What About Non-12 Step Programs?

12 Step Programs aren't the only way

The first time I met someone who had gotten sober through his church, my immediate thought was that he probably wasn't a real alcoholic. When he shared his story, however, I knew he was as much an alcoholic as I am. That meant I had to examine my assumptions.

I realized that his sobriety frightened me! As I dug a bit deeper, I discovered that his story actually made me wonder, just a bit, if I was doing sobriety right.

I wasn't confident enough

It wasn't that I wasn't doing sobriety right. The truth was, I wasn't confident enough in my own Program; what I really wanted was for everyone to do it my way because that would reassure me.

Yikes, what insecurity!

Fortunately, as I saw my fear, I also recognized it was unfounded and his experience, while totally different than mine, didn't negate mine.

Sooner or later all 12 Steppers run into someone who says "I got rid of my addiction without the 12 Steps." If you listen, and you probably should, you'll discover there are all sorts of methods out there. Some of them are organized, like Smart Recovery and Women For Sobriety. Others tell of getting sober through their church, or loosing weight with a particular diet, etc. etc.

There's more than one way to let go of an addiction

The truth is that there is more than one way to let go of an addiction. While it's true that the 12 Steps have helped more people recover from alcoholism and drug addiction than any other system, people do recover in a wide variety of ways.

There is a problem, I think, when the non-12 Step members attack the 12 Step Programs. Most often, the argument centers on questions of faith. These are arguments that can't be won by either side, because of the real nature of faith – it's a highly personal and individual experience.

The real question, of course, is to discover what works for you. 12 Step Programs have in their favor a long history of success. They are certainly worth exploring carefully.

And those of us who have found the 12 Steps to be a real solution need not worry about the other approaches. We can be content knowing that we've found what works for us.

Love, peace and abundance,