12-step programme

The 12-step programme is one of the most recognised approaches to addiction recovery in the world. It started with Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930s, but it is now used for drug addiction and eating disorders. The steps guide you through a process of admitting your problem, examining your behaviour, making amends, and helping others who are struggling. Millions of people credit the 12 steps with helping to change their lives and, in many cases, save them.

12 Step Therapy Personal Counsiling

What is the 12-step programme?

The 12-step programme is a recovery framework built around personal accountability, spiritual growth, and peer support. It was created in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith, two men struggling with alcohol addiction in Akron, Ohio. They discovered that talking to each other helped them stay sober when nothing else had, and developed the 12 steps based on their experience with the Oxford Group, a Christian organisation focused on moral inventory and making amends. The steps were published in the book “Alcoholics Anonymous” in 1939, which is why AA meetings are sometimes called “Big Book” meetings.

The 12-step programme is not therapy in the clinical sense, as there is no therapist running the sessions. It is a structured approach where people in recovery support each other through shared experience. You work through twelve specific steps in order, with each step building on the previous one. The journey is made with a sponsor who has been through the steps already and can guide you.

How do the 12 steps to recovery work?

The 12-step programme for drug addiction, alcoholism, and compulsive behaviours all follow the original plan. While the exact wording varies slightly between different groups, the core steps to recovery remain the same. Here are the steps as they were written in the original 12-step programme for alcohol addiction, and how they work in practice:

Step 1:

We admitted we were powerless over our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable.
This means you accept you can’t control your drinking, drug use, or compulsive behaviour, and that your life is chaotic because of it.

Step 2:

Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
You accept that you need help beyond yourself. The “Power” can be God, the group, or any other idea you can draw on that is stronger than your willpower alone.

Step 3:

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
You actively choose to let go of control and trust the 12 step process.

Step 4:

Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
You write down everything linked to addiction, such as your resentments, fears, and harmful behaviours.

Step 5:

Admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
You share your Step 4 inventory with your sponsor or another trusted person.

Step 6:

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
You become genuinely willing to change the behaviours, habits, and thought patterns that have kept you trapped in addiction.

Step 7:

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
After becoming willing in Step 6, you now ask for help in actually changing.

Step 8:

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
You identify everyone who has been hurt through your addiction and become willing to face them.

Step 9:

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
You apologise and make things right where you can, unless doing so would cause more harm.

Step 10:

Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
You make the practice from Step 4 a daily habit, acknowledging mistakes quickly rather than letting issues escalate.

Step 11:

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.
You maintain your motivation through regular reflection or religious or spiritual practice (if those are your higher power).

Step 12:

Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practise these principles in all our affairs.
Once you have worked through the steps, you help others do the same, and keep practising what you have learned for life.

What are the benefits of the 12 step programme?

There are many benefits of the 12 steps, especially as part of a comprehensive treatment programme with detox, complementary rehab therapies, and aftercare support.

The 12-step programme creates accountability through your sponsor and the group, which can be invaluable when your own motivation is faltering. The focus on helping others gives recovery a purpose beyond just not using drugs or drinking, making you feel useful while reinforcing your own sobriety. The spiritual component, even if you interpret it differently from the original religious meaning, addresses the emptiness many people try to fill with substances.

Crucially, 12-step groups like CA meetings and SLAA meetings are held around the world and are always free. That means no matter where you are or when you need support, you will usually be able to find it. This accessibility can make the 12-step programme a huge part of long-term recovery plans.

Where can you find a 12 step programme?

In Britain, you will usually find 12-step it as part of a structured rehab treatment plan, or through local support groups like Gambling Anon and NA meetings.

Many inpatient rehab programmes are built around the 12 steps. You will work through the initial steps with counsellors during your stay, and then get matched with a meeting and sponsor for when you leave. Some inpatient rehabs offer 12 steps on their own, but most offer a combined therapy and 12-step approach. This means the 12-step programme is complemented by a range of other evidence-based and holistic therapies for a complete recovery plan.

Outpatient NHS rehab treatment may also involve the 12 steps, introducing you to a meeting alongside other therapies while you still live at home.

Peer-led community meetings are the traditional meetings usually held in community centres, churches, and sometimes online. They are free, anonymous, and run entirely by volunteers in recovery.

The path to recovery from addiction

Starting recovery can feel like a huge task, but you don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out for help. Recovery.org understands what you’re going through and can explain all your options, whether that’s a local 12-step meeting or a full rehab programme. Contact us today to learn more about what is available. Recovery is possible, and we’re here to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hardest step in AA?

Most people find Step 4, the moral inventory, the hardest. Writing down all your resentments, fears, and harms means facing things you may have been avoiding for years. Step 9, making amends, is also difficult because it requires real courage to face people you’ve hurt. The hardest step is often whichever one you’re currently working on.

Can I do the 12 steps by myself?

Technically, yes, but it defeats the purpose. The 12-step programme is built on connection with others. Working with a sponsor gives you guidance from someone who’s been through it. Attending meetings provides the peer support that makes recovery sustainable. Doing the steps alone means missing out on the accountability and community that make them effective.

How long does it take to complete a 12-step programme?

There is no fixed timeline, and some people rush through the steps in a few months, while others take years. That said, the steps are meant to be worked through in order and with genuine effort. Step 4 can take weeks or months on its own. Step 9 might unfold over years as you rebuild trust with people who have been harmed. Your sponsor will help you work at a pace that’s right for you, but many people keep attending meetings for life.

(Click here to see works cited)

Alcoholics Anonymous. “The Twelve Steps.” Alcoholics Anonymous, n.d., www.aa.org/the-twelve-steps.