12 STEPS
12 Step Rehab Program for Drugs and Alcohol
How the Twelve Steps Work
The first step of any 12-step program has to do with accepting help with your addiction. In order to move forward with sobriety, 12-step programs require you to first accept the fact you are an addict, and also accept the damage that your addiction has caused. The remaining steps are focused on healing your personal flaws and fixing relationships damaged by addiction. It is strongly suggested you do not work on these alone. 12-step recovery programs highly recommend that you work through these steps with a sponsor.
Benefits of 12-Step Rehab Programs
By attending our luxury rehab facility you will be able to get a firsthand look at how the 12-step recovery process has many benefits for many people:
- The steps are universal. This helps those in recovery seek and obtain support, no matter where they are in the world. If they experience a weak moment, they will likely be able to find a place to go for understanding and support to help them through the rough times.
- The twelve steps count as guideposts for progress. Since some people are progress-oriented, the steps can often serve as individual milestones or goals met.
- For many people battling addiction, these little victories can make continuing treatment worth it.
- Everyone progresses at their own rate. Like school, not everyone will make the same progress on their twelve steps, and that’s okay. Just because people choose a 12-step rehab program does not mean that they will have to complete their steps in a certain amount of time. Some steps will be easier to complete than others.
- Countless numbers of people have completed 12-step programs and gone on to live clean, healthy lives, and the programs have been around for a long, long time. For many, this is the inspiration to choose a treatment program such as the 12-step program.
These are just a few of the benefits of going through this type of treatment program. Some actually find the fact that 12-step recovery programs are rooted in Spiritual principles as an added bonus. They believe this perspective allows for a different method of self-discovery.
The 12 Steps
- Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable
- Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
- Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God
- Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselvesv
- Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
- Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
- Step 7: Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
- Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
- Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
- Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
- Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out
- Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs
12 Step Addiction Treatment in Inpatient Rehab
Because of the 12 step recovery’s success, many inpatient facilities have integrated 12 step recovery into treatment programs.
This is done through multiple approaches:
- Support Group Meetings – Many inpatient rehabs that use 12 step recovery programs as treatment will hold meetings at their facilities. These meetings are held at the rehab to make the patients comfortable with attending a support group meeting. If the person is familiar with the support group and meetings, that person will be more likely to attend meetings after an inpatient rehab stay.
- Individual Counseling – Inpatient rehabs offer individual counseling to discuss personal issues. 12 step recovery treatment has counselors who are experienced with working the 12 step program. They will help you understand the idea behind the 12 step program and help you work through the first few steps during counseling sessions.
- Group Therapy – Some inpatient rehabs discuss 12 step recovery programs in a group setting. They do this so everyone is made aware of 12 step support groups and to educate patients on how they work. Group therapy is also a good time to hold a mock 12 step meeting run by the counselor.
- Guest Speakers – Some inpatient rehabs will ask guest speakers to come and discuss how the 12 step recovery program worked for them. These tales of experience, strength and recovery can inspire you to stay clean. Once an addict knows someone like them can stay sober, it will inspire him or her to want to stay clean.
- Aftercare – Before you leave your inpatient rehab stay, your counselor should go over your aftercare plan. This plan is usually drafted and revised by your counselor as you progress through rehab. When you are done, you will usually be recommended to attend support group meetings. Your counselor should provide you with information on the 12 step recovery programs local to you, and even a list of meeting times and locations.
Are 12-Step Rehab Programs for Everyone?
While the 12-step treatment process has been around for a very long time, it still may not be for everyone. So what should you do if this form of treatment doesn’t fit your needs? Fortunately, there is the option of signing up for a non 12-step addiction treatment program that is also offered at Monarch Shores.
This will allow you or a loved one to still work towards sobriety, but with a different framework that is found in a traditional 12-step process. By using methods such as group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, SMART Recovery, and so much more, you can slowly start to work towards a new life that is free of substance abuse. So whether you’re looking for 12-step or non 12-step treatment you can find them both at Monarch Shores today!
Medical disclaimer:
Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.
Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.