What Are the 12 Steps for Addiction?
Addiction is a disease that requires a step-by-step recovery process to overcome all the obstacles people dealing with addiction face. The 12-step program, originally developed by Alcoholics Anonymous, has become a globally recognized guide for addressing substance abuse and compulsive behaviors, offering participants a structured pathway to healing, self-discovery, and sustained recovery. The 12 steps of addiction recovery include the following:
- Admitting Powerlessness: Acknowledge that addiction has become unmanageable and that willpower cannot control the destructive behavior. This step requires honesty and surrendering the illusion of control.
- Believing in a Higher Power: Recognize that a power greater than oneself can restore sanity. This doesn’t necessarily mean a religious symbol but can represent any supportive, external source of strength and guidance.
- Decide to Turn Will Over: Make a conscious choice to surrender will and life to the care of a chosen higher power, accepting help and guidance beyond personal limitations.
- Take Moral Inventory: Conduct a thorough self-examination, honestly evaluating personal character defects, past mistakes, and destructive behavioral patterns.
- Admitting Wrongs: Confess personal failings to oneself, the higher power, and another trusted individual, taking full accountability for past actions and their consequences.
- Readiness for Character Transformation: Become entirely willing to have one’s character defects removed, demonstrating genuine commitment to personal growth and fundamental change.
- Humbly Requesting Transformation: Actively request the higher power to remove personal shortcomings, demonstrating humility and openness to personal healing and development.
- Listing Those Harmed: Create a comprehensive list of all individuals harmed during active addiction, preparing to make amends and take responsibility for past actions.
- Making Direct Amends: Whenever possible, directly reach out to those previously harmed without causing additional injury or reopening emotional wounds.
- Continuous Self-Examination: Maintain ongoing personal accountability by promptly admitting mistakes, taking responsibility, and seeking to make immediate corrections.
- Spiritual Connection and Meditation: Through prayer, meditation, and spiritual practices, seek to improve conscious contact with the chosen higher power, focusing on understanding personal purpose.
- Helping Others: After experiencing personal transformation, actively help others struggling with addiction, sharing the journey and supporting their recovery process.
How Long Does It Take to Complete a 12-Step Program?
Like any addiction treatment program, how long it takes to complete will depend on each person’s unique circumstances, personal commitment, and history of addiction, including the type of drug being abused. While there is no set time to complete the program, most participants spend about 90 days to one year completing the steps. Even after completion, many people in the program continue to participate in support groups for several years or even decades to maintain relationships with a supportive and sober community.
Progress through the 12-step program will be unique for each participant, with some steps taking longer than others. Some participants may move through the steps relatively quickly, completing the initial steps within three to six months, while others might require 18 to 24 months of dedicated work. It’s important to remember that addiction recovery never truly ends as it is a lifelong journey, with participation in sober support critical for relapse prevention.
Who Benefits From a 12-Step Program?
Anyone facing an addiction involving behavioral like gambling, compulsive disorders, or substance abuse can benefit from participating in a 12-step program. The treatment approach the program provides is effective for people who respond well to structured support systems, value community-based recovery, and are open to spiritual guidance in their healing journey. Since its founding by Alcoholics Anonymous, the program has shown significant success rates for participants who truly commit to the process, regardless of their demographics or length of addiction history.
The benefits of the program even extend beyond the addicted individual to include family members, friends, and loved ones affected by addiction. Sober support groups like Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, which follow similar principles, also help those who need healing from the impacts of another person’s addiction. The program can be particularly effective for those who have experienced multiple relapses with other treatment methods and require long-term support systems.
What Type of Therapy Is a 12-Step Program?
A 12-step program is a form of mutual-support group therapy, combining elements of spiritual, cognitive-behavioral, and peer-support approaches. While not classified as traditional psychotherapy, it uses several established therapy principles. Key elements of the traditional 12-step rehab program for narcotics and alcohol include:
- Group Support Therapy
- Peer-to-Peer Counseling
- Spiritual/Philosophical Guidance
- Behavioral Modification
- Cognitive Restructuring
- Social Support Network
The 12-step program is a complementary treatment approach often used alongside counseling, psychotherapy, medical treatment, mental health services, family therapy, and trauma-informed care. While 12-step programs are not a replacement for professional addiction treatment, they serve as a valuable aspect of addiction recovery by providing ongoing support and personal development.
Addiction Treatment that
Just Works
Individualized treatment programs delivered in a comfortable, relaxed setting promote healing in your recovery journey.
Learn the Benefits of 12 Step Drug Treatment at Resurgence Behavioral Health
Resurgence Behavioral Health 12-step drug treatment programs so patients can access the type of community-supported treatment they desire. Our addiction recovery programs help patients understand the causes and triggers of their addiction while teaching them the coping skills to overcome them. Our caring and professional drug treatment facility in California features a team of caring addiction specialists who use the latest evidence-based treatments to help patients overcome addiction. To discover more about how our addiction treatment and mental health services can help you or a loved one overcome addiction, call Resurgence Behavioral Health at 855-458-0050 today.
External Source
Alcoholics Anonymous – What is A.A.?