12 Step Recovery: What Are 12 Step Programs for Drug Addiction & Alcoholism?
When it comes to drug addiction and alcoholism, there are treatment options, including 12 Step Programs. But how effective is 12 Step Recovery and what do you have to do in a 12 Step Fellowship in order to get and stay sober? Learning about 12 Step Fellowships, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), can provide you with an understanding of what can help you during your journey toward recovery from addiction.
Understanding 12 Step Programs & Recovery
12 Step Programs have been around for decades upon decades. In fact, Alcoholics Anonymous was the very first 12 Step recovery program and was founded in 1935. AA was created by alcoholics to help each member “stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.”
Many other 12 Step Fellowships followed sometime afterward and were designed to help each member conquer their specific addiction or issue. For example, Narcotics Anonymous is a 12 Step Program dedicated to helping those involved recover from addiction and Al-Anon was created to assist with each member’s healing from a loved one’s addiction.
Each 12 Step Program has 12 Steps involved in the program, hence the name. Each of these steps can help members embark on their journey toward recovery and spiritual awakening. To be more specific, the 12 Step Programs like AA and NA are dedicated towards helping alcoholics and addicts recover from their alcoholism and drug addiction, respectively. It has been an effective way for alcoholics and addicts to not only start their journey toward a life without substances but to also become part of a community of like-minded individuals who have gone through or are going through a similar experience.
Will I Still Need a Medical Detox & Inpatient Rehab?
While 12 Step Programs like AA and NA are recommended, alcoholism and drug addiction are threefold diseases that require physical, emotional, and spiritual treatment. The truth is that a detox can be extremely difficult and uncomfortable when you have to do it alone, which is why a medical detox can be necessary.
At a medical detox center, you can safely be weaned off all substances under medical supervision. An inpatient rehab for drug addiction and alcoholism can also be necessary because a detox alone will not properly treat addiction. The purpose of an inpatient rehab stay is to provide helpful information about the disease of addiction, treat underlying issues with holistic and evidence-based therapies, and work on developing healthier coping mechanisms to combat cravings and triggers.
A 12 Step Program can be an extremely effective way to maintain your recovery, build a sober support network, and help someone else who is struggling with what you have struggled with. However, a medical detox and inpatient rehab may be a necessary start to recovery because you can receive professional care for your condition and be removed from the people, places, and things long enough to receive that treatment you desperately need.
Are you having trouble getting sober even though you have tried getting involved with a 12 Step Fellowship? Or are you still feeling trapped in an active addiction to drugs or alcohol? Let The Watershed Addiction Treatment Programs in Florida and Texas help.
For over 20 years, The Watershed has been providing treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction. We recommend 12 Step Programs, but we also believe that a full continuum of care from a medical detox and inpatient rehab all the way to sober living can be most effective for a better success rate of recovery.
Call The Watershed for help today at 1-800-861-1768.
Tags: 12 step programs, 12-steps, Addiction, Alcoholism, drug addiction