The Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step Recovery Program Guide...

Running head: 12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper 12-Step Meeting Reaction Paper Carissa Hardy ADRE 6703 Abstract The Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step recovery program guides alcoholics through a series of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social actions towards sobriety and wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive drinking has lead to approximately 88,000 deaths in the United States each year and accounts for 1 in 10 deaths in working age adults, aged 20-64. Alcoholics Anonymous, a spiritual fellowship of men and women focused on a common goal of stopping drinking, has helped over 2 million people get sober and stay sober. The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are designed to promote†¦show more content†¦I also enjoyed the prayer at the end. I didn’t like when everyone had to admit aloud that they were alcoholic (I get that it’s part of the 12 steps but it seemed like they had already admitted it to themselves because they were there). I did like that the meeting was held in a church. The atmosphere was relaxed, calm and no n judgmental. Even in a room full of what could’ve been total first timers or strangers, they had an amazing and supportive energy that just filled the room. I loved watching the people connect, grow, and heal over a tragedy that took over their life. It was also amazing and empowering to see them make the step to give themselves and the people they love a better future. I feel the 12-Step program is successful because others who can empathize, offer advice, and understand exactly what the other is going through are there for support and encouragement. By the time you decide to enter the meeting you are usually self-aware that there is a problem and you want to help yourself; to me that can and will make all the difference in determining your success in the program. I really like that 12-Step Programs are faith based, I think believing in something bigger than yourself is crucial to the process. I also like that its catered to a lifestyle change overall, not just one singular change like to stop drinking but changing the way you live yourShow MoreRelatedHistory Of Organization : Alcoholics Anonymous ( A.a )1691 Words   |  7 PagesOrganization Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio, and is a spiritual based organization with the sole purpose â€Å"to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety† threw fellowship. Alcoholic Anonymous (A.A.) foundation is built on a 12 step program that involves taking 12 step that will guarantee your sobriety (according to A.A.) because you start the 12 steps but you never end, it is designed for you to consistently work the 12 steps for theRead MoreThe And Its Effects On The Community844 Words   |  4 Pagesreligion playing a major role in recovery is, in many ways, universal in its prevalence in established forms of recovery. For example, step two of the 12-step programs states that you must â€Å"come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity† (Alcoholics Anonymous). This idea that addicts must devote their lives to a being greater than their own symbolizes that they are not in control of their actions. They must look to a greater being to guide them away from their sinful pathsRead MoreAn Anonymous Group For My Understanding Group Dynamics Project1492 Words   |  6 Pages I chose to visit an Alcoholics Anonymous group for my Understanding Group Dynamics project. I went on March 20th 2016, to an open discussion group titled Pass it On Group for Beginners that are Living Sober. It was held at the First Congregational Church at 14 Brookside Road in Darien, CT 06854 at 6:15 p.m.. I chose to go to this group as I felt it was a group that I could most strongly connect to, as I am a recovering alcoholic. I have been cold turkey for two years now. I choose to live a soberRead MoreMy Critique Of Yoga And The Clinical World Of Counseling1633 Words   |  7 Pagesarticles for Yoga Journal and yoga instructor Annalisa Cunningham who has also written Healing Addiction with Yoga. Both clearly believe and have witnessed firsthand the benefits that yoga can contri bute to addiction recovery. The article explains that a yoga practice will help the recovery process on two fronts. A yoga practice will help the physical body by helping it rid itself of the physical impurities that have built up over time through the ingestion of substances such as alcohol and variousRead MoreCounseling For Alcohol And Drug Abuse1679 Words   |  7 Pagesentering into recovery or actively in recovery, the clinician must take their time with introducing the 12 Steps. The individual may not be open to the 12 Step philosophies at the onset. Addiction is very complex and actively affects the person on a daily basis; therefore, it is so important to start from the beginning of counseling to create a structured program. Alcoholics Anonymous has given a wonderful platform of structure for the addicted ones to create a safe, solid, 12 Step guideline toRead MoreSocial Work Observation Paper974 Words   |  4 Pagesturns reading from the introduction guide to N.A. Power and control are the next stages, once members decide they are invested in the group, there is a shift that focuses on autonomy, power, and control (Hepworth et al., 2017, 2013). I did not observe a shift in autonomy, power, and the need to take control. The facilitator shares similar struggles, and the group demonstrated respect, support, and listening as they all identify themselves as an addict in recovery. Intimacy is about connecting andRead MoreCultural Sensitivity And Social Sensitivity801 Words   |  4 Pages the dominant culture established for N.A. is of faith based which focuses on the twelve-steps for recovery, and hope. The culture is also built upon the twelve traditions of NA; unity, loving god, desiring to stop using, autonomy, carrying out the message to the addict who still suffers, financially self supporting, group built by addicts for addicts, anonymity (An Introductory Guide to Narcotics Anonymous, 1991). Raul shares that the message of N.A. is the same for all different cultures i.eRead MoreThe Importance Of A Counseling Student Studying Chemical Dependency957 Words   |  4 Pagescounseling student studying chemical dependency, I was assigned to attend two 12-step meetings to better understand the 12-step process. I attended two Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings at the Episcopal Church in Starkville; MS. AA is a worldwide fellowship of alcoholic men and women who are banded together to solve their common problems and to help fellow sufferers in recovery from alcoholism. These particular Alcoholics Anonymous meeting opened with a serenity prayer, a reading of the AA preamble, aRead MoreEssay on Alcoholics Anonymous: 12-Step Program2169 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the largest and most commonly known self-help group in the world. Since the creation of AA in 1935, there have been many programs modeled after it, which are also based on the 12-Step Program. Some of these include Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Chemically Dependent Anonymous, as well as programs for specific drugs, such as Cocaine Anonymous (CA) and Crystal Meth Anonymous (NIDA, 2012). Attendance and participation for self-help groups are open for anyone to attendRead MoreCounseling For Alcohol And Drug Abuse2108 Words   |  9 Pagesentering into recovery or actively in recovery, the clinician must take their time with introducing the 12 Steps. T he individual may not be open to the 12 Step philosophies at the onset. Addiction is very complex and actively affects the person on a daily basis; therefore, it is so important to start from the beginning of counseling to create a structured program. Alcoholics Anonymous has given a wonderful platform of structure for the addicted ones to create a safe, solid, 12 Step guideline to