How the 12 Step Program for Recovery Works

Addiction recovery can be quite a roller coaster journey. A week of sobriety can then turn into an episode of relapse. Most people seek the help of recovery centers to aid them in getting sober. However, the issue of sobriety is more than that. The most common sober definition that people know is when one is not influenced by drugs, alcohol, or any other substance.

To give some perspective on what are the 12 steps to recovery and how it works, Haven House Recovery Center (HHRC) introduces people to its 12 step program in helping alcoholic and drug-addicted men. HHRC believes that holistic recovery is dependent on a positive healing process. The program is highly popular and highly adapted to different recovery methods. But what are the 12 steps that Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) introduced back in 1930? Why is it effective and popular?

What Is the 12-Step Recovery Program?

When AA began its program in 1930, it drafted a guideline to help alcoholics recover from their addiction and go back to being productive members of society. The group called it “The 12 Steps.” It contained an alcoholism definition which was relatively new in that era, and how to tackle patients of the case. Eventually, the guideline gained enough popularity and rapport that other recovery organizations adapted it to their programs dealing with substance abuse recovery. Nowadays, this guideline is known as the 12-step program.

Adaptations of the 12 steps of recovery program and alcoholism definition vary from one organization to another to suit the type of substance abuse its recovery service offers. Nevertheless, all adaptations agree on one important factor: faith-based healing.

Spirituality is at the heart of the 12 steps to recovery. There is ample initial research from the early 2000s that tried to shed light on the effectiveness of the 12-point programs. An older study from 2013 gave an overview of how faith-based, self-help treatments aided adults and adolescents into sobriety.

How long does addiction recovery take? There is no exact answer for this. Recovery depends on varying factors, like how dire a patient’s substance addiction is or if a patient is ready for significant changes.

Why Does the 12-Step Program Work?

Overcoming addiction is not an overnight task. It takes careful treatment to help a patient recover from substance abuse. In the 1939 book “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism,” AA details how positive reinforcement coupled with prayers and meditation help people suffering from substance abuse recover and prevent the impressionable youth from doing drugs.

The advancement of the medical sciences, especially in psychology, brought a new perspective in dealing with substance abuse. In recent years, the 12 steps of recovery method have been applied and localized to fit a community that an organization works with. For instance, the 12-step method is adapted to fit Native American practices, agnostics, and atheists. Before knowing what are the 12 steps, it is essential to note what makes it effective.

1. Accessibility

One of the reasons people are drawn towards drug and alcohol recovery programs is that the organizations which host these programs provide the service for a minimal fee, if not completely free.

It is quite understandable that people will postpone treatment when they know how much the said treatment will cost. Institutions encourage walk-ins to start the healing process.

Experts believe that a patient has higher chances of overcoming addiction when treatment and psychological help is readily available and accessible. A complete rehabilitation process in the United States can be costly, especially when substance detoxification is involved. Meanwhile, the 12-step program only requires conversations and meetings along with daily guidance that may change a patient’s outlook toward substances and how his addiction affects the people around him.

2. Community Effort

The 12-step drug and alcohol recovery programs encourage a sponsorship system where a person who successfully recovered from substance abuse guides a new patient through the same method. This sponsorship system gives the feeling of a community or sense of belongingness that may encourage a patient to believe in the people around him.

Aside from a patient’s sponsor, medical professionals and spiritual advisors are present to ensure that each patient gets the right treatment and guidance for meditation and prayers.

Because of communal effort, patients get through the detoxification period, especially when they relapse. Constant guidance and support can go a long way.

What Are the 12 Steps?

Overcoming addiction may be a life-long process, but the 12-step recovery programs are considered stepping stones toward a long-lasting recovery.

What are the 12 steps of addiction recovery? They are as follows:

1. Admission of Powerlessness Against Addiction

The first step may be the hardest. Admitting weaknesses and powerlessness, especially over a substance, can be difficult. Most people’s mindsets involve seeing powerlessness and vulnerability as a weakness. However, it’s not always the case.

Admitting that you have lost control over substances is an important step towards healing and recovery. At this point, when you admit that you are facing problems with substance abuse, you admit that you are suffering from a disease and that you are willing to receive help from those who are concerned for your wellbeing.

2. Faith

Believing in a higher power can uplift a person’s psyche. The promise of spiritual safety can give a patient at rock-bottom a sliver of hope. When recovery centers talk of a higher power, it can be a religious figure or a general positive connection with nature.

Patients of substance abuse often feel an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.Patients report that they want to feel a moment of euphoria. Lonliness may be the reason they got hooked on substances in the first place. Giving patients something positive to believe in is important to encourage them to continue with the treatment towards sobriety.

3. Deciding To Trust in the Higher Power for Guidance

Keeping a positive mindset can be a struggle. As a continuation of the second step, patients are encouraged to decide whether they will stay in their current predicament or accept the hope that a connection to a higher power can aid in their recovery.

Trusting in a higher power can provide the light at the end of a tunnel for a recovery patient. This can bring a positive mindset and a healthier disposition that will aid him during recovery.

4. Creating a Personal Inventory

For a patient to acknowledge his shortcomings and the harm that he’s done to other people, he is encouraged to create a personal inventory. A personal inventory serves as a reflection of his activities and decisions.

