Today, 12-Step based programs exist for almost any addiction you can think of, from cocaine to gambling. They all use the same 12-step method to help you kick the habit and stay free. And although the system is based on spiritual principles, many nonreligious people have found the program helpful as well. The system emphasizes the presence of God, but only as each participant understands him, which allows for varied interpretations, adaptations, and religious beliefs.
The Original 12 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 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.
Who Can Benefit From A 12 Step Program
The 12-Step model provides support for everyone and anyone. Through its rigid structure and laser focus on responsibility and accountability, people who genuinely want to overcome their addiction get the guidance that they need. And with the sponsorship component, they get plenty of support from other former addicts as well. These programs have helped countless people get and remain clean, and they can help you too. Reach out today.