The 12 Steps to Sobriety

 Addiction to any substance is a devastating problem. Within the 12-step programs, all addictions are considered a disease. Making addiction treatable and something that can be overcome is the aim and purpose of 12-step recovery programs.

Finding a 12-Step Meeting

Sober recovery meetings are everywhere. If you attend a 12-step meeting and find that it is uncomfortable, recommendations are to keep trying until you find a meeting that fits or a group that you are comfortable with. The nature of addiction is to separate the addict from any group, so be sure to give it a strong chance to work.

Meetings are not the source of recovery in 12-step groups. The recovery occurs in the process of working through and applying the 12 steps. The groups and meetings are resources for helping addicts work through the 12 steps with the aid and assistance from those who have done them and understand how the process works. That person is called a sponsor. Sponsors in 12-step programs become a valuable lifeline in the recovery process for addicts who are really looking for recovery.

Some addicts do not want to do what is required for ongoing abstinence from addiction. There is little or no evidence that life outside of 12-step recovery can work, but some have been able to do it differently. Recovery is a tricky business.

What 12-step programs provide are some essential ingredients for successful, happy recovery. These are:

• hope for a sense of purpose when the addict is at their most hopeless place in life
• a reason to go on living, when all seems lost and dark
• happiness in becoming free of the ideas and behaviors that kept addiction alive
• finding meaning in a world that makes no sense
• discovering joy in having life, one day at a time, that is beyond the dreams of most addicts

Finding the Support You Need

Recovery happens every day in 12-step groups. If you think you may be in the throes of an addiction, please contact the appropriate 12-step recovery program in your community. They are listed on the Internet and in the telephone directories of every town and city across the globe. For those who live in remote areas of the world, there are online groups to reach out to as well.

Belonging to a group is not appealing to most addicts, at first glance. However, the relief from chronic and active addiction is worth the attempt. Everyone deserves to be free of addiction and the horrible pain it creates. Recovering with others who are completely aware of these feelings is a blessing for everyone. The fellowship formed in 12-step recovery meetings is something to experience first-hand. Bonds formed are strong, and friendships last lifetimes for millions of previously hopeless addicts. Join us for freedom from the hell of addiction!.