Creating a personal inventory helps a patient face the consequences of his actions, face negative habits, and examine his past for the process to continue towards a brighter future. This process helps a patient accept his flaws and strengthen his resolve towards healing.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, four questions can guide a patient in the recovery process:

How does my addiction affect me? This question answers all aspects of a patient’s life: physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.

How does my addiction affect the people around me? The patient tries to assess the influence of his substance abuse on his interaction with people from his family, neighborhood, workplace, and the greater community.

Which characteristics feed my addiction? Addiction can stem from various internal factors triggered by a patient’s immediate environment. These character flaws can make their presence felt in the form of anxiety, insecurities, lack of control, and inferiority complex.

5. Admission Of Wrongdoings

A patient’s sponsor plays a vital role in the recovery process. He will be the one to guide the one recovering through the ups and downs of the journey. In the fifth step of the recovery process, a patient admits to himself and his sponsor the wrongdoings he had listed in the previous step.

In this step, the patient will share everything with the sponsor to understand the nature of his wrongdoings. This step requires a massive amount of strength and trust between the patient and his sponsor.

6. Correction of the Wrongdoings

In this part of the recovery process, a patient prepares to get rid of the character defects listed in the fourth process. For this step to work, the patient will have to believe that a higher power will guide him through healing and that the higher power will allow him to start with a clean slate.

Through this process, the patient will also have to realize that overcoming addiction is a lifelong process and that he has to drown his cravings for the substance actively. The process will also remind the patient that he doesn’t have to pursue an ideal image for himself and that it is alright to live the day slowly with confidence and positivity.

7. Asking a Higher Power to Remove the Wrongdoings

Once a patient successfully does the preceding steps, it is high time to add spiritual principles for a healthy recovery.

Doing the seventh step of the process requires thoughtfulness and meditation. A patient must strive to be courageous and committed to living a clean and honest life.

A patient will notice changes as he goes through each process, letting go of fears and insecurities. It is important to keep the fire of hope burning within him during this time. Many recovery patients look up to a higher power to have that thread of hope that ensures them that everything else will get better. After all, removing the wrongdoings is a lifelong commitment.

8. Making Amends for the Wrongdoings

For recovery patients, reaching the eighth step of the program is a humbling experience. The eighth step relates to consulting the list from the fourth step and making amends with the people who were hurt or harmed by a patient’s bout with substance abuse.

This step requires inner strength to face the people who were hurt by a patient’s actions. The goal for this step is not to open wounds but to encourage further healing for both parties. It also aims to motivate a recovery patient to come out of isolation and build relationships once again.

9. Contacting Those Who Have Been Hurt

This particular step is a tricky process. Understandably, not everyone is willing to make amends with a substance abuser, especially if a patient has caused dire damage. However, it can bring inner peace to the people involved.

Making amends is important, especially if a patient wants to remain sober. Facing the haunting specter of the past can help bring a peaceful and happier future. If the issues are not resolved, they may trigger an episode of relapse sooner or later.

The ninth step comes with a condition: if it causes the other party harm, a patient may have to postpone the process.

10. Continuing Personal Inventory

For a recovery patient to continue his development towards healing, he has to be aware of his predicament. Patients are encouraged to do a monthly or bi-monthly personal inventory to help them assess their improvement from the last time they created the list.

Personal inventories are also helpful in reminding patients when they have done an action that harmed other people. It encourages them to own up to their mistakes easily and make amends.

11. Seeking Enlightenment

The eleventh step is a process that involves tapping into a patient’s spirituality. Understanding that there is a higher power can bring mental and spiritual peace. Prayers and meditations are highly encouraged at this point.

Organizations encourage everyone to think outside the box when discussing spirituality and faith. It does not necessarily mean that you have to ascribe to a religious imagery of a higher being. For agnostics and atheists, it can be the sense of community they experience while doing the process.

12. Spreading the Message to Others

Recovery programs that subscribe to the 12 steps have developed the sponsor system. This system encourages those who successfully complete the program to sponsor newer patients. Accomplishing the program means that a patient has undergone changes and has overcome difficult challenges. In other words, he had undergone a rebirth. He is now a new person.

The 12-step drug and alcohol recovery programs aim to encourage successful patients to inspire new patients to find their peace within themselves and find the road to sobriety. These people are responsible for explaining to patients what are the 12 steps to recovery and guiding them as they face their past and take a giant step towards the future.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 12-Steps

People will understandably have questions regarding the process of the 12-step program. Here are some of the commonly asked questions related to what are the 12 steps which may help individuals further understand the process.

1. How long is the 12 step program?

There is no exact timeframe for the 12 steps like other recovery programs. It can be a journey consisting of small forward steps, and small steps back.
How long does a 12 step program take? It varies greatly. The length of the program depends on every patient.

2. Do the 12 steps work with alcoholism?

Yes, it does. Like drug addiction, the 12-step program is effective in helping alcoholics win the fight against addiction through a thorough process.

AA has the alcoholism definition as the dependence on alcoholic drinks. Nowadays, the alcoholism definition is interchangeable with alcohol use disorder.

Haven House Recovery Center Guides You Through the 12 Steps

If you need addiction recovery in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, Haven House Recovery Center for men can help. HHRC subscribes to the 12-step program that aims to aid addiction recovery patients towards sobriety.

Call us now, and let’s talk about a holistic journey towards being sober and discuss what are the 12 steps of recovery.