If you are living an addictive life or even if you are just thinking about quitting your use of drugs or alcohol, you may have heard of working a 12 Step Program. Around ¾ of all addiction treatment centers in the United States use a 12 Step philosophy as a foundation for their treatment programs. With this being said, you might still be wondering – what exactly is a 12 step program?
The basis of using a 12 step program is to help someone become abstinent from a harmful substance or behavior. They are able to do this by surrendering to their Higher Power. If you struggle with alcohol or drug abuse, you can interpret the Higher Power in any way that you wish. For some people, the Higher Power is God and for others, it is the Universe. Your Higher Power can be whatever allows you to let go of your struggles and ask for help from something bigger than yourself.
There are different types of 12 Step programs for those who are struggling with substance abuse or addiction.
If you struggle with alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction, you might attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. 12 Step programs for alcoholism or alcohol abuse are designed to help people abstain from drinking and are designed to help people overcome addiction and live a sober lifestyle.
If you struggle with drug abuse or drug addiction, you might attend a Narcotics Anonymous meetings. These 12 Step programs are designed to help someone get clean from drugs and live a life free from drugs.
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935. The 12 Step model was created by Bill Wilson & Dr. Bob. They wrote down the 12 step ideas that came from his own experience with alcoholism and his vision of this disease. He wrote how positive things can happen when someone shares their story of alcoholism with other alcoholics.
Bill Wilson wrote these ideas in what turned out to the the “Big Book”. The steps that are placed into this book were created through various concepts and teachings that Wilson had personally encountered.
During the crafting of the original 12 steps, a greater or Higher Power was sought, to help people who suffered from an alcohol or drug addiction.
Since the origin of the “Big Book”, millions of people have read it and used it to help them overcome their addiction. They have used it to help them change their behaviors and attitudes toward addiction. While originally based on alcohol addiction, various other forms of 12 Step programs exist. Some of these include Gamblers Anonymous – GA, Heroin Anonymous – HA, and Narcotics Anonymous – NA.
Today, there are 12 Step programs and meetings all around the world. There are even 12 Step meetings that you can attend online, as well.
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Attending your first meeting can be an unnerving experience for anyone. Very often you will be facing a personal crisis that led you to seek help. You may be wondering: how did I get here? Where did my life wrong? You may be concerned that the people around you are losers or that you may be joining some kind of cult.
On a more pragmatic level, you may be concerned that you will have to talk. In your imagination you probably see yourself forced to share harrowing details of your addiction and hitting rock bottom with a group of strangers. You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect.
You may be concerned that you will run into the people you meet. At this early stage, revealing your addiction to people you know seems like a bit much! Worry not. In the first place, it is statistically unlikely that this will occur, especially if you live in a big city. More importantly, other members are there for the same reason as you. The Anonymous element of the 12-step fellowships is taken very seriously. People in the group, whether you know them or now, will not disclose your identity to outsiders.
The truth is, attending your first meeting will be less stressful than you think. Most members of your recovery group are interested in making you feel comfortable enough to return. They remember the anxieties associated with their first meeting and know that giving you some space to find yourself within the program is essential to your comfort.
What Are 12 Step Meeting Like? See What A Beginner Can Expect Read More »
What are the 12 Traditions?
While we know that each of the major 12 step programs is based on a 12 step structure, each program also has 12 traditions. The 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, which is where the 12 traditions of other programs come from, are in place to ensure that there are rules on how to handle internal disagreements and disputes as well as how to behave when interacting with the general public.
A lot of what would eventually become the 12 traditions was mentioned in the forward of the AA Big Book in 1939. Though, the official version of the 12 traditions wasn’t published until 1946 in the AA Grapevine. They were originally called the Twelve Points to Assure Our Future. They were officially adopted at AA’s International Convention held in 1950.
Here are the 12 traditions of each of the major 12 step programs:
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While the 12 steps were originated in 1938 by Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, each 12 step program created their own variation of based on the original 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Here are the 12 steps for each of the nationally-recognized major 12 step programs:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
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.
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