What Are the 12 Steps for Recovery?

What are the 12 steps for recovery? They are a set of guidelines that guides you through every phase of recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) developed the 12 steps as a means for growing from addiction to a sustainable recovery. The steps work best within a group setting. For this reason, AA groups meet regularly to provide support and accountability as you work through each step of the program.

Although AA is not a primary form of treatment, it can provide a powerful supplement that lasts beyond rehab. It is often included as a necessary component in rehab and aftercare. Many individuals who complete their treatment plan will continue with AA for many years to avoid a relapse. When combined with evidence based treatment and holistic therapy, a 12 step program can give you a greater sense of well-being and promote lasting recovery.

The 12 Steps Outlined

What are the 12 steps for recovery? Let’s take a closer look at each step below.

The 12 steps for recovery state the following:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
11. 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
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs

Do You Have to Be Religious to Follow the 12 Steps?

What are the 12 steps for recovery? They focus on a spiritual path to helping you get clean and clean.

While it is true that the 12 steps to recovery adhere to a spiritual guide, you do not have to subscribe to a certain religious belief to follow them. In fact, some support groups provide alternatives to the traditional 12 step model. What is most important is that you have a basic understanding that the 12 step program promotes personal growth, mindfulness, and reconciliation as a necessary means for recovery.

AA also recognizes the need to find help outside of trying to beat your addiction alone. Support groups provide support and accountability to help you along the way. While there is no guarantee that you will not relapse, joining a 12-step program increases your chances of long-term successful recovery.

Find Out More About Our 12 Step Addiction Recovery Program

What are the 12 steps for recovery? Find out more at BoardPrep Recovery Center^®. We offer a comprehensive treatment plan that includes detox, rehab, and aftercare. We also provide opportunities to participate in 12 step programs. To find out more about our addiction treatment program, call us at 866.796.4720. We can help you get on the road to recovery.