You may hear a lot about the 12-step addiction treatment plan. It is the foundation of many recovery processes because, ultimately, it works. When you seek out drug and alcohol addiction treatment with us at Iron Bridge Recovery Center in Chester, VA, we create an individualized treatment plan designed to address your specific needs and long-term health goals. For many people, the 12 Steps provide the foundation of that recovery process.
What is the 12-Step Process?
The 12-step program provides an actionable sequence of steps that you will take to work through your addiction. The program was initially established by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a way to work through recovery. The program can be adapted to fit a wide range of addictions, but it ultimately follows a 12-step process that you work on throughout your addiction recovery.
What Are the 12 Steps?
The 12 Steps of AA are as follows:
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- 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.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
While these Steps are listed in their original wording, they are often adapted to feel more welcoming to people who are uncomfortable with the spiritual component. But the principles are the same, and the Steps are intended to be worked through with the help of a recovery mentor. In the addiction treatment setting, a therapist may also help clients work through the Steps. The ultimate goal of this program is to help you achieve and maintain abstinence from substances or addictive behaviors.
12-Step Meetings
When you enter into drug and alcohol addiction treatment, you will engage in group meetings. During these meetings, you will work on understanding your addiction and applying one of the 12 Steps to your treatment and recovery process.
Once you leave formal inpatient treatment, you’ll then be able to attend local meetings that can also help you to work towards recovery. The goal of these programs is to help ensure that you maintain your sobriety through ongoing action and support.
Meetings typically include open discussion periods during which you can share information about yourself if you want to, or the leader will describe the topic or focus for that day. At a meeting, you’ll feel confident that every person within that group is facing the same struggles as you are, and you’ll benefit from their insights and ideas on how to overcome the complications.
Does a 12-Step Plan Really Work?
When you are ready to overcome addiction, you want to be able to trust that your treatment plan will give you the best ability to recover. It’s wise to ask questions and express your concerns. Here are some of the key elements to remember.
- The 12 Steps take commitment. They might feel hard to do at first, but many people find that the structure and goals within this program help keep them motivated.
- This program does work for many people, and it is an evidence-based strategy that can help to prevent relapse.
- If you do not believe in God, you may feel like you cannot work this program. That’s not the case. You could believe in the natural world, community, or in other powerful forces around you. This program can also be adapted to fit any form of spirituality.
- What about co-occurring mental health disorders? For many, addiction is linked to depression or anxiety. The 12-step plan does not replace or prevent treatment of those co-occurring disorders.
- What if you do not want to talk during meetings? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by 12-step meetings, but over time, you may find that you can share more. However, even if you are not ready to open up fully, meetings can still be valuable learning tools.
Let Our Team of Counselors Offer You the Support You Need
At Iron Bridge Recovery Center, we strive to provide those in the Richmond, VA, area with the foundation of support they need. We use the 12-step plan as a component of that therapy.
Take a moment now to contact us to learn more about how we can help you start on the path of recovery.
