The 12-step program is a community-based program created to help those suffering from alcohol addiction. It includes spiritual principles that anyone can apply since the only requirement to join is a desire to stop drinking.
AAs 12 step program was first published in 1939 in a book titled Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism. Today, millions all over the globe have been able to quit drinking as a result of the program.
And not just alcoholics, other substance abuse help programs have been formed based on the 12 steps, including Narcotics Anonymous and Gamblers anonymous. Its widespread reach is a testament to its versatility in accommodating all comers.
Being accommodating was crucial to the founders of AA, Bill Wilson, and Doctor Bob Smith. They wanted the program to have no affiliation whatsoever with any religion, politics, or organization.
As a result, the AA’s 12 steps brought hope to many who lost their way due to substance abuse. Through the guided care of an AA counselor and a supportive community, you can begin to regain your life.
The first step is about dealing honestly with yourself and accepting that you have lost control. Accepting powerlessness opens you up to receiving help; it reframes the problem so that it stops being a matter of willpower.
By accepting powerlessness and setting aside the illusion of control, you gain hope that there is another way. The second step encourages us to put our hope in something bigger than ourselves – a higher power. This can be karma, your ideal self, the universe, or even love.
Stripping ourselves bare of all control and ego, we now choose to trust in the benevolence of higher power and place “Him” at the helm. When we are no longer trying to control everything, we are free to make a “searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves” and admit to God and another person (someone kind and supportive) our moral failings.
Not so that we can judge ourselves, but so that we can forgive ourselves and be forgiven. Through forgiveness, we can shed the burden of the past and move forward. Moving forward means knowing our shortcomings and our limitations in fixing them. However, we can now lean on a higher power’s ability to transform us.
Being transformed, we are able to make amends in all areas of our lives and right our wrongs where possible. Make honest attempts to make things right with those you have wronged and live in love and harmony with others.
And as you do so, continue to seek your higher power, asking for his knowledge and will to give you the strength to carry on. In all these steps, having a community of like-minded individuals such as the Impact Recovery Center (https://impactrecoverycenter.net/) will create a loving, spiritual, and supportive environment that will significantly aid recovery.
Having a community that provides a sense of belonging is a big help when connecting to something higher than ourselves.
