The United Nations' Human Rights Guidelines for Addiction Treatment Read more: Addiction Treatment Rights - The United Nations' Human Rights Guidelines for Addiction Treatment

by John LeeGoogle+ Twitter Facebook

© Astragony

According to The United Nation’s policy statement in the ‘Principles of Drug Dependence Treatment’ all people receiving drug addiction treatment are entitled to certain basic rights.

It doesn't matter who they are, what they've done (or are using) and whether or not they are incarcerated. According to The United Nations, your addiction treatment human rights are:

1. The right to treatment without discrimination 

Addiction is a disease and no one should be discriminated against for past or present drug use, or for any other reason, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender disability status etc. 

~ ~

2. The right to the same ethical standards of treatment as is given to those with physical health conditions 

There should be no difference between the ethical standards of care delivered to a cancer patient or an alcoholic or a heroin user. 

~ ~

3. The right to access to treatment during all stages of the disease 

People with addictions have a right to access to treatment during all stages of this chronic disease. This includes during periods of incarceration.

~ ~

4. The right to deny treatment

Only in the most exceptional circumstances, such as when a person is an immediate risk to self or others, should any treatment ever be forced on another person. A person with addiction has the right to accept or deny any medical or psychosocial treatment.

~ ~

5. The right to treatment that is never inhumane or degrading 

Drug addiction does not diminish a person’s human rights and so practices that would be considered degrading or inhumane for any person are degrading and inhumane for people with drug addictions.

~ ~

6. The right to informed consent and withdrawal from treatment 

All people receiving drug addiction treatment have the right to full information about any treatment procedures and must provide their informed consent before receiving any treatments. Even after consenting to treatment, any person has the right to withdraw from treatment at any time, for any reason.

~ ~

7. The right to privacy of information 

Your treatment and medical records must remain confidential and be released to outside parties only with your written consent.

~ ~

8. Your right to medical services should not depend on your participation in addiction treatment 

You have the right to access all medical services whether or not you choose to comply with recommended addiction treatments.¹

References

• 1. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Principles of Drug Dependence Treatment 

Read more: Addiction Treatment Rights - The United Nations' Human Rights Guidelines for Addiction Treatment 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

I'm gonna conquer my mountain!!  Lets begin today with this thought and a positive attitude.  Ten years ago in my own personal life my mountain was 3 times taller than mount Everest or at least that's what I thought.  Now ten years later I am almost to the top.  Along the way it was hard.  I fell a few times but I pushed and I climbed with everything that I had.  Life for me is not perfect but after all that hard work it sure is worth living and I wouldn't give up one single bump or bruise.  Along the way through the climb I discovered that I can, who I was, and what I can become if I was willing to do the work and never give up! REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

Study Shows that People Overestimate Their Capacity to Resist Temptation Read more: Study Shows that People Overestimate Their Capacity to Resist Temptation

Judge not lest ye be judged…that’s what senior lecturer at the Kellogg School, Loran Nordgren advises after running a study that examined how much control we have over our impulses.

We don’t have as much as we think we do – and those of us that think ourselves very self controlled, actually place ourselves at greater risk of an impulsive bad decision.

Nordgren led a research team that investigated whether beliefs about willpower influenced the ability to control impulses. Specifically, do people who believe themselves to have high levels of self control actually end up controlling their impulses any better?

Nordgren built the study on the back of previous research that has shown that people in a cold or non impulsive state (a cold state for a measure of hunger impulse control could be someone who had just finished eating until sated) underestimate how much influence a hot state (a hungry state, for example) has on the ability to control impulses. With this foreknowledge, Nordgren’s team ran tests that evaluated:

1. Whether people who believe they have a high capacity for self control will expose themselves to greater temptation and thus eventually succumb to greater impulsive behaviors

2. Whether people already in a “hot” state of mind will better judge their ability to resist temptation

3. Whether people in a “cold” state will be less able to accurately judge their ability to resist temptation

The research team ran tests using addiction (cigarette smoking) and food temptation as measures.

They found that people who predicted a high level of self control did in fact place themselves in situations of greater temptation (such as choosing to view a movie about smoking) and were then very much more likely to smoke a cigarette than people who predicted lower self control and who exposed themselves to less temptation.

In another experiment, people in a “cold” state, who had eaten until full, chose a greater selection of tasty snacks than did a hungry group (a hot group) counseled to avoid temptation and ultimately, the “cold” group consumed more of the snacks.

