A major challenge many people face in recovery comes during the process of adjusting back into society after completing a residential treatment program. This is when you may face people, places, and things that can trigger thoughts of drug and alcohol use or cravings.
Without proper ongoing support, the temptation of relapse can be found anywhere at any time. That’s why the program at Arise Treatment Center is designed to help you prepare for life outside of rehab. 12-Step based therapy, also known as 12-step facilitation therapy, is one therapeutic approach used during rehab that can help you prevent relapse.
What is 12-Step Based Therapy?
12-Step facilitation is an approach that incorporates 12-step concepts and ideologies into a standard substance abuse treatment program. The idea is to promote recovery by means of peer support, spiritual growth, and helping others.
During a 12-Step rehab program, you and your therapist may address the following key points:
- Admitting you need help for your drug or alcohol problem
- Accepting that you have no control over your addiction
- Embracing the idea of letting go of control and giving over control to a Higher Power
- Identifying and modifying poor behaviors or unhealthy coping mechanisms
- Repairing the damage caused by your addiction/alcoholism
- Continuing to grow your relationship with a Higher Power
- Helping others recover from addiction, thereby helping yourself
12-Step based therapy is facilitated in both group and individual therapy sessions. You may also be encouraged to begin going to 12-Step meetings, find a sponsor, and begin working the steps with your sponsor.
What Are The 12-Steps?
The 12-Steps originated in the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program, but are currently used for all 12-Step based fellowship programs. These steps are designed to help you stay sober by working with a sponsor to embrace a connection with a Higher Power of your choice. Once this connection is established, the steps encourage you to help other individuals through the steps to spread the message of recovery.
The 12-Steps are as follows:
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take a personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
- 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.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and practice these principles in all our affairs.
These steps are typically discussed between sponsors and sponsees, fellowship members at meetings, or in 12-step based therapy sessions.
Benefits of 12-Step Facilitation Therapy During Addiction Treatment
Addiction recovery is a lifelong journey, so it’s important that our treatment program provides you with the skills, resources, and education you need to stay sober. Since one of the most popular support groups for addiction recovery is 12-Step fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (CA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), and more, it only makes sense to incorporate 12-Step ideas into your personalized treatment program.
12-Step based therapy can help you:
- Achieve and sustain long-term recovery
- Connect with other sober individuals and understand the importance of peer support in recovery
- Learn from other people’s experiences in recovery so you don’t make the same mistakes
- Get connected with a free, compassionate, and understanding support network
- Set a framework for your sobriety that you can continue to follow
- Improve your self-esteem and spiritual connection
12-Step Based Therapy at Arise Treatment Center
At Arise Treatment Center, 12-Step facilitation therapy is used in multiple different areas of our recovery programming. In both group and individual sessions, you will learn to begin using 12-Step ideas in your recovery so you can maintain your sobriety. When combined with our other evidence-based therapies, the 12-Steps can help promote long-term recovery.
Speak with an admissions coordinator today to get started with our residential and outpatient recovery programs in California.
