With addiction becoming a widespread health epidemic, more programs are becoming available for those in need. While some are more general in their approaches to treatment, others are more specific. A 12-step program allows individuals to reconnect with their spirituality while also achieving lasting recovery.

Understanding the 12-Step Recovery Program

12-step program 12-step recoveryBeginning 80 years ago, Alcoholics Anonymous started as an international fellowship helping those struggling with alcoholism. Since its inception, adaptations of the steps continue to help others struggling with an extensive range of addictions. Essentially, a 12-step program provides a safe haven, where people share their stories and provide each other with support. A 12-step program can be beneficial when paired with addiction counseling services to help clients feel a sense of purpose, healing, and reconnection with their higher power of choice.

The Steps of a 12-Step Program

According to the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, the steps of their 12-step program are as follows:

  1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
  2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
  3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
  4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
  5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
  6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
  7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
  8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
  9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
  10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.

How Does a 12-Step Program Work?

It is important to remember that a 12-step recovery program on its own will not be enough to keep everyone sober. Some individuals require the added help of an addiction treatment center. The benefits of a 12-step program include the steps that can serve as guidelines and regular meetings which helps those struggling with addiction to feel supported.

A 12-step program can also help someone reconnect with a higher power, which can then enable them to feel more support and stability in their journey.

Help with New Bridge Foundation®

For those looking for a welcoming and healing recovery experience, New Bridge Foundation® is here to help. Through our addiction treatment programs, clients are able to find what works to make their experience effective and comfortable. Our programs include:

Along with these programs, we also offer specialized care to communities that need it. This includes:

  • Dual diagnosis
  • LGBTQ+ services
  • Veterans and military program (Operation Success)
  • Hearing impaired services
  • Family program

For those who want exposure to 12-step recovery while they participate in treatment, begin a 12-step program with New Bridge Foundation®. Call today at 8667728491.