DARA is proud to offer Steps to Recovery™, our 12 step recovery program that utilizes the guiding principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) to assist individuals in overcoming drug and alcohol addictions, and reconnect with their spirituality. Steps to Recovery™ was specially designed to be non-denominational, so that it is compatible for all spiritual beliefs.
Our 12 step addiction recovery program is not solely to escape addiction, but to allow an individual to build a satisfying and productive life of recovery. In fact, only the first of the 12 steps actually mentions addiction, while the rest are devoted to self-improvement.
12 Step Recovery Program History and Ideals
Steps to Recovery™ is a 12 step addiction recovery program. Inspired by a Christian movement called the Oxford Group, one of the guiding principles of the program is that an individual needs the help of a higher power in order to defeat their addiction to alcohol or drugs. Developed during the late 1930s, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the first 12 step group, and now more than 90% of addiction treatment in the US is AA based.
Over time, as the success of 12 step AA groups became more well-known, other 12 step groups were created to help individuals struggling with a variety of addictions, such as addiction to narcotics, gambling, sex, shopping, and even internet addiction. The goal of AA, NA and other 12 step recovery programs is to create satisfying life in recovery. Someone who enters 12 step therapy is asked to:
- Willingly develop a new and more spiritual way of living
- Walk a personal path of humility and acceptance of whatever happens in life
- Become more conscious of their higher power and to allow this to guide their lives
- Willingly make amends for any wrong doings they have done in the past
The ultimate aim of the 12 steps is for members to experience a spiritual awakening. Talk of a spiritual experience can conjure up esoteric images, but the meaning here is more subtle. This change or awakening can happen slowly over many years, and simply implies that the individual has been able to break away from addiction and rebuild their lives.
Although the original 12 step program in Alcoholics Anonymous was inspired by Christians, it aims to be fully non-denominational. Each member is encouraged to believe in a higher power as they understand this concept. Even those who are uncomfortable with talk of God can choose the energy of the group as their higher power. The only requirement is that the member believes that there is something out there more powerful than them, and that this can them overcome their addiction.
The underlying and essential component of a 12 step recovery program is regular attendance at 12 step group meetings, and sponsoring others on this recovery journey.
Benefits of 12 step recovery programs include:
- Looking at life in a new and improved way
- No regrets about the past
- No more fear of people, places and things
- No more financial worries
- Less selfishness and self-seeking behavior
- Happiness
- An end to self-pity
- Intuitive knowledge for how to handle every situation
- An end to feelings of uselessness
- Increased ability to help others
- Serenity
DARA’s 12 Step Addiction Recovery Program
While Steps to Recovery™ is a 12 step based treatment program, there are several factors that differentiate this program from a traditional 12 step recovery program and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) treatment philosophies. DARA’s Steps to Recovery™ provides these essential and unique elements to clients in our residential treatment program:
- Teaches and supports 12 step meetings, written work and philosophies
- Integrates individual and group counseling
- Focuses on biological, psychological, social, and spiritual healing
- Has a variable length of stay between four and twelve weeks, which is consistent with our personalized approach to addiction treatment and recovery
- Offers treatment for the substance abuser who has not crossed the line into addiction and dependence
- Offers specialized treatment for those addicted to prescription medications.
- Includes psychological and psychiatric evaluations.
- Includes a nicotine cessation treatment option.
- Able to treat process addictions, including gambling, sexual promiscuity, and compulsive eating
- Offers a family therapy component
- Offers a specialized professionals program targeted at treating physicians, attorneys and other high-level/high-profile business people and executives
Our Steps to Recovery™ 12 step addiction recovery program integrates all aspects of wellness and health in each clients individualized care plan. Depending on the specific needs of the client, this may include:
- Stress management
- Relapse awareness
- Art therapy
- Group exercise and sports
- Group communication skills development
- Journaling
- Massage
- Meditation & Yoga
- Sessions with a certified personal trainer
- Tai Chi and Thai Boxing
- Water Workouts
The 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous
Here are the 12 steps as used by Narcotics Anonymous (NA). The steps are similar in any 12 step recovery program, but are specific to the type of addiction being addressed. It is important to note the word “we” in each of the steps, because group support that is key to these 12 step programs.
- We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
- We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- We 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 a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