Nordgren summarizes the research results by saying, "People are not good at anticipating the power of their urges. The key is simply to avoid any situations where vices and other weaknesses thrive and, most importantly, for individuals to keep a humble view of their willpower."

He says that in any system that relies on people to show self restraint, people will overestimate their ability to control themselves, and fall prey to temptation - saying, “We expose ourselves to more temptation than is wise, and subsequently we have millions of people suffering with obesity, addictions and other unhealthy lifestyles."

The full study results can be found in the coming print edition of Psychological Science.

Read more: Study Shows that People Overestimate Their Capacity to Resist Temptation 

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

by ChooseHelp

Email Google+ Twitter Facebook

© Elkarmo

Cocaine Detox

Although cocaine use does not cause a physical addiction, there is an initial period of detoxification that should be supervised by addiction treatment specialists. A cocaine or crack addict will initially feel intense, overpowering cravings for cocaine, and as such the detoxification is best done at a facility that limits the addict's access to the drug. The initial period of withdrawal can also cause aggressiveness, anxiety, and severe depression, and is best supervised by addiction treatment professionals, familiar with the process of cocaine, or crack detoxification.

Cocaine addiction treatment

Cocaine is one of the most powerful psychologically addictive substances known, and professional treatment is required to help an addict get off and stay off cocaine. The severity of the addiction will mandate how intensive the treatment program is, but most cocaine addicts will need to undergo an intensive and lengthy immersive therapeutic program.

Treatment for cocaine addiction will combine life skills and coping strategies courses, designed to help users take responsibility for their actions and responsibility for getting themselves into situations that make relapse likely; as well as peer support counseling and one-on-one counseling with an addiction treatment professional. Cocaine users often abuse other drugs with cocaine, and poly-drug treatment may be required.

Addicts need to learn how to live without cocaine, and develop the tools that will help them to resist the cravings that occur when triggered by situations and people, that in the past were associated with cocaine usage.

Without appropriate professional treatment, the odds of successfully quitting cocaine are small. Our treatment centers have successfully treated patients with cocaine addiction and we would like to hear from you if you or someone close to you has developed a problem with cocaine.

Read more: Cocaine Addiction Treatment 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

My Pastor yesterday spoke about the story of the apostle Paul ! He told us the story about Paul being taken to Rome to face trial for being a Christian.While on the way a great storm came and when all was said and done the great ship on which they traveled was destroyed but they all survived.My point , we all will face storms in life some great and some small !No matter what it is we face ,all we have to do is believe GOD and have faith and he will see us through.I sometimes personally feel everyday is a storm but as long as I have Jesus as the Captain of my ship there isn't a storm out there that will sink my ship. REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

PCB/Caron Co-sponsored Trainings You May Want To Attend!

PCB and Caron have scheduled their co-sponsored trainings which will be held at the state-of-the-art Caron training center in Wernersville. We are pleased to announce these co-sponsored trainings being offered from February through June 2012.  New trainings will be added as well so continue to check back with PCB to view a new array of available trainings.  PCB and Caron are committed to offering the best training opportunities possible so please take a few minutes to review our selections atwww.pacertboard.org/trainingscaron.asp and sign up to attend!  Thank you.

                                                                                 

Researchers Say They’ve Developed an Effective Heroin Vaccine Read more: Researchers Say They’ve Developed an Effective Heroin Vaccine

by John Lee

Drug abuse vaccines work by teaching the immune system to recognize certain drugs as molecules to be targeted for destruction. If the immune system can target and destroy a drug that is consumed, (like cocaine, nicotine or heroin) before it can exert its effects in the brain, then there is little reason for a person to use drugs. In this way, researchers hope that drug vaccines might prove effective tools in a personal battle against drug addiction.

Scientists have been working on a heroin vaccine for a while, but previous attempts have shown little promise. The problem has been that heroin is metabolized by the body very quickly into a number of psychoactive substances, all of which work together to create the heroin high.

So the Scripps team developed a vaccine that would target not only the heroin molecule, but also the chemical compounds that heroin degrades into, such as morphine and 6-acetylmorphine, and initial animal testing indicates that this new approach works very well.

• Heroin addicted rats which were given the vaccine developed antibodies to heroin and its metabolites and after vaccine administration pressed a heroin self administration lever less frequently than heroin addicted rats who were not given the vaccine.

