The 12-step program has ended up being quite popular nowadays amongst people with some addiction problems, and although originally it was created by Alcoholics Anonymous for individuals with alcohol abuse as a progressive health problem, the 12-step program in Washington, DC that we now understand is utilized more commonly within different substance abuse recovery groups, Narcotics Anonymous or Drug Anonymous for individuals with illicit substance abuse problems, and others.
So if you have an interest in finding out more about the 12-step programs in Washington, District of Columbia and how they could be carried out in your own treatment programs, then you may wish to continue reading this post!
Washington 12-Step Program Organization
As you could have guessed, the Washington, District of Columbia 12-step program consists of in itself 12 different spiritual principles and standards that must be used by different support groups to assist its members overcome their problems.
So here are these 12 steps produced by Alcoholics Anonymous for its AA members to be used in Washington, DC, or any other location:
- Admit your weakness for alcohol;
- Find a Power greater than yourself, and believe that a Power like that could restore us to sanity;
- Turn your will over to God so that he can restore us and take care of all these defects that we have;
- Make a personal inventory of yourself, discover the root of your issues, and admit it to yourself;
- Confess to God and other individuals the exact nature of your sins;
- Allow God to eliminate all these defects that you have today, which interfere with your daily life in a unfavorable way;
- Do not be afraid to request God’s help while you are going through this searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself;
- Right down a list of all the people that you have harmed before;
- Apologize before anyone that you have hurt unless these direct amends and your existence in the lives of these people would hurt them much more;
- Never stop your personal recovery process. Be ready to ask forgiveness whenever you comprehend that you are in the incorrect, as it is the spiritual foundation of your healing;
- Usage prayers and meditation as a way to enhance your conscious contact with God in whatever kind that you imagine Him;
Once you are ready, move all of your understanding and experience to other individuals with substance abuse problems and, obviously, continue to practice the principles of 12-step programs throughout your life, as your personal recovery depends on them.
Washington, DC 12-step Programs and Their Concepts
Aside from the 12 standards described above, twelve-step programs also consist of 12 customs that are gotten in touch with the company of Alcoholics Anonymous groups in general and not with the procedure through which every one of their individuals is going through.
And here are these 12 customs:
- You do not need more than a genuine desire to stop drinking in order to get an AA subscription and attend meetings of your group;
- The main function of any AA group is to move the concepts of 12-step treatment programs to those who have a substance use issue;
- The entire group’s conscience and well-being are more crucial than that of any individual independently, as the group function of recuperating from an health problem depends on the AA unity;
- The one ultimate authority of all AA groups is God himself, in whatever type we imagine Him. And thus, the leaders of any AA group are just His servants;
- Each Alcoholics Anonymous need to be produced separately from all others;
- AA groups must constantly remain non-financial companies so that nobody would get sidetracked from the main purpose of AA groups, which is to assist those with substance abuse problems in their spiritual development;
- Aside from being no-financial, AA groups should also remain self-support groups, indicating that any kind of assistance from others must be denied;
- AA groups are nonprofessional, which is why their leaders ought to not be related to medication or psychology. The only possible exception is to employ special workers from substance abuse treatment service centers;
- Aside from AA groups being totally self-supporting, they ought to also remain non-organized groups, but they could create service boards or committees directly responsible for the assistance to be received by those they serve;
- Alcoholics Anonymous need to not have an viewpoint on any outside matter so that the name of the groups and their treatment programs would not be utilized in public fights. AA leaders need to keep in mind that the participants of their groups have a right to maintain personal anonymity;
- Public relations could be utilized just with the objective of drawing in those in need and not for promoting the service centers and their functions;
- The helping hand of others is not the only requirement of AA groups; anonymity is the 2nd one. This concept advises us that collectively-accepted guidelines need to be more important than every individual’s desires, especially when it comes to group partnership.
12 Step Programs’ Analyses in Washington, DC
As you can see, the firstly developed version of the 12-step program is based on the spiritual awakening concepts, however time has actually assisted the program to establish and become less depending on God if that is what you desire.
For a few of you who are not as much of believers in God, it would be great to understand that such spiritual focus is really not the main quality that helps people to recover. Your own recovery depends more by yourself interpretation of the 12 actions and on the social assistance of individuals who help you because process. Acceptance of some higher power greater than us does not necessarily suggest that God is that power; it could likewise be our AA or any other group that could help us with all our affairs and difficulties.
There are various 12-step programs in Washington, District of Columbia these days, which is why you will have no trouble finding the ones in your regional community that fits your need the most, no matter whether it will be related to belief in God or not.
Twelve Steps Advantages
As we already understand, one of the primary concepts of 12-step programs is anonymity, which is why it is rather difficult to gather information on its effectiveness. However what we do know is that 74% of USA treatment centers are using 12 step programs as one of the treatment possibilities for its visitors. What is more, the participants of this issue were found to be alcohol abstinent for longer time periods.
And as some of the insurance policies can cover your expenses of going through a 12-step program in Washington, District of Columbia, it would be understandable why 12 steps have actually ended up being so popular in the last years.
Hence, knowing that 12 actions programs are popular and commonly accepted throughout the world, we can say for sure that this kind of treatment is effective; we simply do not know for whom. You can compare 12-step programs to treatment types: you can never ever understand for sure whether a specific technique is working for you unless you try it out, however you still know that all of them could be reliable.
Option Treatment Programs in Washington, District of Columbia
It might be the case that 12-step programs are not effective in your case, which is why considering alternatives is very crucial.
So here is a list of some other kinds of drug addiction treatments that might be handy:
Residential Programs
Such programs take place in rehab centers in Washington, District of Columbia with expert health care companies, which is why they are thought about to be among the most efficient ones. Residential programs help you to create an environment where no substance use is enabled, which is why your recovery might be faster compared to other rehab methods.
The only downside is that such programs are usually not that cheap, which is why you may need to consider other options. However if you do incline participating in government-based rehab programs, then you might cover the expenses with your insurance.
Outpatient Rehab Programs
These programs are quite comparable to property ones, however they enable you to continue living your life and bearing your duties, as you will not need to remain at the center throughout the day, just in the mornings and nights.
However, because of such a format, you may have to invest a larger time period in your rehabilitation center and work on your physical and mental health a bit more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental principle of a 12-Step program in Washington, DC?
The main principle of the Washington 12 steps is that individuals can assist one another in their journey of getting rid of drug abuse or any other problems. And although initially, God was the central character of self-help groups, His presence is not required nowadays.
Where are the 12 steps in the AA Big Book?
The 12 actions can be found in the very start of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous,” in the chapter called “How it works.” But you could also check out them in the article above and choose whether or not they would be useful to you.
Is there an AA 12-step workbook?
Yes, there is a workbook readily available for 12 actions fans, and you can download it totally free. Such workbooks are normally extremely helpful for new members, and the things that you write down in such a workbook could be gone over together with other AA members.
