One of the most effective drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs today is the 12-step program (https://www.verywellmind.com/the-twelve-steps-63284). It was created in 1938 and came from the experiences of its creators’ recovery from alcoholism. In their case, they had been heartened during their struggles when hearing the stories shared by others during groups about their experiences living through and fighting addiction. The founders, Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, a physician, and a businessman, respectively, who were both addicted to alcohol. Both were encouraged and gained strength from interacting and sharing experiences with people who were going through the same struggles as them.
Both men took the experiences they learned from their treatment program and other concepts they read or heard about and combined them into the Big Book. These concepts were then combined with another six-step program was used through The Oxford Group, part of the Christian Evangelical movement and a prominent addiction treatment program. The original 12-step program was a combination of Carl Jung’s pantheist view of healthy spirituality and Christian teachings.
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12 Step & Christianity
Although the 12-step program is built on Christian teaching, there is a lot in the program that makes it beneficial even for non-believers and people of other faiths, too. Unfortunately, some people who were recovering from narcotics found the Christian-based emphasis on a higher power off-putting and rejected the help the program offered them. People who have had negative experiences may find some groups which strictly promote the Christian emphasis too challenging for them. It’s better to find a more flexible group. Today, greater flexibility (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/where-science-meets-the-steps/201412/aa-without-the-god) is encouraged and even those who don’t believe in a higher power or who have different beliefs learn to use their own definitions of spirituality to define their 12-steps.
What Are The 12 Steps (https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/treatment/12-step-rehab/)?
Once a 12-step program is chosen, new members should make every effort to learn and memorize the steps.
Admit you are powerless over alcohol and you have allowed your life to become unmanageable and unsatisfactory.
There is a power greater than ourselves that can restore us to sanity.
We must make a decision to turn our lives over to the care of God as we know him.
We must take an honest and fearless inventory of ourselves. Only by viewing at our flaws honestly can we expect change.
We must admit to God, ourselves, and another person exactly what we have done wrong.
We must be ready to let God remove all defects from our character.
We must ask God to remove our shortcomings and be willing to change them.
Make a list of the people we have harmed in life and be willing to make amends to them.
Make direct amends to people as long as doing so does not cause them pain or injury.
Continue taking a personal character inventory and once we find flaws, immediately attempt to amend them.
Use prayer and meditation to gain a deeper understanding of God as we know him more fully.
Allow a spiritual awakening to come through these steps and use what we have learned to benefit and help others. A key component of the program is a willingness to use what is learned and help others who are struggling with addiction.
Customizing 12-Step
It’s important to know that the 12-steps are interpreted in different ways by different groups In some cases, different cultural values (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233127945_Applying_a_Cultural_Competency_Framework_to_Twelve_Step_Programs) and modifications are made to make the program more relevant to different groups. These modifications have been successful. The changes have helped make 12-step one of the most popular addiction recovery programs available. By allowing these recovering addicts to incorporate the principles into their lives in the most meaningful way, it enables them to use the program effectively and incorporate the principles into their lives without conflicting religious beliefs. A flexible 12-step have allowed more people to become part of the program and continue successful recovery.
The Requirements To Start 12-Step
The main requirement to join a 12-step program is a willingness to end your drug or alcohol addiction. Experiencing connection and unity during meetings and a willingness to share their experiences to help others who are going through the same challenges has been the credo of the 12-step program. The sense of brotherhood experienced by recovering addicts in these groups makes the popularity of the program understandable. The 12-step program provides the foundation and support many people need to continue their sobriety. Using a combination of discipline, comradely, and structured support makes it easier to live a clean life.
As I continue to blog for Sunshine Behavioral Health (https://www.facebook.com/SunshineBehavi1), one of my goals has been to pass along as much information as I can. Remember, there is no issue with telling yourself you may need help.
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