Meetings What Is a 12-Step Program? In the 1930s, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded by two men who could not cope with their own alcoholism through psychiatry or medicine. They found a number of spe- cific principles helped people overcome their alcohol dependence. They formed AA to introduce people who were dependent on alcohol to these self-help principles. The AA concepts have been adapted to stimulant and other drug addictions (for example, Crystal Meth Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous [NA], and Cocaine Anonymous) and to addictive behaviors such as gambling and overeating.
People dependent on drugs, alcohol or gambling have found that others who also are dependent can provide enormous support and help to one another. For this reason, these groups are called fellowships, where participants show concern and support for one another through sharing and understanding.
Do I Need To Attend 12-Step Meetings? If treatment in this program is going to work for you, it is essential to establish a network of support for your recovery. Attending treatment sessions without going to 12-Step meetings may produce a temporary effect. But without involvement in self-help pro- grams, it is very unlikely that you will successfully recover. Clients in these programs should attend three 12-Step meetings per week during their treatment involvement. Many successfully abstinent people go to 90 meetings in 90 days. The more you participate in treatment and 12-Step meetings, the greater your chance for recovery.
Are All Meetings the Same? No. There are different types of meetings:
Speaker meetings feature a person in recovery telling his or her story of drug,alcohol use or gambling and recovery.
Topic meetings have a discussion on a specific topic such as fellowship, honesty, acceptance, or patience. Everyone is given a chance to talk, but no one is forced. GA meeting are most often of this format.
Step/Tradition meetings are special meetings where the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions are discussed.
Book study meetings focus on reading a chapter from the main text of the 12-Step group. (For AA, this is the Big Book; for NA, the Basic Text.) Book study meetings often focus on someone’s experience or a recovery-related topic.
Depending on where you live, there may be language-specific meetings, gender-specific meetings, open meetings, meetings based on participants’ sexual orientation, and meetings for people who also have a mental disorder (“double trouble” Dual Recovery Anonymous meetings). GA meetings are generally closed meetings and in most areas there are fewer GA meetings and not as much variety.
Are the 12-Step Programs Religious? No. None of the 12-Step programs are religious, but spiritual growth is considered a part of recovery. Spiritual choices are very personal and individual. Each person decides for himself or herself what the term “higher power” means. Both nonreligious and religious people can find value and support in 12-Step programs.
How Do I Find a Meeting? You can call directory assistance or check the phonebook for Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Listings for Crystal Meth Anonymous meetings can be found at www.crystalmeth.org. GA meetings can be found at www.gamblersanonymous.org. You can call the numbers available from the Web site and speak to someone who can tell you when and where meetings are scheduled. At meetings, directories are available that list meetings by city, street address, and meeting time and include information about the meeting (for example,
speaker, step study, nonsmoking, men’s, or women’s). Another way to find a good meeting is to ask someone who goes to 12-Step meetings.
Sponsors
The first few weeks and months of recovery are frustrating. Many things happen that are confusing and frightening. During this difficult period, there are many times when people in recovery need to talk about problems and fears. A sponsor helps guide a newcomer through this process.
What Do Sponsors Do? Sponsors help the newcomer by answering questions and explaining the 12-Step recovery process.
Sponsors agree to be available to listen to their sponsorees’ difficulties and frustrations and to share their insights and solutions.
Sponsors provide guidance and help address problems their sponsorees are having. This advice comes from their personal experiences with long-term abstinence.
Sponsors are people with whom addiction-related secrets and guilt feelings can be shared easily. They agree to keep these secrets confidential and to protect the newcomer’s anonymity.
Sponsors warn their sponsorees when they get off the path of recovery. Sponsors often are the first people to know when their sponsorees experience a slip or relapse. So, sponsors often push their sponsorees to attend more meetings or get help for problems.
Sponsors help their sponsorees work through the 12 Steps.
How Do I Pick a Sponsor? The process of choosing a sponsor is easy. The newcomer simply asks someone to be his or her sponsor. But you need to think carefully about whom you will ask to sponsor you. Most people select a sponsor who seems to be living a healthy and responsible life, the kind of life a person in recovery would want to lead.
Some general guidelines for selecting a sponsor include the following:
A sponsor should have several years of abstinence from all mood-altering drugs and/or gambling.
A sponsor should have a healthful lifestyle and not be struggling with major problems or addiction.
A sponsor should be an active and regular participant in 12-Step meetings. Also, a sponsor should be someone who actively “works” the 12 Steps.
A sponsor should be someone to whom you can relate. You may not always agree with your sponsor, but you need to be able to respect your sponsor.
A sponsor should be someone you would not become romantically interested in.
