Drug and alcohol use is rampant in the United States. When you get substance abuse treatment, one of the aftercare groups that you may use is a 12-Step support group. 12-Step support groups help you to stay active in your recovery and get support from others just like you. To learn more about 12-Step support groups, call Promises Behavioral Health today.
The Nature of Addiction
There have been enormous advances in addiction science in the last decades. In spite of this, however, many people continue to consider addiction a weakness of will on the part of the person suffering, rather than as the disease that it is. Reputable, time-honored research institutions like the American Psychological Association and the Mayo Clinic have identified drug and alcohol addiction — now referred to in the scientific community as “substance use disorder,” to highlight the shift — as a problem of brain chemistry, and not one of physical or moral weakness.
Put simply, drugs and alcohol are physically addictive and cause changes to your brain chemistry that affect your judgment and cognition. When you use drugs and alcohol, your brain releases a rush of hormones that create intense feelings of euphoria. Continuing to use and abuse drugs and alcohol can lead to addiction, which requires treatment. Inpatient programs, outpatient treatment, and 12-step support groups can help you find recovery from the depths of addiction. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use disorder, it is worth the time to familiarize yourself with these treatments, especially 12-step support groups.
3.7 million people received substance abuse treatment in the United States in 2018.
Treatment
12 step treatment centers implement the 12 steps of AA and NA to help guide you throughout the recovery process. Both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers can offer:
- 12 step facilitation therapy
- Cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapy
- Medically supervised detox services
- Holistic treatments
- Discharge and aftercare planning
- Relapse prevention education and planning
A 12 step therapy program at an inpatient treatment center can also provide on-site access to AA and NA meetings, making it easy to network with others who are in recovery. When you immediately stop using drugs and alcohol, you can experience painful withdrawal symptoms that a detox center can alleviate. Following detox, you will learn about how to combat cravings and triggers to avoid relapsing. Substance abuse treatment also offers individual and family counseling, group therapy, and medication management.
12-Step support groups can be a crucial part of your recovery process. To learn more, call Promises Behavioral Health.
12-Step Support Groups
12-step support groups are a popular and effective tool for addiction recovery. The 12-step format helps people to free themselves from their addictions and to maintain sobriety while surrounded by mentors and friends in the process. Many centers operate 12-step support groups on a drop-in basis, so you can come when you need to, or when your schedule allows. You’ll find 12-step support groups run by programs like Alcoholics Anonymous across the country and even around the world, meaning that you can have a steady support system no matter where you travel.
The 12 Steps
Because there are different kinds of 12-step programs, you will find some variation in terms of precisely what the 12 steps themselves are. However, there is a broad similarity between all of these programs. In summary, the 12-steps are roughly as follows:
- Admitting powerlessness over the addiction
- Believing in a power greater than yourself that can promote healing (which does not have to be religious if you don’t want it to be; a “greater power” can be the power of the group or the universe)
- Placing yourself in the hands of that greater power
- Taking a thorough moral inventory of yourself
- Admitting your wrongdoing to the greater power, to yourself, and to another person
- Acknowledging readiness to heal
- Asking your greater power for the strength to resolve your shortcomings
- Making a list of people who were harmed by your addiction and being willing to make amends to each one
- Making amends to those who were harmed by your addiction, except when doing so would inflict harm upon them, yourself, or others
- Continuing to take a thorough moral inventory and quickly admitting to wrongdoing
- Connecting with the greater power for the strength of character and will
- Passing the message of hope to other people struggling with addiction
Programs that follow the 12-step format are available for people struggling with addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, food, nicotine, and many more behaviors and substances. Additionally, programs are available that cater to the loved ones of addicts who often benefit from the supportive environment that a 12-step support group provides.
12-Step Support Groups: What to Expect
If you are not familiar with this kind of treatment, you should have a good idea going in of what you can expect.
Outside of a treatment facility, 12-step meetings are often held in public spaces like churches and community centers. There is rarely any fee to attend, and you can go any meeting, anywhere; you do not need to have been to that location before.
As pioneered by the Alcoholics Anonymous program, your identity is protected in a 12-step support group. This aspect of 12-step support means that you can remain entirely anonymous if you desire, or use your first name if you prefer.
A healthcare professional may lead meetings, but may not. Programs administered by behavioral health facilities like Promises tend to have more involvement on the part of mental health professionals. Still, outside of the professional healthcare community, meetings are often run by volunteers who are in recovery themselves.
You may have heard that there is a spiritual or religious element to a 12-step support group. Although many groups encourage giving oneself over to a religious or non-religious higher power, there are also secular groups that omit this portion of the process. You must make sure to find the approach that suits you best.
A key thing to remember is that the extent to which you participate is voluntary. You may provide as much detail about your situation as you feel comfortable, and you should take the time to find a group that suits your specific needs. Groups often have materials available in print form or online that detail their approach, and they encourage questions about the 12-step process as they see it.
12-Step Support Groups: Treatment
12-step treatment centers implement the 12 steps of AA and NA to help guide you through the recovery process. A quality behavioral health center like Promises, will offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment, and services that include:
- 12-step facilitation therapy
- Cognitive and dialectic behavioral therapy
- Medically supervised detox services
- Holistic treatments
- Discharge and aftercare planning
- Relapse prevention education and planning
A 12-step therapy program at an inpatient treatment center can also provide on-site access to AA and NA meetings, making it easy to network with others who are in recovery. When you immediately stop using drugs and alcohol, you can experience painful withdrawal symptoms that a detox center can alleviate. Following detox, you will learn about how to combat cravings and triggers to avoid relapsing. Substance abuse treatment also offers individual and family counseling, group therapy, and medication management.
4.9 million young adults needed substance abuse treatment in 2018,
but only 169,000 believed they required treatment.
Finding Help Today
When you battle a substance abuse problem, alcoholism, or addiction, you can feel isolated, alone, and hopeless. Addiction is a chronic, progressive disease, making early treatment the best way to begin recovery. Inpatient and outpatient programs, along with 12-step support groups, can provide you with the guidance, understanding, and encouragement you need to find recovery.
We offer a variety of addiction treatments, include:
- Heroin addiction
- Heroin addiction
- Cocaine addiction
- Meth addiction
- Alcohol addiction
- Opioid addiction
We offer several therapy options,
such as:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavioral therapy
- Yoga therapy
- Meditation therapy
- Grief counseling therapy
Finding treatment doesn’t have to be hard. Contact Promises Behavioral Health today at 844.875.5609 to find out more about our 12-step support groups and your treatment options.