12-Step Principles

A Program Way Ahead of its Time

In 1939, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was written by the founds of "AA," and in the first 164 pages of this text is an outline for a program of recovery that has changed the lives of millions by giving them a "manual for sobriety."

One thing that is notable about the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous is that its founders recognized some things that the medical field took many more decades to "officially" confirm. Namely,

• alcoholics (and addicts) are fundamentally different from their non addicted counterparts (ie alcoholism comes about from genetic and environmental factors and  is not a choice but a disease that warrants treatment)

• recovery is an ongoing process that lasts a lifetime (ie. there is no "cure" for alcoholism)

One other tenet of the A.A. philosophy that has been proven to be important for long term recovery is the focus on complete abstinence .  Alcoholics Anonymous has a system of rewarding consecutive sobriety and relapses are strongly discouraged. Per AA, "drinking like a gentleman"(ie not to excess) is a fantasy that alcoholics should accept they cannot achieve.

Medical research on brain chemistry and the psychology of recovery strongly supports maintaining complete abstinence for a successful recovery.

How it Works

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings occur in public and private spaces (community centers, churches, etc.).  Anyone who wants to quit drinking can consider themselves a "member" of Alcoholics Anonymous and may attend any meeting. Some meetings are "open" meaning that absolutely anyone can attend (regardless of whether or not they consider themselves and alcoholic). The meetings typically involve members sharing stories of "experience, strength, and hope"  and offering support to one another.  

The "Big Book of AA" contains the philosophy of the recovery program including the 12 "steps":

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. 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 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 practice these principles in all our
affairs.

To the uninitiated, the 12 steps are not easy to understand and it can be confounding to imagine how they "work"  for individuals that seem impervious so the  negative consequences of their drinking or using drugs.

The program of AA instructs the recovering individual to "work" the steps with a sponsor (a trusted member of the program with a period of sustained sobriety).  "Working" the steps involves discussion, reflection, writing/journaling, and helping others to remain sober. Regular meeting attendance  and participation is strongly recommended. The process culminates in working the 12th-Step which instructs members to pass along the program to newcomers who need guidance and support.

Spiritual Awakening and Agnostics

The 12-Steps refer to a "spiritual awakening" that occurs and this is a concept that sometimes causes controversy - especially to members of the program who do not believe in a higher power. The "Spiritual Awakening" is commonly acknowledged by members who've achieved a period of sobriety in the 12-Step program.  It can perhaps be equated with the process by which the drug of choice is no longer desirable but rather revolting to the member. As it says in the Big Book of AA "we recoil from [alcohol] as from a hot flame."  Members who are skeptical of the religious nature of the Big Book are urged to focus on the positive outcome and thereis also a chapter in the Big Book of AA that is dedicated to agnostics.

Fellowship and Community

It is difficult to get an estimate of the size of Alcoholics Anonymous due to the anonymous nature of the program. According to the AA "census" data released on Jan 1, 201 there are 115,773 groups and 2,103,033 members that meet worldwide. The Program of Alcoholics Anonymous is exceedingly available throughout the United States and widely available even abroad  - even in non English speaking countries.  One of the best things about integrating participation in Alcoholics Anonymous into a recovery program is its widespread availability and uniformity of the program.  Newport Beach is known to be a thriving 12-Step community with hundreds of meetings occurring daily.

There are no costs associated with membership to or participation in Alcoholics Anonymous but donations are accepted at most meetings. 

Other "Anonymous" Organizations

There are also other 12-Step organizations for other addictive substances, behaviors, or disorders.  Some of the more common ones are NA (narcotics anonymous), GA (gamblers anonymous), CA (cocaine anonymous),  and ABA (anorexics and bulimics anonymous).  Al-Anon is also a very popular support group fellowship. Al-Anon  is a 12-Step based program for the  relatives and friends of alcoholics.  This fellowship helps family members cope with the reality of a loved one's addiction. Al-Anon also educates loved ones about how  they may be unwittingly participating in the addiction by enabling it and participating in codependent behaviors.  Our treatment program also places a lot of emphasis on working in the family system, and Al-Anon is a key component of that work.