In commenting on the success of the vaccine, lead study author Kim D. Janda, raved about the possibilities, saying, "In my 25 years of making drug-of-abuse vaccines, I haven't seen such a strong immune response as I have with what we term a dynamic anti-heroin vaccine. It is just extremely effective. The hope is that such a protective vaccine will be an effective therapeutic option for those trying to break their addiction to heroin."

The full study results can be read in the current edition of The American Chemical Society's Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Read more: Researchers Say They’ve Developed an Effective Heroin Vaccine 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!!

Are You Ready!!  When all is said and done will you be ready when you stand before the LORD!We are here on this planet for a reason and addiction is not one of them Addiction is one the most selfish things we partake in.We are here for others and not , I want what I want and i don't care what anybody else wants.Living with that thinking will only bring heartache pain and regret.We deep down know what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to live so why do we continue to live in addiction , when we can have so much more.By giving of ourselves and living for others we gain,by taking and taking we lose. REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

English Man Dies of Caffeine Overdose

by John Lee

Michael Lee Bedford, 23, of Fir Tree Close died after taking a couple of spoonfuls of pure caffeine powder given to him at a party. At an inquest this week, his family called for a ban on the easy sale of the drug, or at the very least a mandatory warning on packages that explains the very real potential danger of a lethal overdose.

At the party, Bedford took a dose which was equivalent to roughly 70 energy drinks in a single sitting. The maximum recommended dose is 1/16 of a teaspoon.

Fifteen minutes after ingesting the caffeine Bedford began slurring his words, become incoherent, started sweating profusely and then began vomiting blood. Friends called an ambulance which arrived quickly, but it was too late for the young man who had ingested such an extreme dose of a very toxic substance.

At the inquest, Notts Coroner Dr Nigel Chapman railed against the sale of such a dangerous substance. He said the caffeine was purchased for just over 3 pounds on the internet and said the warning on the package was completely insufficient to the danger of the product, saying, “Who would take one sixteenth of a teaspoon? It's such a small dosage, the warning is so small on the front of it. If you're sharing a bag, carrying it around and if you hadn't seen the warning – it could be that anyone at the party could have taken it. It's so dangerous to take something like this

Read more: English Man Dies of Caffeine Overdose 

The End of Relapse? Researchers Using Brain Protein Manipulations Claim a Breakthrough Read more: The End of Relapse? Researchers Using Brain Protein Manipulations Claim a Breakthrough

by John Lee

Scientists at the Ernest Gallo Research Center in Emeryville think they've made a breakthrough in the understanding and treatment of alcoholism, a breakthrough that they say may help to reduce the high odds of relapse facing those in recovery from the disease.

Their research study involved a manipulation of the brain protein glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and in rats anyway, it showed an amazing ability to keep alcoholic rats off the sauce, for good.

In an animal model study, the researchers gave a cohort of rats alcohol at a level high enough to induce dependence, and then cut off the alcohol supply. The rats were then split into two study groups. Half of the rats received a manipulation that increased their levels of GDNF, and half the rats didn't, and all the rats were then again given access to alcohol.

Amazingly, the rats that had the higher levels of GDNF were far less interested in consuming alcohol, while the rats with the normal levels of the protein quickly fell back into their hard drinking ways.

Higher levels of GDNF reduced the rats desire to drink alcohol.

Significantly, when the rats were given sugar water solution (a natural reward) both groups of rats consumed the solution at the same intensity - and this, according to study leader Dorit Ron, is significant.

He explains that at the moment, there are certain drugs used in the treatment against relapse for alcoholism. The problem with these drugs, he says, is that although they can help to reduce cravings for alcohol, they tend to also reduce cravings for other naturally pleasurable things in life, "People lose desire for any pleasurable activities. They feel bad, they feel blah, so they stop taking the drug."

The research results were published in today's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Fellow scientists have already hailed this manipulation technique with a selective effect on alcohol cravings as a major breakthrough. Friedbert Weiss, of the Scripps Institute commented, "I think it's a landmark study. Chronic vulnerability to relapse is really at the core of addiction.

Read more: The End of Relapse? Researchers Using Brain Protein Manipulations Claim a Breakthrough 

Making Amends; Don't be Selfish!

by John Lee

In Christian recovery, the 9^th of Christian 12 steps demands that you make amends for past wrongs, except for when through the act of making amends you would cause undue harm.

We harm others through our selfish actions while using and abusing, and we need to make up for those harms.

But although through making a full Christian amends to those that you have wronged, you do find considerable peace, you do not make amends for yourself…and this is a considerable and vital distinction to make.

