12-Step Addiction Treatment Program

Seeking support for a substance use disorder is an important aspect of recovery. The first twelve-step program was Alcoholics Anonymous, also referred to as AA, and it was founded in 1935, in Akron, Ohio. The purpose of AA was to provide peer support to alcoholics struggling with maintaining their sobriety. Participants were able to have meetings with other alcoholics and share stories of their struggles with addiction. A part of the appeal was the ability to maintain personal anonymity within the boundaries of the group, making honest conversation possible. It was, and remains, a safe space for support at all stages of recovery. The program offers twelve-steps to maintaining sobriety that is non-denominational but states the need to surrender to a “higher power,” of which can be any form one chooses, be that God or the Universe, or another power of their choosing.


Later, the founders of AA recognized that addiction comes in many forms. AA branched out to offer twelve-step programs for a multitude of addictions, including NA (Narcotics Anonymous), GA (Gamblers Anonymous), OA (Overeaters Anonymous), and SAA (Sex Addicts Anonymous). There are also other offshoots of those groups, which encompass specific issues, including anorexia and bulimia, dual diagnosis, chronic illness, as well as a variety of mental health issues. The purpose of any twelve-step program is to use the guidelines set forth, or steps, as a way to stay on the path of sobriety. It also allows one to have a sponsor, someone who has been a member for a longer period of recovery, within the group to call upon at any time, day or night, when they feel tempted to “fall off the wagon,” back into active addiction. For over 80 years, twelve-step programs have offered support and comfort to those struggling to regain control of their lives.


Twelve-step programs are also beneficial to family and friends who love someone fighting addiction. Al-Anon was created in 1951 as a gathering place for family or close friends with alcoholics in their lives to support one another and share their experiences. Children were always welcome in these meetings, yet some were not comfortable sharing their feelings in that environment, around adults or their parents. Most of the children were older and at an age when their loved one’s drinking began to hurt them in a variety of ways. To better support these children, Alateen was founded in 1957. Around their peers who also suffered from addiction in their families, Alateen became a confidential system in which children could express their hurt, confusion, anger, and sadness about the addict in their lives.


For those seeking out the availability of a twelve-step program, there are meeting times in every state, morning, afternoon, or evening, set to accommodate the daily schedule of those seeking support. For more information on treatment, you can find information here. For more information on twelve-step programs, you can find information here. For information regarding addiction and mental health, you can find facts and statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administraton (SAMHSA) here.