At their heart, 12-step programs are about accountability. This treatment asks you to accept that drugs or alcohol have taken over your life and that you feel increasingly powerless to do anything about it. In doing so, there must be a light bulb moment where you find yourself ready to face your fears and seek help for your addiction. 12-step therapy provides a framework for successful rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol and continued sobriety long after you quit using. Although there are 12 steps, the journey begins with the first step, which is deciding to seek help for your addiction.
The founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) created the 12 step program. They were influenced and inspired by the Oxford Group. The Oxford Group came up with the Four Absolutes (absolute honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love). To their way of thinking, these four absolutes could help people overcome their own selfishness and fears. AA came up with 12 steps based on the four absolutes to guide recovering alcoholics on their journey as they grappled with sobriety.
Table of Contents
12 Steps of AA
Step 1 – The individual admits that they were powerless over alcohol and that their life had become unmanageable.
Step 2 – The individual comes to believe that a power greater than themself could restore them to sanity.
Step 3 – The person makes a decision to turn their will and their lives over to the care of God as they understood him.
Step 4 – The individual takes a searching and fearless moral inventory of themselves.
Step 5 – The individual admits to the greater power, to themself, and to another human being the exact nature of their wrongs.
Step 6 – The person is entirely ready to ask the greater power to remove all these character defects.
Step 7 – The individual humbly asks the greater power to remove their shortcomings.
Step 8 – The person makes a list of all persons they have harmed and becomes willing to make amends to them all.
Step 9 – The individual directly makes amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Step 10 – The individual takes personal inventory and, when they were wrong, promptly admits it.
Step 11 – Through prayer and meditation, the person begins to improve their conscious contact with the higher power in their life, praying only for knowledge of His will for them and the power to carry that out.
Step 12 – After having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, the individual tries to carry the message to alcoholics and practice these principles in all their affairs.
What to Expect in Alcohol Detox
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is difficult to try to tackle on your own. Detoxing from alcohol is painful and, at times, frightening. In some cases, alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening. By entering a detox program, you give yourself the best chance at sobriety. In addition, you will have the expertise of licensed clinicians and medical professionals who understand the challenges of navigating these turgid waters. There are several programs available, including:
Whichever treatment program is best for you will utilize a number of our evidence-based therapies. These treatments allow you to understand and overcome your unique challenges and provide you with the coping skills for lifelong recovery.
Reach Out to Ethan Crossing Recovery Today
The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have been the most widespread addiction treatment program ever created. There are chapters in virtually every city, so you can always find a group meeting to attend. One of the most challenging steps is figuring out what to do when feeling an overwhelming urge to drink. When there is a 12-step meeting nearby, you know that you have a support group to help you. At Ethan Crossing Recovery in Springfield, Ohio, we have extensive services to help you at our alcohol addiction treatment program. Anyone can get help at any point. Ethan Crossing Recovery serves the Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Ohio area. Contact us today.
