12 Step Program forms Basis for Treatment

If you are looking at drug treatment center for yourself or someone you love, you may be wondering about the approach to treatment used. There are many ways that professionals can help clients with substance abuse issues, but the Above It All Treatment Center focuses on 12- step programs to help its clients get clean and sober.

Why has the Center decided on this approach? It is a highly effective way to help addicts get sober and walk on that road over the long term. The 12 steps can be used by people of any religious faith, or no religious affiliation at all.

Working the 12 Step Program

  • Each person works the steps at his or her own pace.
  • The process is meant to be a lifetime process
  • The first step is for the addict to admit that he or she is powerless over the addiction.
  • Part of this process also involves making amends to those who have been hurt as the result of addiction
  • Another step involves taking a personal inventory
  • The final step in the process requires participants to be of service to others.

Being Accountable and Getting Well

One thing drug addicts are very good at is finding ways to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. At worst, they become professional victims and have a slew of excuses why they are not to blame for their addiction. They may even try to pin the blame on their family members or circumstances in their life to deflect it away from themselves.

Working through the 12-step program puts the responsibility for the addiction on the addict. They need to take a look at themselves and their actions and be accountable for the decisions they have made.

Other Treatment Programs Available

The 12-step program is one part of the treatment plan offered to a client who is admitted to the Above It All Inpatient program. Each client will receive specialized care designed to meet his or her individual needs. On arrival, clients are assessed. If necessary, they will go to detox so that their bodies are free from all chemical substances. Only when they are clean will the real treatment begin.

Clients may meet with counselors on an individual basis, participate in group therapy sessions, and see therapists on their own. They will receive instruction on nutrition and participate in hiking and other physical activities. Participating in 12-step meetings is an important part of the daily routine at the treatment center. The days are kept full, and clients learn how to enjoy a number of sober activities so they don’t have time to get bored while they are in treatment. The goal is to stay busy and keep working the 12 steps to get well.

Eventually, they learn how to integrate new healthy behaviors like these on their own, so they can leave the treatment center and liver sober, happy, and peaceful lives throughout the future.

California Drug Treatment Programs Offer an Alternative to Addiction

Addiction is a disease that can make a person feel that they are alone and without hope. Nothing could be further from the truth, though. If you are concerned about someone you love, don’t let them slip away from you because you (or they) think they are beyond help. It’s never too late to seek treatment from an alcohol & drug rehab for someone you care for. They may not think they are worth saving, but you know that is not the case.

Addiction is a Treatable Disease

  • If you found out that your loved one had a chronic, life-threatening disease, how would you respond?
  • Would you want him or her to get help right away?
  • How much would you blame him or her for getting sick?
  • Would you be willing to help your loved one find a place where he or she could undergo

Addiction is a disease, and it is just as real as any other chronic illness. You can make a choice not to blame your loved one for being sick without having to make excuses for bad behavior or doing things that will allow the addiction to continue. Getting the person you care for into a California drug treatment program should be your first priority.

Find Help in CA for Addiction

What kind of help will your loved one get at a drug rehab facility? The exact treatment program will vary, depending on the client’s needs. When a new client arrives at the facility, the first step is to have him or her go through detox. Once the client is free from the physical effects of alcohol and/or drugs, the treatment program begins. An intake counselor will discuss the specific plan with each client, which may include the following components:

  • Individual sessions with a substance abuse counselor
  • Group therapy sessions with other clients
  • One-on-one counseling sessions with a therapist
  • Life skills training

The treatment may also include participating in 12 step programs. This part of the treatment gives clients the opportunity to share their story with others. It provides a framework for a long-term recovery that clients can take with them after they leave the facility.

A person can continue to attend meetings in their home community after they have completed the initial drug or alcohol treatment program. The support of the group can be very helpful to someone who has completed an inpatient treatment program and is ready to move to a sober living house or decides to return home.

