At Bel Aire Recovery Center, we know that simply discharging our clients into the community after a stay at our residential facility is not the best way to ensure success in their recovery journey. We provide each one with a detailed plan for continued care, which may include participating in a 12-step program. This article will provide information about the 12 steps to addiction recovery, the program’s origins, and how it works.
A 12-step program’s goal is to help participants abstain from substance abuse or change their behavior through peer support. This involvement provides support through a social network and encourages bonding among the group members. Members often run the groups themselves without involving healthcare professionals.
Alcoholics Anonymous – The First 12-Step Program
The first (and perhaps most well-known) 12-step program is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It began in 1935 when Bob Smith (Dr. Bob), a surgeon from Ohio, and Bill Wilson, a New York City stockbroker and entrepreneur, met. Both men had severe alcoholism.
Under the influence of the Oxford Group, a “nonalcoholic fellowship that emphasized universal spiritual values in daily living,” and with the help of a friend, Ebby T., Bill had become sober. Bill maintained his sobriety by working with other alcoholics.
When Dr. Bob and Bill met, there was an immediate positive effect on the doctor. He had found a fellow alcoholic who was succeeding in staying sober.
Bill explained to Dr. Bob that alcoholism was a disease of the mind, body, and emotions. Dr. Bob had never thought of alcoholism as a disease. The doctor responded to Bill’s ideas, got sober, and never touched alcohol again. This event led to the founding of AA.
In the fall of 1939, a second group of alcoholics looking to get sober slowly formed in New York. A third group was established in Cleveland in 1939. It took four years for the three initial groups to produce 100 sober alcoholics.
AA has close to two million members worldwide, with groups established in 180 countries. Approximately 1.2 members live in the United States.
Over time, other programs modeled after AA were established. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) started in the 1950s. Cocaine Anonymous began in 1982. Several other programs exist to help members with addictive behaviors, and 12-step treatment centers can help clients access these types of programs:
The Fellowship published an introductory textbook entitled Alcoholics Anonymous in early 1939. Bill wrote the text, which was reviewed by several early members. It explained AA’s philosophy and methods. It is now called the Twelve Steps of Recovery.
The 12 steps are in place to help participants in the group recover from their compulsive behaviors and restore order to their life. They help people see that the behaviors associated with alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders are a symptom of the disease and an indication that the person needs help.
The 12 steps encourage the person to take a good, honest look at themselves and their life. Their ego is deconstructed and rebuilt in small stages as they work the steps. These alcoholic recovery Steps work by encouraging the person following them to adopt positive behavioral traits:
According to PubMed Central, a highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health, someone can explain the essential meaning of the six steps in six phases, which include:
The 12-step model for addiction treatment is based on spiritual principles, but people have changed a lot since 1935, when AA and this program were initially introduced. The word “God” in the 12 steps can be replaced with “Higher Power” to make the program more relevant and inclusive to everyone.
A Higher Power can be God, as the participant sees Him. It can also be:
A Higher Power also includes anything the participant feels outside himself and more significant than his ego. It is a very personal choice.
When someone admits they are powerless over their addiction, it is not the same thing as admitting they are weak or that they have a character flaw. It means the person is asking for help and is ready to lean on other group members and rely on their support system.
According to PubMed Central, a social network is a central feature of 12-step programs. It helps members stay sober. Fellowship or social benefits are one of the program’s most closely linked benefits to abstinence.
Becoming a member of the group changes a person’s social network. Instead of spending time with others involved in drinking or drug abuse, participants spend more time with those who are abstaining. As a result, participants are more likely to take part in sober activities.
Over time, the group members establish a bond. This sense of bonding leads to newer participants developing abstinence role models and fosters goal setting for members.
Everyone follows a different schedule to complete the 12 steps. Participants at 12-step meetings are at various stages of sobriety. Some have been sober for a day or two, while others have been sober for months or years. The program is designed to be continuous to strengthen people throughout their recovery. Many people continue going to meetings after completing their 12 steps because it helps them remain focused on their sobriety.
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