You make amends for them, not for you, and although through making honest and full amends you will benefit, if you approach it as something that you are doing for yourself, you will get little from it.

We cause pain through our selfish acts of ego, and to unravel some of this pain, we need to surrender our ego to the act, and approach the making of amends with an empathetic view, acting in such a way as to put the wellbeing of those we have harmed before our own. 

If you do truly put the wellbeing of others first, and approach step 9 completely unselfishly, completely empathetically; you will come to benefit and you will find a great deal of peace.

If you approach the making of amends as something that you are doing "for your peace and wellbeing" then you will find little of it!

You need to make things right with your God, with your community and with your family, and an honest participation in step 9 of the Christian 12 steps can help to bring you home.

Read more: The 9th Step; Making Amends; Don't be Selfish! 

Powerlessness…Not Passivity!

by John Lee

Without a true expression in word and deed of Christian humility, recovery is impossible. Before you pray to God, admitting fully of your moral shortcomings, and seeking His forgiveness and His guidance, you cannot hope to get better…but this alone is not enough!

Powerlessness, Not Passivity!

One of the biggest mistakes too many in the Christian recovery movement make is thinking that admitting to powerlessness over an addiction means resigning oneself to passivity to do anything about it.

You can’t just pray to God for guidance and think that this alone is enough. You must listen for His message, pray for it, read the bible…and then get out there and work it!

He will show you how to get better, and He will guide you through it, but He won’t do it for you, and if you don’t make the effort, nothing is going to change.

We are made in God's image to do Christian good works, that's what we're here for!

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

(Eph. 2:10)

You've Got to Work the Steps for the Steps to Work!

Too many people sit passively in Christian recovery meetings for ages, never getting better, and never realizing why. Getting into meetings is a definite start to the recovery process, but just sitting through a daily session offers you little. Far more important is to take the message, pray for guidance, and get out and work the steps.

• Make your moral inventory and admit your failings to God…do it everyday and do it actively.
• Make amends, full honest amends to those you have wronged. Never wait for tomorrow what you can do today, and never wait for them to come to you!
• Work to help others see the light of Jesus and the Healing power of Christian Recovery.
• Do good works!

Get off your chair, get out there and work the steps…and if you do, they’re going to work for you. God wants you to get better, He will show you how, but He won’t do what you must do.

Read more: Christian Recovery; Powerlessness…Not Passivity! 

Betty Ford Remembered for Her Addiction Recovery and Courage

by John Lee

Though she was popular as an open, outspoken and honest First Lady, by the time Betty Ford moved into The White House she was already dealing with a long addiction to prescription pain killers and a growing addiction to alcohol.

Perhaps more popular than her steady husband, Betty Ford won admiration along with controversy for her willingness to share the intimate details of her life and her true opinions to a national audience.  Such as when diagnosed with breast cancer just 2 months into her role as First lady when she went on TV to tell the nation about her need for a mastectomy and to encourage women everywhere to get checked out.

Gerald Ford lost his presidential reelection bid in 1976 to Jimmy Carter, and by 1978, Betty’s drinking and drug use had spiraled out of control. Ford talked about feeling useless once out of Washington and admitted to taking as many as 25 pain pills and Valiums per day before moving on to vodka tonics before and after dinner. As things got worse, Betty’s family got in touch with professional help to stage a family intervention and to get her into a much needed treatment program at the Navy’s rehab clinic in Long Beach.

Four years later and four years into recovery, Betty founded the Betty Ford Center, which has become one of the most respected names in addiction treatment and which has seen some 90 000 people healed through its doors over the past 30+ years. Notable graduates of the Betty Ford Center include Johnny Cash, Lindsay Lohan, Elizabeth Taylor and countless other celebrities.

When asked why she went on to found her namesake treatment facility, Ford replied, "They have to know there's help for them…There's not only help but there's hope for them."

Betty Ford Center graduate, actress Ali McGraw, released a statement on hearing of Ford’s death, saying, "She changed so many of our lives with her courage and intelligence, her honesty and humility, and her deep grace. Her vision impacted my own life as few people have." In another tribute, President Obama praised her for her good works, saying, "After leaving the White House, Mrs. Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment."

But though on her death so many have come forth to pay tribute to her influence, she retained a sense of humility throughout her life; a character exemplified in her autobiography, where she wrote, “I am an ordinary woman who was called onstage at an extraordinary time. Through an accident of history, I had become interesting to people."

