When people enter an addiction treatment program at Baltimore Detox Center, there are many different options for addiction therapy. One of the most successful methods that we offer is a 12-step program.

What Is a 12-Step Program?

The 12-step program was created in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. The idea behind the 12 steps is to begin with the first step and work your way through each successive step in numerical order. By completing, or “working,” the steps, you progress from a state of being chemically dependent to being chemically independent, all while utilizing your belief systems as motivation and fuel for your recovery goals. 

The 12 steps are:

1. We admit that we are powerless over alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable.
2. We come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.
3. We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We create a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We become entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings.
8. We make a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continue to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admit it.
11. We seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. We have a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, and we try to carry this message to other people fighting addiction and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

How Does a 12-Step Program Work?

By the time you work through the 12 steps, you have become acutely aware of the character defects at the root of your addiction. Furthermore, you have done whatever was possible to make up for the wrongs you’ve committed against others and achieved a spiritual awakening. Finally, the steps guide you to become an advocate for the 12-step program by mentoring others in recovery; in effect, being a recovery resource to others reinforces your recovery.

What Are the Benefits of a 12-Step Program?

A 12-step program can be effective when you’re in recovery, and some of the benefits include:

• A safe space – When you attend a 12-step meeting, you are in an environment that is open for sharing and judgment-free.
• Mentorship – You can find a mentor, known in a 12-step program as a “sponsor,” who becomes your guide through recovery.
• Understanding – A 12-step program connects you with people who have had similar experiences and can understand your journey in recovery.
• Comradery – You bond with the other people in your 12-step program who become a source of support during your recovery.
• Learn strategies – Part of the 12-step program is acquiring strategies and skills to maintain sobriety for years to come.

When you work through the 12 steps at Baltimore Detox Center, you solidify your recovery and set yourself up for success.

Explore the 12-Step Program at Baltimore Detox Center

As you work through the 12 steps, you have the support and encouragement of our Baltimore Detox Center team. However, the success of recovery depends on your level of commitment to treatment and your understanding of relapse prevention skills. Reach out to our team today to learn more by calling [Direct] or completing our confidential online form.