Would you like to find out more information about the treatment options available at Above It All Treatment Center to deal with drug or alcohol addiction? Call now to speak to a caring recovery specialist.

12-Step Treatment Programs: Spiritual Principles for Addiction Recovery

Are you looking for help for yourself or a loved one who is struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol? A treatment program will include a number of elements, and 12 step programs are commonly used to help people who want to move away from addiction into recovery. Such a program offers fellowship and support to people who are hurting from those who truly understand the pain of addiction.

Not a Religious Approach to Treatment

Even though the second step in the process talks about turning oneself over to a Higher Power, this program is not meant to conform to any specific religious faith. It can be practiced by anyone. Each person can interpret this step and the Higher Power in the manner he or she chooses.

Service to Others Part of the 12 Steps

It will take time to work through the 12 steps, and the final one involves being of service to others. People in the midst of addiction can be very selfish and self-centered. Making a point of performing acts of service to others helps to keep the addict mindful they cannot slip back into their old behavior.

Find Drug Rehab in California

Along with a 12 step program, drug rehab in California also offers other types of help to addicts. If you are looking at an inpatient program, the facility will be able to customize a specific course of treatment for you or your loved one.

The first step when arriving at the facility is to go through detoxification. This is when the body is freed from the physical effects of drugs. The process is closely supervised by trained personnel, and medications are given if necessary. If medical attention is required, you or your loved one would either be given a higher level of care or transferred to a local hospital, as appropriate.

An addiction treatment program may also include the following:

  • Individual counseling sessions
  • Group therapy
  • One-on-one therapy
  • Life skills training

The exact program for each client is determined when he or she arrives at the treatment facility. Since each person’s needs and goals in treatment are different, no two treatment plans will be exactly the same. The treatment schedule would depend on the number of treatment days, whether there is a dual diagnosis that needs to be dealt with, and other factors.

A person who embraces the 12-step program can find peace and serenity in walking through the steps that they were unable to find while they were actively using drugs. This is the anchor they were likely seeking (but could not find) in their addiction. A 12-step approach can help you or someone you care for today – just call Above It all Treatment Center.

Surrender – The First Step to Recovery

“We know that little good can come to any alcoholic who joins A.A. unless he has first accepted his devastating weakness and all its consequences. Until he so humbles himself, his sobriety–if any–will be precarious. Of real happiness he will find none at all. Proved beyond doubt by an immense experience, this is one of the facts of A.A. life. The principle that we shall find no enduring strength until we first admit complete defeat is the main taproot from which our whole Society has sprung and flowered. When first challenged to admit defeat, most of us revolted. We had approached A.A. expecting to be taught self-confidence. Then we had been told that so far as alcohol is concerned, self-confidence was no good whatever; in fact, it was a total liability. Our sponsors declared that we were the victims of a mental obsession so subtly powerful that no amount of human willpower could break it. There was, they said, no such thing as the personal conquest of this compulsion by the unaided will. Relentlessly deepening our dilemma, our sponsors pointed out our increasing sensitivity to alcohol–an allergy, they called it. The tyrant alcohol wielded a double-edged sword over us: first we were smitten by an insane urge that condemned us to go on drinking, and then by an allergy of the body that insured we would ultimately destroy ourselves in the process. Few indeed were those who, so assailed, had ever won through in single-handed combat. It was a statistical fact that alcoholics almost never recovered on their own resources.”

– From the chapter on Step One from The AA Twelve and Twelve

 

As alcoholics trying to get sober the first step whether we plan to go to an alcohol rehab, AA, or other alcohol programs is to admit that we are powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. It isn’t until we admit complete defeat that we can move forward. If we do not surrender to the fact that we are alcoholics many of us will not be willing to go to any lengths to receive help and stay sober. We must realize we suffer from an allergy of the body and a spiritual malady that no amount of will power can fix.

If we are to recover from this seemingly hopeless state of mind and body we must be rid of the things that bind us through doing this work on ourselves.