Read more: Betty Ford Remembered for Her Addiction Recovery and Courage 

HARBOR COUNSELING OF WELLSBORO

Harbor Counseling of Wellsboro , offers most D&A treatment services and now has added a Certified Recovery Specialist to their staff.The Recovery Specialist is there for you from the time you walk in the door until well after your treatment has ended.Being in recovery myself ,I know how difficult it can be trying to put your life back together again, that's where the Recovery Specialist steps in! As you know, I am a Recovery Specialist and have had the awesome opportunity to assist many on there road to recovery.This is a wonderful addition to the staff at Harbor,you can call Harbor at 570-724-5272 or 607-242-4830 and ask for the Recovery Specialist and they will assist you! Harbor is located at 7095 Route 287 Wellsboro Pa. 16901

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

At some point in life we get stuck by a disappointment or a heart break.  If you truly think about it, it doesn't matter what it is you use to deal with that heart ache.  Some use drugs, food, gambling etc.  It's funny how people can experience the same type of heart ache but use different ways of dealing with it.  We must have good coping skills and if we haven't been taught any that's one reason some of us might use to the point of getting numb and going through life in a blur.  WE must not let the painful moments of life shut us down and keep us from moving on and finding success in life.  The definition of insanity is....Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!  We must get out of our mold and create a new one.  Do not let your past determine you future.  Take your past and make it a part of your future by learning and growing from it.  REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

No One Needs To Hit Rock Bottom... Early Intervention and Treatment Saves Lives Read more: No One Needs To Hit Rock Bottom... Early Intervention and Treatment Saves Lives

by ChooseHelp -

© Rogatien

An addiction to drugs or alcohol can fragment previously happy families, derail promising careers, and seriously damage health and well being; and left unchecked, addictions inevitably run their full course of destruction. There's a truism that people need to hit rock bottom before they can really see what a mess they've made of things, and really get motivated to seek and benefit from needed drug or alcohol treatment.

Unfortunately, what's perceived to be true and necessary is not so, and people can benefit from intervention and therapy at any stage in the progression of addiction, and generally, the earlier drug treatment is sought, the easier the transition back to sobriety, and the better the ultimate prognosis of recovery.

People do not need to admit to a problem to benefit from therapies and treatment, and if you can ever convince someone needing help to get it, their wall of denial may come crashing down under during the scrutiny of individual and peer group therapies.

The best time to initiate an intervention is as soon as substance use threatens to become abuse, and well before an addition has taken hold. People should express their concerns or arrange informal and brief professional interventions as early as possible, using abuse prevention as a much easier and preferable way to manage substance use and abuse behaviors, before the problem becomes too severe.

If you hold concerns about the use behaviors of a loved one…those concerns are very likely justified. Not everyone one who flirts with heavy use and abuse consumptions will become dependent, and some may simply walk away unharmed from the abyss of dependency; but because so many unwittingly slide into addiction and heartache, early intervention is the best kind of kindness, and whether ultimately needed or not, can do no harm and may do a world of good.

Sometimes a 20 minute conversation of concern can spark a needed change in behavior, and new and not yet severe dependencies may respond well to minimally intrusive outpatient therapies, avoiding the expense and disruption of residential care.

No one needs to suffer the pains of hitting rock bottom, and to watch someone proceed through destruction without intervening certainly does nothing to assist them in their battles.

The earlier the better…drug treatment and intervention before the inevitable heartbreak of addiction.

Read more: No One Needs To Hit Rock Bottom... Early Intervention and Treatment Saves Lives 

How the Family Can Support a Recovering Addict

by ChooseHelp -

Getting a family member or friend the treatment they need is a huge and important step, but family assistance and support should never stop with the end of rehab, and when the addict is reintegrated into the home and into the community after a treatment period, family help and support can be important factors in the ultimate ability of the recovering addict to maintain sobriety.

Ultimately, the decision to stay sober must come from the recovering addict, but there are some things that the family can do to decrease the probability of relapse; and convincing an addict to get the help they need is a great first step to recovery, but recovery doesn't end with rehab.

Get educated and get involved

Firstly, the family should be involved in the rehab process, and the family of the recovering addict needs to learn how best to support the addict once home, just as the addict needs to learn how to stay sober. Most recovery and rehab programs will include a family component, and caring family members should make every effort to attend and get the most out of this available resource.

Stay sober with the recovering addict

Secondly, the family needs to make it as easy as possible for the addict to transition back into the home environment and newly sober living. The family should provide a sober and alcohol and drug free environment for the addict, and the house should ideally be emptied of all possible intoxicating substances. A recovering addict can always get drugs or alcohol if they truly want to, but sometimes if it is too readily available, the temptation to use can be overwhelming.

