12-step programs are a well-known resource for people recovering from substance abuse. They’re named for the series of steps or actions you undertake as you pursue long-term abstinence and recovery. Each of these actions builds upon the ones that come before it. But what is the first step of a 12-step program? The answer to this question can help clarify the goals of 12-step participation. It can also help you add a valuable tool to your treatment plan for substance abuse and addiction. Learn more today by contacting Promises Right Step at 17135283709 or online.
12-Step Programs and Their Role in Substance Abuse Treatment
12-step programs are a form of peer support for drug and alcohol recovery. They belong to a vital category of resources known as mutual self-help groups. As a rule, addiction specialists do not directly provide mutual self-help resources. Instead, they work with groups led by experienced participants who help others like themselves attain and maintain their sobriety.
The 12-step concept originated with the world-famous organization Alcoholics Anonymous. It now also plays a part in helping people affected by other kinds of serious substance problems. While not conducted by professionals, 12-step groups are known to benefit most people in recovery. This fact helps explain why many rehab programs provide access to these kinds of groups. It also helps explain why you may learn about 12-step participation during formal substance abuse treatment.
What Is the First Step of the 12-Step Program?
Many people in the U.S. and elsewhere believe that addiction to drugs or alcohol is a choice. Extensive research shows that this belief is inaccurate. Instead, addiction is an involuntary process that makes deep-seated changes in your brain function. You may knowingly or unknowingly do things that increase your addiction risks. But once the process is underway, it pursues its own relentless momentum by:
- Creating a compulsive urge to keep obtaining and using drugs or alcohol
- Stripping away your ability to care about the damaging impact of substance use
What is the first step in 12-step recovery? Admitting powerlessness over alcohol or any other addictive substance. The creators of the 12-step method didn’t base this step on a scientific understanding of addiction. Nevertheless, it reflects one of addiction’s core, scientifically verified realities.
It might seem like a paradox, but admitting powerlessness ultimately makes change possible. By taking this first step, you build a firm foundation for the 11 that follow afterward. Importantly, you also gain a perspective that can help increase the benefits of your formal rehab plan.
The Next Steps in the 12-Step Process
What comes next after you admit powerlessness over your drinking or drug use? Following steps in the process include such things as:
- Believing that a power greater than yourself can help you heal and change
- Surrendering to your need for help from that power
- Taking stock of the impact of addiction on yourself and those you know
- Admitting this impact to yourself, your higher power, and those you’ve hurt
While referred to as steps, these actions are not short-term. You continue to make use of them as you progress through your program.
Learn More About 12-Step Recovery at Promises Right Step
What is the first step of a 12-step program? Admitting that you can’t overcome addiction by yourself. This acknowledgment of powerlessness can be key to your long-term recovery success. To learn more about it, talk to the addiction specialists at Promises Right Step.
Promises Right Step is a leading resource for effective substance rehab. Every day, we help program participants enrich their recovery with 12-step methods. Call us today at 17135283709 for more information. You can also contact us online through our confidential message form.