Above It All Treatment is here to help – Call Now!

 

12 Step Programs Offer Support and Guidance to Treat Addiction

Are you looking for help with an addiction? While some people are specifically looking for a faith-based treatment center, this is not the right option for everyone. A 12-step program is a non-denominational approach to treatment that has helped millions of people around the world who have struggled with addictions.

Alcoholics Anonymous – The First 12 Step Program

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the first program to use this treatment model. The idea of attending meetings and sharing personal stories is one that has been a foundation of the program from the outset. Members of the group gain strength from listening to each other and stay motivated to remain sober.

Working the 12 Steps Towards Recovery

You don’t need to be part of any particular religious group for this type of program to work for you. All you need is a willingness to move into recovery. 12 step programs are meant to be a lifelong change, not merely something that you are going to be doing for just a short time. If you are prepared to take on this commitment and walk the path, you can look forward to a bright, sober future.

Taking the first step and admitting that you are powerless over your addiction can be the most challenging one. People like to feel that they are in control of themselves and their life. Perhaps you started using drugs and/or alcohol because you felt anxious or uncomfortable, and these substances helped to “take the edge off” those feelings. The first step in the program is a necessary one, and once you enter an addiction treatment facility, you will have help and support with this step from caring and experienced counselors and therapists.

Get Help for Addiction

Along with the 12 steps, your stay at a treatment facility will also include other programs. You will spend time in one-on-one sessions with an addiction counselor and in group therapy sessions. It’s not enough just to go through detox and free your body from the physical effects of the drugs or alcohol; you need to figure out why you were attracted to these substances.

Once you have a clear handle on the underlying reasons for your addiction, you can develop strategies for avoiding a relapse. The caring staff at Above It all Treatment Center are ready to help you break free from addiction. They have helped many clients and their families get the help they need to live sober, happier lives, and they can do the same for you.

Are you ready to make a positive change today? Taking the first step isn’t difficult; all you need to do is pick up the phone and say you want to talk to a recovery specialist. Call now for a confidential assessment, and take the first step toward a better future.

Step Ten: Inventory

“This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code.”

-from the chapter “Working with others” from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous…

Taking the Next Step

As alcoholics in the middle of receiving 12 step treatment it can be hard for us to get used to the idea of taking inventory. It is part of the cleaning house process. We must be diligent about keeping our side of the street clean so that we can be of maximum service to others. When we are able to trust in god, clean house, and work with others the rest just kind of falls into place. In a detox, AA, or at Above It All Treatment Center we learn how to become functioning members of society again. Through doing this work we can begin to heal and become happily and usefully whole. We will know a new freedom and a new happiness, and be able to achieve long-term sobriety.

The Simplicity of The 12 Steps

“We represent no particular faith or denomination. We are dealing only with general principles common to most denominations. Outline the program of action, explaining how you made a self-appraisal, how you straightened out your past and why you are now endeavoring to be helpful to him. It is important for him to realize that your attempt to pass this on to him plays a vital part in your recovery. Actually, he may be helping you more than you are helping him. Make it plain he is under no obligation to you, that you hope only that he will try to help other alcoholics when he escapes his own difficulties. Suggest how important it is that he places the welfare of other people ahead of his own.” – pg. 93 Working with Others from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

When first receiving alcohol addiction help and reading something like this from the big book may seem somewhat confusing. After a while when it is broken down for us we can actually see how simple this program is. Where it talks about outlining the program of action it is referring to the steps and everything involved in doing the step whether we go to a 30 day rehab program, AA, or an affordable rehab these are all a part of our personal program of action. When it talks about a self- appraisal it is talking about the work we do to identify our side of the street and the work needed to improve on many different things such as character defects, resentments, relationships etc. particularly by doing our inventory. Finally it goes on to talk about sponsorship and how we can’t keep our recovery if we don’t give it away. Many of us are baffled by these things when we are newly sober but over time we will be able to comprehend this way of life and we will become happily and usefully whole.

