The 12 Step Alcohol Addiction Treatment Model: What You Need to Know

If you are researching rehab facilities and their treatment services, you’ve probably noticed that many offer 12 step programs for those dealing with an addiction to alcohol.

Originally created in the 1930s, the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12 step model is one of the most widely recommend programs for addiction recovery and has transformed the lives of millions, enabling them to finally achieve a lifetime of sobriety.

But, you might be wondering what a 12 step recovery program is - and how exactly it works. In general, this treatment model is firmly grounded in a spiritual approach where alcoholics find inner strength by turning to a higher power. With the help of licensed addiction specialists and regular support groups, alcoholics are guided through a series of twelve core beliefs in order to find and maintain a sober lifestyle.

The Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Steps 

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 Can Addicts Apply This Information to Real Life?

It’s important to note that these 12 steps represent more than just a lesson plan or a list of “rules” that participants must abide by. 12 step programs are actually much more powerful than that. Addicts who take part in 12 step programs use these teachings to begin an entirely new, sober lifestyle. This treatment method helps those dealing with addiction issues learn how to apply these principles in virtually each and every part of their life by taking accountability and making healthier choices. 

Many addicts initially learn the principles of these 12 steps as part of inpatient and outpatient care at rehabilitation centers and then go on to continue their sobriety by attending weekly support groups in their community.

Rising Roads Recovery Rehab Treatment Services 

Rising Roads Recovery is a small residential treatment center in Orange County, California dedicated to helping women heal from addiction and co-occurring disorders. With comprehensive clinical care and a 12 step model for alcohol addiction recovery, Rising Roads Recovery can help you find lasting sobriety and a more promising future.

And, with hundreds of 12 step addiction recovery groups in and around the area, you can also find extended support by attending weekly meetings in the community.

To learn more, call (866) 746-1558.