Alternatives to 12-Step Programs
There are alternatives to 12-Step groups, many of which are not based on the concept of a higher power. Although the philosophies of these groups differ, most offer a mutual-help approach that focuses on personal responsibility, personal empowerment, and strength through an abstinent social network. Here are a few notable alternatives to 12-Step groups:
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During recovery certain feelings or emotions often trigger the brain to think about using substances or Gambling. Read the following list of feelings and emotions, and place a check- mark next to those that might trigger thoughts of using or gambling for you. Place a zero next to those that are not connected with using.
Afraid Frustrated Neglected Angry Guilty Nervous Confident Happy Passionate
Criticized Inadequate Pressured Depressed Insecure Relaxed Embarrassed Irritated Sad
Excited Jealous Bored Exhausted Lonely Envious Deprived Humiliated Anxious
Aroused Revengeful Worried Grieving Resentful Overwhelmed Misunderstood Paranoid Hungry
What emotional states that are not listed above have triggered you to use substances or gamble?
Was your use or gambling in the weeks before entering treatment
Tied primarily to emotional conditions?
Routine and automatic without much emotional triggering?
Were there times in the recent past when you were not using or gambling and a specific change in your mood clearly resulted in your wanting to use/gamble (for example, you got in a fight with someone and wanted to use in response to getting angry)? Yes ____No ___If yes, describe:
A New Sequence To start recovery, it is necessary to interrupt the trigger–thought–craving–use sequence. Thought stopping provides a tool for disrupting the process.
Trigger Thought
Thought- Stopping Techniques
Continued Thoughts
Cravings
Addictive Behavior
This process is not automatic. You make a choice either to continue thinking about engaging in an addictive behavior (and start on the path toward relapse) or to stop those thoughts.
Thought-Stopping Techniques Try the techniques described below, and use those that work best for you:
Visualization. Imagine a scene in which you deny the power of thoughts of use or gambling. For example, picture a switch or a lever in your mind. Imagine yourself actually moving it from ON to OFF to stop the using or gambling thoughts. Have another picture ready to think about in place of those thoughts.
Snapping. Wear a rubber- band loosely on your wrist. Each time you become aware of thoughts of using or gambling, snap the rubberband and say, “No!” to the thoughts as you make yourself think about another subject. Have a subject ready that is meaningful and interesting to you.
Relaxation. Feelings of hollowness, heaviness, and cramping in the stomach are cravings. These often can be relieved by breathing in deeply (filling lungs with air) and breathing out slowly. Do this three times. You should be able to feel the tightness leaving your body. Repeat this whenever the feeling returns.
Call someone. Talking to another person provides an outlet for your feelings and allows you to hear your thinking process. Have phone numbers of supportive, available people with you always, so you can use them when you need them.
ALLOWING THE THOUGHTS TO DEVELOP INTO CRAVINGS IS MAKING A CHOICE TO REMAIN DEPENDENT ON SUBSTANCES OR GAMBLING.
Place a checkmark next to activities, situations, or settings in which you frequently used substances or; place a zero next to activities, situations, or settings in which you never have used substances
Home alone Home with friends Friend’s home Parties Sporting events Movies Bars/clubs Playing cards
Beach Concerts With friends who use drugs When gaining weight Vacations/holidays When it’s raining Before a date
During a date Before sexual activities During sexual activities After sexual activities Before work When carrying money After going past dealer’s residence Driving Liquor store During work Talking on the phone Recovery groups After payday When gambling At family events During work
Before going out to dinner
Before breakfast At lunch break While at dinner If I win money
After work After passing a particular street or exit School The park In the neighborhood Weekends With family members When in pain At the casino
List any other activities, situations, or settings where you frequently have used
List activities, situations, or settings in which you would not use or gamble
List people you could be with and not use.
The Losing Argument If you decide to stop drinking, using or gambling, but at some point end up moving toward using substances or gambling, your brain has given you permission by using a process called relapse justification. Thoughts about using or gambling start an argument inside your head—your rational self versus your substance/gambling dependent self. You feel as though you are in a fight, and you must come up with many reasons to stay abstinent. Your mind is looking for an excuse to use or gamble again. You are looking for a relapse justification. The argument inside you is part of a series of events leading to substance use or gambling. How often in the past has your substance or gambling dependence lost this argument?
Thoughts Become Cravings Craving does not always occur in a straightforward, easily recognized form. Often the thought of using or gambling passes through your head with little or no effect. But it’s important to identify these thoughts and try to eliminate them. It takes effort to identify and stop a thought. However, allowing yourself to continue thinking about substance use or gambling is choosing to relapse. The further the thoughts are allowed to go, the more likely you are to relapse.
The “Automatic” Process During addiction, triggers, thoughts, cravings, and use seem to run together. However, the usual sequence goes like this:
TRIGGER THOUGHT CRAVING USE
Thought Stopping The only way to ensure that a thought won’t lead to a relapse is to stop the thought before it leads to craving. Stopping the thought when it first begins prevents it from building into an overpowering craving. It is important to do it as soon as you realize you are thinking about using or gambling.
