Non 12 Step Programs
Find non 12 step programs that can help you!
Twelve-step treatment programs have been around for more than 65 years but many treatment centers are now finding that the twelve-step model of treatment for drug and alcohol addiction may work well for some but does not work for everyone. Thus, non 12-step treatment programs have been designed to offer people who are trying to deal with addiction an alternative treatment option to the traditional 12-step model. Non 12-step treatment programs have varied success rates similar to those of a traditional 12 step treatment model and ultimately the success outcome is dependent upon the commitment of the patient being treated.
How Non 12-Step Treatment Differs from the Twelve-step Treatment Model
Non twelve step treatment is based on medical and scientific evidence and facts. Unlike the 12-step treatment model which places recovery in the hands of God, the non 12-step treatment model places recovery directly in the hands of the addict and the counselors or doctors who are working with the individual on a treatment plan. Non 12-step treatment programs do not believe that the addict is powerless over their own dependence but rather that drug or alcohol addiction is treatable and can be overcome similar to the way other obstacles in life are overcome.
Non twelve step treatment programs place recovery on a time line which is finite and has a true beginning and an end. Unlike 12-step treatment programs which place recovery on a life long continuum, non twelve-step treatment programs recognize that recovery is a process that is ultimately completed at which time you are no longer a “recovering addict” but an individual who was once addicted but is now cured.
Most importantly, the biggest difference between twelve-step treatment and non-twelve step treatment is that the non twelve-step treatment model recognizes that everyone is different, every addiction is different and no two plans of action for addiction treatment will work the same for every person. That being said, non twelve-step treatment supports the goals of the individual to stop using drugs or alcohol without labeling that person or creating shame. Treatment in the non twelve-step program is individually tailored to meet the needs of the individual for the greatest chance of a successful recovery.
Non Twelve-Step Support Groups
Recognizing the need for added peer support, groups have been formed that can provide many of the “group” values that are found in a 12 step group such as AA without using the twelve step treatment methods. Some alternative group organizations that provide a supportive basis with a non 12-step treatment approach include SMART Recovery, Rational Recovery (RR), Women for Sobriety Inc. (WFS), SOS and Life Ring.
These support groups can provide the mutual help that is similar to that which would be found in a twelve-step support group but without the guidance of the 12 steps which are focused around higher power, God, and having a lack of control over one’s own addiction and recovery. Non twelve-step treatment programs help people to recover from all types of addiction including substance abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism and gambling addiction.