The Importance of Openness in Sobriety

“If we cannot or would rather not do this, we search our acquaintance for a close-mouthed, understanding friend perhaps our doctor or psychologist will be the person. It may be one of our own family, but we cannot disclose anything to our wives or our parents which will hurt them and make them unhappy. We have no right to save our own skin at another person’s expense. Such parts of our story we tell to someone who will understand, yet be unaffected. The rule is we must hard on ourselves, but always considerate of others. Notwithstanding the great necessity for discussing ourselves with someone, it may be one is so situated that there is no suitable person available. If that is so, this step may be postponed, only, however if we hold ourselves in complete readiness to go through with it at the first opportunity.” – pg. 73-74 Into Action from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

When we decide we are ready to receive alcohol addiction help and do the work in order to stay sober it is important that we decide to do the work with someone that matches the criteria talked about in this excerpt from the big book. It is important that we feel safe and know that whatever is talked about is discussed in confidence. That way it will be easier for us to proceed with abandoned. Regardless of if we decide to do the work through a 30 day rehab program, AA, drug addiction detox, or through a friend we need to know in matters regarding the steps that our confidence is not going to be betrayed for this could potentially leave a bad taste in our mouth as far as sobriety is concerned and could lead us to drink. When the time is right we will find the right person to take us through the steps, be shown a way to recover, and as a result of the step work have a spiritual experience. If we find the right person it can truly be a beautiful process.

The Importance of a Truly Fearless and Thorough Inventory in Sobriety

“The best reason first: If we skip this vital step, we may not overcome drinking. Time after time newcomers have tried to keep to themselves certain facts about their lives. Trying to avoid this humbling experience, they have turned to easier methods. Almost invariably they got drunk. Having persevered with the rest of the program, they wondered why they fell. We think the reason is that they never completed their housecleaning. They took inventory all right, but hung on to some of the worst items in stock. They only thought they had humbled themselves. But they had not learned enough or humility, fearlessness and honesty, in the sense we find it necessary, until they told someone else all their life story. More than most people, the alcoholic leads a double life. He is very much the actor. To the outer world he presents his stage character.”- pg. 73 Into Action from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

When it comes to our step work, it is important that we are thorough and fearless from the very start if we are going to stay sober Through going to an affordable rehab, AA, or drug addiction detox we can be shown precisely how to recover as well as get the tools needed to achieve lasting recovery. If we are not honest and we cut corners in our inventory no matter how tempting or scary it is then our work would have been for nothing. The alcohol addiction help that is available to us only works if we do it with complete abandon and honesty. If we are able to walk through our fears by taking contrary action then we will be rewarded and be blessed with a life full of peace, love, serenity, and happiness amongst many other things.

Helping Others Discover Their Higher Power

“Even though your protégé may not have entirely admitted his condition, he has become very curious to know how you got well. Let him ask you that question, if he will. Tell him exactly what happened to you. Stress the spiritual feature freely. If the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes provided it makes sense to him. The main thing is that he is willing to believe in a power greater than we and that he live by the spiritual principles. When dealing with such a person, you had better use everyday language to describe spiritual principles. There is no use arousing any prejudice he may have against certain theological terms and conceptions about which he may already be confused.”- pg. 93 Working with Others from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

This excerpt from the big book very much goes hand in hand with our third tradition which states that the only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. That means that regardless of our religious/ spiritual beliefs or lack thereof we still get the opportunity to receive alcohol addiction help. Through going to a 30 day rehab program, A.A., or drug addiction detox we get the tools needed to come up with our own concept of a higher power. It is important when carrying the message to another alcoholic that we make the fact that they can choose their own higher power very clear. Many of us have either grown up with the concept of a damning or shaming God or no concept at all. So the idea of having to rely on a particular higher power can be scary. The fact that we get to mold our concept of a power greater then ourselves is an amazing part of recovery. It can be a source of love, comfort, and peace.