participants find that as they grow in their recovery they will need to revisit some steps or even tackle more than one step at a time. Steps 1, 2, and 3 are considered the foundation of a 12-Step program and are recommended to practice daily. Although studies indicate that the programs are effective for people with alcohol use disorder, the research on their effectiveness for those with substance misuse is still preliminary.
How the 12 Steps Works
Many members of 12-step recovery programs have found that these steps were not merely a way to overcome addiction, but they became a guide toward a new way of life. Some of the best-known 12-step programs include Alcoholic Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA). The 12-step program aims to help people attain abstinence from substance use disorders or make a behavioral change through peer support.
Twelve-Step meetings are considered the “fellowship” part of the AA mutual support groups, where people come together and share their experiences. Addiction Resource does not offer medical diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Only trained and licensed medical professionals can provide such services. If you or anyone you know is undergoing a severe health crisis, call a doctor or 911 immediately. By now, you should have a better awareness of how the 12 steps of recovery work. Accountability, purpose, and fellowship are the glue of the 12 Step recovery program.
Professional Treatment
Research suggests that 12-step interventions and mutual support groups can be essential in recovery. The 12 steps are also used in recovery programs for addictions other than alcohol. Addiction Resource is an educational platform for sharing and disseminating information about addiction and substance abuse recovery centers. Addiction Resource is not a healthcare provider, nor does it claim to offer sound medical advice to anyone. Addiction Resource does not favor or support any specific recovery center, nor do we claim to ensure the quality, validity, or effectiveness of any particular treatment center.
They encourage anyone to use the program with their own concept of higher Power. The 12 Steps are a set of principles developed to help individuals struggling with addiction change their beliefs. What’s more, 12 Step communities of all types help provide the support and accountability many recovering addicts crave. The 12 Steps were created by the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous to establish guidelines to overcome an addiction to alcohol. The program gained enough success in its early years for other addiction support groups to adapt the steps to their specific substance or addictive behavior. Membership in one of the groups changes a person’s social network.
This lack of control must be understood before a member can proceed with recovery. The 12 Steps of recovery were designed as the foundation for individual recovery. They serve as guidelines for individuals on their journey back from addiction.
The 12-step programs can be traced back as early as 1935 when the first twelve-step fellowship was founded. The actual 12 steps of AA were published in a book in 1939, which spiritually guided patients to overcome alcohol addiction. Although the 12 steps to recovery are primarily based on spiritual beliefs and teachings, they also serve as guiding principles for non-religious people.