12 Step Program in Udaipur

What is the 12-step program and what can you expect?

One of the most well-known – and widespread – approaches to addiction recovery is the 12-Step model. If you are researching drug treatment centers, there is no doubt you’ve come across this concept before. Nearly 75 percent of rehab facilities today enact 12-Step programs. And if you haven’t heard of the 12-Steps, you’ve likely heard of the organization that created them – Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

What are the 12-Steps?

According to the “Big Book” — the central literature of AA – the 12-Steps are a set of guiding principles that, when practiced as a way of life, can reduce or expel a person’s compulsion to drink and use drugs. 12-Step programs consist of regular meetings and support groups, which are driven by discussion and designed to provide those in recovery with an added, sober support system as they work towards abstinence. When a person is “working the 12-Steps,” they are committing to these ongoing meetings. They are also learning how to cope with addiction, how to avoid relapse triggers, and how to live sober.

• Acceptance – Accepting the fact that drug addiction is a chronic disease. A person does not have control over a progressing substance addiction, and willpower alone is not enough to overcome it. To move through the 12-Steps, a person must accept the value of abstinence. Over time, they must also come to accept themselves and the ability to change.

• Surrender – Giving oneself over to a higher power (whatever that may be) and accepting the support from that power and from others. Surrender also involves accepting past mistakes, being willing to make amends, and fully following to the 12-Steps.

• Active Involvement – Participating and engaging in 12-Step meetings, as well as related activities, to sustain one’s recovery. This principle also involves consistently taking self-inventory, and always being aware of oneself throughout the recovery process.

The 12-Steps are spiritual in nature, as they speak of a “higher power” in some regard. Alcoholics Anonymous also is known to encourage those in recovery to experience a “spiritual awakening.” This is, essentially, their way of describing a turning point, or finding that a change needed to overcome addiction. While the spiritual language of the 12-Steps may deter a few at first, approach them with an open mind. The 12-Step program is fully open to interpretation and different religious beliefs. In fact, many non-religious people have found the 12-Step program extremely helpful and effective.

With a focus on sobriety, spirituality, self-help, and discussion, the 12-Step model enables those in recovery to “become happily and usefully whole.”

What are the Benefits of the 12-Steps?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, self-help and support groups like 12-Step meetings can “complement and extend the effects of professional treatment.” These meetings encourage clients to participate in collaborative, group therapy during – and even after – treatment, offering an added layer of sober, social support for those in recovery.

For young people specifically, the 12-Step program is beneficial in that it connects adolescents and young adults in the recovery community – creating a support network of peers who are similar in age and walking in similar shoes. They can share their stories with one another and form sober relationships to support them throughout their recovery journeys. This added support also helps reinforce abstinence from drugs and alcohol, and bolsters any progress made towards success at work, in school, in family.