Break the Chains of Addiction -

12 Steps - A Program for Addiction

The 12 Steps were adapted from 6 Spiritual absolutes that were written by a group of non denominational Christians, called the Oxford Group, which were designed for a release from many different ailments. The six absolutes started with complete deflation and went on with things like restitution, making amends for past wrongs, confession and prayer and then having a spiritual experience followed by evangelizing the results.

The point is that two alcoholics were familiar with these 6 spiritual principles and with the help on one hundred other alcoholics formed them into today’s Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. These steps have been adapted to hundreds of self help programs for one simple reason; they work at relieving addictions of all kinds and are even used by some as a pure spiritual path to enlightenment.

The Oxford Group disbanded because of too much diversity in their approach and as a fellowship they started endorsing politicians and private campaigns; one of which was the temperance movement of the time. The diversity caused too many divisions in the fellowship; so many that it could not survive. But it did lay the groundwork for the 12 steps; they are as follows:

1. We admitted that 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 the God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and 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 people we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people whenever 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 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 of our affairs.

This is an outline asking for a miracle. That miracle is sobriety and those who wrote the 12 steps found that a person’s individual concept of God, any God, would work. The miracle is always granted to anyone who thoroughly follows this path. Many people have also recovered who are atheist and agnostic through these steps, and many people remain solely on the Higher Power concept presented in the Second Step.

The point is that this is a format for a lifestyle which includes practicing things like rigorous honesty, patience, love, open mindedness and willingness to change. With these things we are well on our way.

A commonly accepted brief breakdown of the steps goes something like this;

1 through 3; make peace with God
4 through 7; make peace with yourself
8 through 10; make peace and keep the peace with others
11 and 12; maintain the peace

It really is that simple, it is a simple treatment program for complicated people, but if you remain willing and open minded you will receive a Spiritual path to living a sober life. It is presented as God, self and others in that order because all the basic principles that we violate in our using rest in these three areas of life. The steps help keep us from stacking our own garbage against ourselves to the point that we have to get loaded. It helps us, with a higher power of our own choosing, to do life on life’s terms.

                Do not be put off if you do not believe, or are mad at, God. There are thousands of people who do the steps and receive the results, who have come to an understanding of their own. There are atheist and agnostic Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the mountain area, and these people have the Steps written specific for their needs. They too, recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body; like all the rest who discover this journey and do the work.

Here at Above it All Treatment Center, we believe in utilizing the 12 Steps in our treatment programs, please visit our treatment pages for your specific addiction needs.

Call our Admissions Only Hotline at 866-742-7706 or send us an email at info@aboveitalltreatment.com