We use the term “Addiction” to include all and any forms of dependency. Alcohol. Drugs. Medications: Gambling.

The Intervention Service

Lets Talk

12 Step Treatment Meetings

The benefits of 12 step treatment are considerable. A family Intervention needs four things.

  1. A poorly person who is in denial.
  2. A group of very concerned others that have hit rock bottom in context of a person’s untreated addiction or alcoholism and need help to help.
  3. A treatment plan. Affordable, Available, Accessible, Appropriate.
  4. An Interventionist to guide you and facilitate the Family Intervention

The treatment will be carefully considered and matched to the clinical needs of the poorly person. At some point, most people need to consider using a 12 step program. lets look at what that is and the considerable benefits.

The Program

There are many specialist streams of recovery in 12 step meetings. Alcohol, gambling, drugs, co-dependency to name a few. For the purpose of this article, we will study the Alcohol 12 step program, however, the principles, ethics, program are consistent across all forms of addiction and specialist meetings. The 12 step programs start with a desire to stop drinking/using etc. Abstinence is targeted from the start. Then the real work starts. The programs all target a quality of life, a way of living that is so much better than that offered by the drink or drugs, and in many ways, a higher level of life experience than that had prior to developing a drug/gambling/alcohol problem etc.

What is the nature of the problem? Reflect on the question below. With honesty and willingness, answer the questions.

Technically, there is only one requirement for attendance at a 12 step meetings. Do you have a desire to stop drinking? If you answer yes, then you are able to attend. There are no forms, admission processes, bureaucracy of any type. You just attend. If you have conflicting thoughts about this desire, (most do) then a then a simple honest self assessment can assist in putting a perspective on this quandary.

Typical Self Assessment Questionnaire

  1. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
  2. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking– stop telling you what to do?
  3. Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk? We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak. Or just drank beer. Or we did not drink cocktails. Or only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we usually got drunk eventually.
  4. Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year? Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking “socially.”
  5. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble? At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can take it or leave it.
  6. Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year? Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse — never better.
  7. Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
  8. Do you ever try to get “extra” drinks at a party because you do not get enough? Most of us used to have a “few” before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of party. And if drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.
  9. Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don’t mean to? Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to.
  10. Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?
  11. Do you have “blackouts”? A “blackout” is when we have been drinking hours or days which we cannot remember.
  12. Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?

Now, ask your self this. Do I have a desire to stop drinking? If you do, then you have completed the one requirement to access and engage with the 12 step recovery program.

The program is broken down into 12 steps. The 12 step program is delivered by combination of meetings, literature and skilled mentoring/sponsorship. There are considerable online resources. Online meetings, online literature and the program is delivered in all the main languages of the world.

 A typical care plan within the 12 step program.

Go to a meeting.
Attend first cluster of meetings. Most people will benefit most from 5 or 6 a week for the first couple of weeks. The key components of meeting attendance are to learn about the program and practice the suggested program in your own life, such that you start to experience the benefits.
Some literature is free. The main recovery text books are up to £10 each , and you will probably purchase 3 to support your program.
After a few meetings you will benefit from a more formal approach to a working the 12 steps. This is delivered to you by way of a long standing member who is able to mentor, or sponsor your recovery progress. Meeting your 1:1 sponsor is done outside of the larger meetings. This is a process of talking therapy, writing, personal reflection, commitment to change, practice and experiential learning as you are guided through the 12 step process.
Service. 12 step care plans acknowledge the therapeutic benefit of helping others come through the process that you have recently addressed. Service is supporting the provision of meetings, helping to organise. It is often becoming a sponsor to newcomers.
The program is a rolling program in ever meeting, all the time. That means you can join a 12 step program at any time without restriction , and you can leave it at any time.
There is no financial requirement at all to use the 12 step program. It is free. The meetings are self supporting in terms of rent of rooms, tea, coffee etc, so there is a voluntary collection at each meeting to fund those basics.

Availability

In the UK and much of the world there is a specialist 12 step treatment program available today and fairly close. There is never a waiting list or delay. The only possible restrictions are physical. Some venues are not wheelchair friendly. Most are. You have to be well enough to attend and listen for a typical therapy session which is between 1 hour and 1.5 hours long. The 12 Step programs have two types of meeting. “OPEN”. This is a meeting that is open to anyone. Professionals, visitors, family etc. “CLOSED”. This is a meeting that is restricted to those who seek treatment for themselves. The incredible openness and availability of the 12 Step Treatment Meetings are this. The only requirement you need to meet in order to attend and join is “A desire to stop drinking”, or “A desire to stop taking drugs”, or ” A desire to stop gambling”. Clearly there are specialist meetings for all forms of addiction.

Cost

It is free. That means you can join a 12 step program at any time without restriction , and you can leave it at any time.
There is no financial requirement at all to use the 12 step program. The meetings are self supporting in terms of rent of rooms, tea, coffee etc, so there is a voluntary collection at each meeting to fund those basics. There is no expectation for any individual 12 step program member to pay anything. Cleary members do put a £1 in the collection once they gain financial stability again, and that keeps the meetings going. Any excess monies collected above the basic room rental, refreshments etc is used for things like helplines, websites etc.

12 step family recovery

Untreated addiction or alcoholism burns a family up. Helping becomes enabling. Hope turns to fear. Anxiety, blame, loneliness, frustration, helplessness and hopelessness are the rock bottoms that the nearest and dearest are all to familiar with on a 24/7 basis at the end. 12 step recovery is a family affair. All are invited to take up a program of change that seeks to stabilise, heal, educate, prepare and maintain a recovery. This program needs to include all stages of suffering and wellness. The 12 step recovery programs are delivered for family members in a very similar fashion as the addicts and alcoholics program. As professionals in the treatment of addiction, as Interventionists, counsellors and therapists we can not stress enough just how important the whole family is in the process of active recovery. The 12 step programs is par excellence is this respect.