12 Step Programme

The 12 steps are 12 key actions or beliefs that underpin the functioning of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA as an organisation has been active since 1935. The AA explains that ‘the 12 Steps provide a structured and gradual process of recovery.’ This ‘gradual process’ requires a shift in mindset through the challenges of:

• Thoughts
• Behaviours
• Relationships

that may in some way be tied to addiction. This can be quite difficult, as it requires, first and foremost, ‘admitting you have a problem.’ After this, it is possible to move through the 12 steps, ultimately aiming towards ‘seeking help from others, making amends for past harms, and living a sober and reasonable life.’

The 12 Steps are designed to be followed in chronological order, offering support and advice that builds on the work completed in previous steps. This helps regulate what can feel like a messy, complex and mountainous task. By categorising a process as tricky as recovery into core stages, the 12 steps can make the process feel more manageable. For some people, this shift is quite empowering and allows them to begin to take ownership of the of the responsibility of recovery.

The 12 steps are fundamental to AA practice – and to 12-step therapy utilised in clinical contexts. The 12 steps, as written in The Big Book itself, are as follows:

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. We’re entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all 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 practise these principles in all our affairs.

It is common for these steps to be boiled down to 12 key values or stages in order for them to be better understood. A clearer outline of the steps may look like:

1. Honesty and admittance
2. Faith that things will get better
3. Trust in a higher power
4. Reflection on wrongdoings and harm
5. Sharing these reflections with others
6. Accepting our negative traits
7. Showing humility
8. Preparing to make reparations
9. Taking positive action
10. Continued self-reflection
11. Identifying a purpose
12. Helping others

During traditional 12 Step groups, you are likely to have a sponsor. A sponsor is a member of AA who has previously worked through the 12 steps and continually uses them to regulate the way that they live their life. This personal experience can be very powerful, as it means individuals can learn from others who have a very deep-seated understanding of addiction. This can formulate strong connections and empathy and reduce fear of judgement.

In a clinical setting, 12 step therapy may be conducted by an addiction specialist or trained clinician. This may mean that whilst they themselves have not necessarily ‘lived’ by the 12 steps, they will have a very solid knowledge of how they function. You may also experience 12-step groups in a rehab setting, meaning that the peer support element is still present.

There are more than 118.000 groups over 180 nations. This global reach indicates the strength of the 12 Step programme. One study suggests that 12-step is up to 60% more effective than other forms of addiction treatment. With that being said, it is essential to remember that addiction recovery is a very personal experience, and it is not feasible to predict how an individual will respond to a specific type of treatment beforehand.