Help to reduce stress in the recovering addict's life

Thirdly, support the addict in all areas of their life. Many recovering addicts relapse in response to stress and due to poor problem solving and coping skills. The recovering addict needs to take responsibility for their life, and this in fact a part of the healing process; but family members should be available to assist in any area that threatens to overwhelm the recovering addict during their first months of recovery. Whether it's helping with the kids, helping with the bills, or just being their for companionship; family should make these first months as stress free as possible, so the recovering addict can concentrate all of their energy on staying sober.

Don't let a relapse happen

Lastly, the family needs to take action if they suspect a relapse is imminent. There is no need to wait until after a relapse to act, and if you think that the recovering addict is in danger of using, you need to make sure they get into a safe environment. Sometimes all it takes is a visit and some companionship to get the addict back on the right track.

The family needs to care of itself as it takes care of the addict

You can't do it for them, but by offering educated support you increase the probability of long term sobriety and an ultimately happy outcome for everyone. Addiction often causes pain throughout the family, and the effects of addiction can ripple through the family for a long while even after sobriety is achieved. The family may also need to heal itself, and sometimes professional family counseling, or family addiction peer group support services are very beneficial in this healing process.

Recovery is ongoing, and although it tends to get easier with time, the family will need to be there for a while; doing everything they can to help the recovering addict stay sober.

Read more: How the Family Can Support a Recovering Addict 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

You don't have a drug problem,  you have a heart problem.  Think about that statement for a moment and you will know exactly what I am talking about. That's why working the 12 steps works, because it brings to the surface the reasons why we self medicate.  It does not matter who you are or where your at in the world if your heart is broken then your thinking is not right.  Fix the heart and the head will follow.

12 Steps Programs

by ChooseHelp -

With more than 75 years of history and tens of millions of alcoholics and addicts helped, 12 steps programs display some pretty impressive statistics of recovery.

The overwhelming majority of drug and alcohol rehabs in America use 12 steps group meetings as a part of their recovery programming. They use them because they work, because nothing else has helped as many people, and because studies show that people who stick with a 12 steps program for the first years after rehab have a far better than average chance at staying free from addiction.

The Basic Principles of 12 Steps Based Recovery

The 12 steps don’t work unless you believe in them, work them honestly and work them with commitment. You can’t fake it, and if they don’t work for you or if you can’t believe what they’re telling you, don’t waste your time trying, the 12 steps are not going to help you.

• You are an addict or an alcoholic for life. You can get into recovery, you never have to drink or use again, but nothing will change what you are, and you will never be able to use with moderation again.
• You can’t do it on your own. 12 steps based recovery methods are fundamentally spiritual in nature. They may be non denominational, but to work the 12 steps you must believe in some form of higher power, must pray to this higher power to remove your weaknesses and pray for strength and guidance down the road of recovery. You don’t have to believe in a traditional "God" but you have to believe in something greater than yourself.
• You have to make amends for your past. To work the steps you have to admit to the harms of the past, and try to make things right. No one but you will know if you do this completely, but lingering guilt and shame over past wrongs pull you back into abuse, and unless you do all in your power to make amends, the 12 steps are not going to work for you.
• You have to believe it, and you have to spread the word. A big part of 12 steps recovery is helping others achieve sobriety after you have. You may want to become a sponsor, or you may want to help in other ways, but to work the last of the 12 steps you need to give for the rest of your life at helping others to see the light of sobriety.

12 Steps are not for Everyone

A lot of people can’t get past the spiritual tones of the message, some people find the organization vaguely cultish, and others resent being told that they are an addict or an alcoholic, and that they lack the power to control their actions for all time.

There is no point in beating a dead horse, and if it's not working for you, try something else. There are alternatives, and you have to find something that works, that resonates, and that will keep you sober when nothing else will.

But because the 12 steps of programs like AA and NA have helped so many, because they have been successful for so long and because studies show that people that get actively involved in 12 steps groups have a far better chance of long term sobriety, 12 steps recovery methods are very worth a try.

Get out to a meeting, they're free, they're everywhere and all are welcome. If you don’t like it, there is nothing forcing you to continue, but you might just find that the strength and solace of the 12 steps that have helped so many millions before you, gives you what you need to stay sober.

One day at a time, you can do it.

Read more: 12 Steps Programs