Almost everyone has heard about the Alcoholic Anonymous 12 steps at one time or another.
Even if you don't have a drinking problem, you have probably heard the phrase associated with this group:
"Hi, my name is _____, I am an alcoholic".
Even though behavioral health professionals and social workers are likely to work with individuals with substance abuse in different practice settings beyond specialty treatment, the AA 12 step alcohol treatment program has, rightly or wrongly, become THE choice of treatment and recovery program for alcohol dependents and medical professionals alike over the years of its existence.
It is called a 12 step program because it involves following, or taking 12 steps. These 12 steps if followed, will 'guarantee' sobriety (at least according to AA).
Every AA meeting will have a list of the 12 steps in full-view of the participants. They are at the very core of the Alcoholics Anonymous program
You can never complete the 12 steps of AA. There is a beginning, the first step, but no end. From the moment you undertake the program you are, to use AA parlance, constantly 'working the steps' in your life.
So what are the 12 steps?
The 12 Steps were created in 1938 by the fledgling AA founders and it originally appeared in what’s known to legions of recovering adults as the Big Book. In Alcoholics Anonymous, sobriety is upheld by thoroughly applying this 12-Step concept and by imparting experiences and stories with other people who have endured similar problems.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Founded in 1935, AA is the oldest, most famous, and most effective mutual help organization all over world. Its members make it the most well-known and most widely used treatment for alcohol abuse and it has encouraged many imitators, such as the Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
The A.A. introduced the concept of the Twelve Steps as a way to recovery. The Twelve Steps have been adopted to support individuals recovering from other addictions (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous), the families of those recovering from addiction (e.g., Al-Anon, Alateen, Nar-Anon), and people with weight or dietary issues (e.g., Overeaters Anonymous).
For alternatives to the Alcoholic Anonymous 12 steps model read our pages on AA alternatives. |
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Lead Writer/Reviewer : Kayla Loibl
Licensed Medical Health Professional
Hello!
I am a Mental Health Counselor who is licensed in both New York (LMHC) and North Carolina (LCMHC). I have been working in the Mental Health field since 2015. I have worked in a residential setting, an outpatient program and an inpatient addictions program. I began working in Long Island, NY and then in Guelph, Ontario after moving to Canada. Read More
Sources:
NCBI. 12-Step Interventions and Mutual Support Programs for Substance Use Disorders: An Overview. August 26, 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3753023/
NCBI. Chapter 4—Twelve-Step-Based Programs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64351/
Harvard Health Publishing. How Alcoholics Anonymous Works. July 2007. https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/
Obama Whitehouse. Alcoholics Anonymous: Original Twelve Step Recovery Program. May 10, 2013. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/05/10/alcoholics-anonymous-original-twelve-step-recovery-program
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