At Beach House, we believe the spiritual principles of the 12-step process support our whole-person wellness approach. With a team of mental health clinicians, psychiatric providers, and addiction treatment specialists, we help a diverse population of patients address substance use disorders and their co-occurring conditions compassionately and successfully.
The 12-step program has been the most widely adopted addiction recovery solution since the middle of the 20th century. It is one of the many effective therapeutic interventions offered at Beach House Center for Recovery.
The foundation of the 12-step program was laid in 1935 with the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous. It provides attendees with strategies that help them achieve and maintain sobriety. It also offers a consistent support system that increases the likelihood that program participants will manage substance use disorders effectively in the long term.
The 12-step model effectively replaced previous treatment modalities that encouraged willpower-based abstinence and viewed a return to use as a character failure. Alcoholics Anonymous recognized the chronic nature of addiction, and developed a system designed to help people continually manage the disorder.
Alcoholics Anonymous is the original and most widely known type of 12-step program. However, there are many other effective options designed to address specific types of addiction and support people who are affected by addiction disorders. These programs include the following:
- Narcotics Anonymous: A 12-step program for people with addictions to narcotics.
- Gamblers Anonymous: A 12-step program for people with addictions to gambling.
- Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)/Dysfunctional Families: A 12-step program for people who grew up in dysfunctional homes.
- Al-Anon: A support program for the families and loved ones of people with alcohol use disorders.
- Nar-Anon: A support program for the families and loved ones of people with narcotics use disorders.
- Gam-Anon: A support program for the families and loved ones of people with gambling disorders.
There are also 12-step programs that focus on addictions to specific substances, like methamphetamines, cocaine, and heroin. The 12-step model is also used for behavioral addictions like sex addiction, shopping/spending addictions, and addiction to work.
12 Step Principles
There are 12 spiritual principles of AA and other 12-step addiction programs. Although the individual steps might vary slightly depending on the type of addiction, the steps generally include the following actionable items:
- Honesty: Acknowledging your lack of control over your addiction
- Hope: Recognizing the existence of a Higher Power
- Faith: Pursuing strength from your Higher Power
- Courage: Acknowledging and taking inventory of all wrongs or transgressions committed while you misused substances or engaged in an addictive behavior
- Integrity: Admitting out loud your individual transgressions to another person and your Higher Power
- Willingness: Looking to your Higher Power for aid in correcting personal faults
- Humility: Pursuing correction of personal faults through meditation or prayer to your Higher Power
- Responsibility: Writing a comprehensive list of people harmed by your transgressions with a willingness to make amends
- Discipline: Making amends to those harmed by your addiction except in cases where reaching out would cause further harm
- Perseverance: Taking continual inventory of behaviors and admitting wrongs
- Awareness: Seeking continual spiritual guidance from your Higher Power through prayer and meditation
- Service: Helping support recovery for others struggling with addiction
The spiritual principles of the 12 steps empower people struggling with addiction to pursue recovery in a meaningful way regardless of the type of addiction.
Beach House Center for Recovery: 12-Step Programs
Beach House Center for Recovery offers a broad spectrum of evidence-backed support programs designed to address multiple facets of addiction and contributing disorders. We encourage participation in 12-step programs onsite and after inpatient treatment concludes.
To learn more about the 12-step programs offered at Beach House, please contact our compassionate admissions counselor today.
