In the mid-1930s, Bill Wilson started the ball rolling towards what would eventually become Alcoholics Anonymous or AA. In the mid-1950s, Narcotics Anonymous or NA was given birth. In the eighty-something years since these organizations were given life, literally tens of millions (if not more) of lives have been spared from the ravages of drug and alcohol addiction.
All over the world, thousands of AA and NA meetings are being held every day. All of these meetings have but one goal: to offer comfort and help to the addiction sufferer who continues to struggle with their addiction issues. Given the popularity of these programs, it makes sense that someone might wonder if it’s possible to beat a drug or alcohol addiction without being part of a 12 Step program. To answer this question, it’s important to understand the role that AA and NA play in the battle against addiction.
These are special programs built behind the concept of one addiction sufferer helping another. Membership is free, and the only requirement of members is they must have a desire to get sober and stay sober. The 12 Steps refers to the steps members must take to move forward in sobriety.
The 12 Steps focus on four areas:
- Members admitting to themselves and others that they are helpless against their drug of choice
- Members taking responsibility for the harm they did to themselves and others while in the throes of their addiction
- Members showing a willingness to make amends to others whenever possible
- Members dedicating themselves to turn themselves over to a “higher power of their understanding”
You will note there is nothing in this program that is designed to help people stop using and get treatment for psychological issues. That’s something that needs to be put in the hands of addiction treatment professionals. Based on this, the answer to the titled question is, “yes”, it is possible to beat an addiction problem without help from a 12 Step program. However, 12 Steps programs remain one of the best aftercare resources on the planet.
Getting Treatment
While 12 Step programs can help people stay sober, they aren’t as effective when it comes to getting people on the road to recovery. As stated above, that sits in the purview of addiction treatment professionals. The actual addiction treatment process starts when an addict is willing to admit they have an addiction and need help. That usually provides them with the motivation they need to report to rehab. Upon entering treatment, each client has to go through an intake interview process. The information administrators gather during the interview will dictate the proper course of treatment. In many cases, treatment begins with a medically monitored detox program. Treatment professionals design medically monitored detox programs to help clients get past their withdrawal symptoms with a minimum of discomfort and distress. After successfully completing detox, clients should have the mental and emotional capacity to deal with therapy. During therapy, clients work with therapists on one objective, they want to find the driving force that causes them to self medicate and hide from their problems. While some treatment professionals don’t think finding these driving forces is absolutely necessary, far fewer clients relapse when they understand why they feel the need to use them. Using the knowledge of why they use, clients can begin to develop better coping and life skills. Eventually, these skills will become the means by which clients deal with temptation and their personal triggers. With a good solid set of coping and life skills, it becomes infinitely easier for recovering addicts to avoid relapses. After establishing recovery, that’s the time when 12 Step programs can provide that extra layer of support. With the combination of coping skills and a room full of recovering addicts who care standing by to help when needed, many recovering addicts have been able to avoid relapses and remain on the straight and narrow road of recovery. While we certainly support the idea of people attending 12 Step meetings, we still believe you need to go through the entire treatment process if you want to beat your addiction. Here’s is what you need to do. You should pick up the phone and call one of our representatives at 833-364-0736. Upon receiving that call, our representatives can tell you about our facility and treatment programs. After that, we would like to invite you in so you can begin your quest to beat your addiction.