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What Are the 12 Steps to Recover From Drugs?

Friday, September 04, 2009

Related Tags: steps | addiction | god | addicts | 12

Instructions

Steps 1 to 3

Step 1:
The first step in the 12 Steps is to admit that you are powerless over drugs/alcohol. This can prove to be very difficult for addicts to admit, because they are so used to their ways and often times feel helpless. This step is crucial because it is an admittance to the problem, and admitting that you are wrong and have a problem is often times the hardest thing to do.

The second step is to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. This step is tremendously important because it means that the addict has to believe in a higher power to restore himself. This step also recognizes the insanity that overwhelms an addict in the midst of addiction, and that the addict must rely on the higher power to deliver him back to a sane life; a life in which an addiction is not the central focus.

The third step says to make a decision that turns your will and life over to the care of God as we understand him. This step basically means that the addict must try to surrender her ways over to God, meaning that the addict must start letting God do for her what she can't do for herself.

Steps 4 to 6

Step 1:
The fourth step is to have addicts make a searching and fearless moral inventory of themselves. This step is very important, because the responsibility is on the addicts to admit to all of the negative things their addiction has accounted for. This step calls for honesty, self accountability and documentation, and can be very challenging for addicts to access those harsh memories and struggles.

The fifth step in the 12 steps is an admittance to God, themselves and another person the exact nature of the addict's wrongs. This step coincides with the previous step of taking a moral inventory, but takes it one step further. Admitting the exact nature of the addict's wrongs to someone else may be one of the toughest things done in the 12 steps, because it can be hard for an addict or anyone to admit wrongs and why they happened. This step can very very enlightening for the addict though, as it grants them a new perspective into their addiction.

The sixth step is for the addict is to be ready for God to remove all those defects in character. This step is about the addict changing her life and being ready for that change. By asking God to remove the addict's faults in character, it allows the addict to "turn the page" slightly and move on from the life of addiction.

Steps 7 to 9

Step 1:
The seventh step is to humbly ask Him (God) to remove the addict's shortcomings. This is a redemptive step for the addict, as he must be willing to let go of character shortcomings that allowed him to be an addict in the first place. However, the addict must be willing to remove the defects in character and be willing to leave the life of addiction behind, with the help of God.

The eighth step is for the addict to make a list of all persons harmed, and to become willing to make amends for them. This step is particularly crucial, as the addict must be willing to forgive herself and right the wrongs while addicted. It is hard for an addict to admit to herself that addiction might have caused harm to her other relationships.

The ninth step is for the addict to make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure himself or others. This step is one of the most eye opening experiences for the addict, as they come face to face with the people they have caused hurt and become more open to forgiving themselves in the the process. This step can be very enlightening for an addict, as often times addiction can lead to addicts not properly understanding the affects of their addiction, and often times far reaching consequences. The addict must try to get in contact with all the people she has wronged, except when getting into contact with a hurt person could put the addict or the other person in harm's way.

Steps 10 to 12

Step 1:
The tenth step is for the addict to continue to take personal inventory and for the addict to admit the times he is wrong. This step is mainly for the addict to keep on the path of sobriety. By the addict keeping a personal inventory of his actions, and openly admitting when he is wrong, it helps the addict to accept accountability for his actions, which hopefully keeps the addict on the sober path.

The eleventh step is for the addict to seek through prayer and meditation to improve her conscious contact with God as we understand him, praying for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. This step is for addicts to use their strength in God to help them forge a sober life. Similar to step three, this step helps the addict by using her faith in God to stay sober; it is tremendously difficult for an addict to change the workings of her mind, and this step reinforces her belief in sobriety when she feels like she is not strong enough to do it alone.

The final step in the 12 steps is for the addict to have a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, to have the ability to relay the steps to others in need and to practice these principals in all affairs. This step helps reassure the addict that he is making the right choice, and helps the addict have an active relationship with her higher power to help have the strength to live a sober life. This step is important because it tells the addict to practice these steps in all aspects of life, which helps the addict regain structure within her life.

Conclusion

Step 1:
The 12 step program is a tool for recovering alcoholics and drugs addicts to use to help curb their addiction and gain sobriety. The 12 steps are a proven method for helping addicts regain control of their lives, and it is hard to argue with the results. The effectiveness of the 12 steps relies solely on the addict; it is not guaranteed to work, nor does it promise that. There is no guaranteed cure to addiction, but the 12 steps are a positive direction for an addict to take if she wants to have a sober life.