| Remarkably, there is no standard treatment program | | | | desperation of alcohol addiction. Hence, 12 steps serve |
| for alcohol addiction in the US or other Western | | | | as a practical foundation for a more comprehensive |
| countries. In fact, the various recovery options available | | | | alcohol recovery plan. |
| today are confusing and limited. | | | | The original 12 steps from AA: |
| In the US, the majority of residential and outpatient | | | | We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that |
| programs are based on the 12 steps to sobriety. This | | | | our lives had become unmanageable. |
| philosophy is the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous | | | | Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves |
| (AA), which officially started in Akron, Ohio in 1935. | | | | could restore us to sanity. |
| The philosophy calls for total abstinence and includes | | | | Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to |
| emotional support similar to that in cancer treatment. | | | | the care of God as we understood Him. |
| The goal is to stay away from one drink, one day at a | | | | Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of |
| time, following the 12 steps. Sobriety is maintained | | | | ourselves. |
| through the sharing of experience, strength, and hope | | | | Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human |
| at group meetings. | | | | being the exact nature of our wrongs. |
| AA meetings are conducted in churches, hospitals, | | | | Were entirely ready to have God remove all these |
| private homes, and public facilities. Some people are | | | | defects of character. |
| put off by the religious tone of AA's 12 steps, which | | | | Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. |
| look to God as the main source of healing and | | | | Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and |
| strength. As a result, many organizers have started | | | | became willing to make amends to them all. |
| their own independent meetings and various | | | | Made direct amends to such people wherever |
| interpretations of the 12 steps have been created over | | | | possible, except when to do so would injure them or |
| the years. | | | | others. |
| It must be noted that 12 steps meetings do not provide | | | | Continued to take personal inventory and when we |
| alcohol detoxification, which is a vital component to | | | | were wrong promptly admitted it. |
| overcoming addiction. Nor do they address the | | | | Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our |
| physical brain conditioning that occurs in alcohol | | | | conscious contact with God as we understood Him, |
| dependence -- and the subsequent retraining of the | | | | praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the |
| brain that is necessary in order to reverse the neural | | | | power to carry that out. |
| pathways of cravings. | | | | Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these |
| Still, the 12 steps do offer vital emotional support, and | | | | steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and |
| direction to those who may be lost in the sorrow and | | | | to practice these principles in all our affairs. |