Why Non-12 Step or Non-AA Treatment?

Twelve step treatment is based on the principals of Alcoholics Anonymous. While we respect and admire the fine work of AA, we find that many people simply cannot grasp this style of treatment. Many have tried these principals only to relapse time and time again. Some studies suggest that as many as 95% of the people that try a 12-step rehabs relapse within the first ninety days.

Traditional treatment is based on spirituality and seeking help from a higher power to resolve addiction.

The first step is admitting that you are powerless over your drug of choice and that your life has become unmanageable. Without this step it is impossible to recover with 12-step therapy. Many have a problem grasping this step. They might be very high functioning and they feel that their life is not unmanageable, just their problem with a particular substance. The great majority of the clients we treat are very successful in their chosen field.

The second step looks to a higher power to restore sanity. Again, many don’t feel that their sanity is in question, just their chemical dependency.

Step three has the person make a decision to turn their will and their life over to the care of god as they understand him.

The remainder of the steps involve taking a moral inventory and working with the god of their understanding to deal with their past and make right all of their misdoings.

This program works for many people if they embrace the philosophy and follow the program. Alcoholics Anonymous teaches you to work these twelve steps over and over and to attend meetings the remainder of your life to reinforce these teachings and carry them to others who are still active in their addiction. They also encourage members to avoid any circumstances that might put them in an atmosphere where alcohol and drugs are used. While this is typically not a problem for drug use, it is often very impractical for alcohol since it is legal and permeates every aspect of normal life.

It is very rare that someone has substance abuse without having accompanying psychological disorders. These problems range greatly but all lead to moderate to severe depression. When the addict or alcoholic uses their substance of choice it becomes a vehicle that takes them away from their problem. Traditional treatment does nothing to address the co-occurring disorders and has a tendency to actually heighten anxiety and depression due to admitting past transgressions to one or more peers.

It is very common for people with substance abuse problems to feel a great deal of guilt associated with their addiction. While protecting and perpetuating their dependency many have lived a life of deception that creates this guilt. Drugs and alcohol share the common bond of depressing the central nervous system and lowering inhibitions. When the addicted person becomes dependent on the substance they will go to great extremes to protect themselves and insure that they are not discovered or interrupted. Many have lied or taken other deceptive measures to obtain or protect their drug of choice. Some have stolen or concealed the amount of money spent on the substances to the detriment of their family and loved ones. Most have hidden drugs or alcohol or gone to great lengths to cover their tracks and not reveal their dependency.

Traditional treatment encourages that all of these feelings of guilt and shame be exposed and shared with others in an attempt to cleanse the soul and it also encourages the addict to make amends wherever possible. This divulgence process is repeated over and over for the life of the person.

AA utilizes many sayings to help their members remain sober. "One day at a time", Keep coming back, it works if you work it", "Easy does it" are among them. Many have suggested that with this style of treatment you trade your addiction to drugs or alcohol for an addiction to 12-step. Many feel that this idea may have merit because most addicts that get sober and remain sober with 12-step teachings tend to stay that way only when they remain active in the AA lifestyle. If the lifestyle is discontinued many relapse and resume their addictions.

Addicts and alcoholics should be encouraged to face their past and deal with the issues that might be impeding their recovery, but they must understand that the past is just that, the past. While unpleasant memories can in some instances help keep the person sober, they cannot be changed. Reliving them and dwelling on them is counter productive and harmful. Issues that cause anxiety and depression must be resolved or the addict will seek their old friend alcohol or drugs to help them escape the mental anguish. Many have been dealing with psychological issues for the majority of their life and their drug and alcohol addictions have manifested in an attempt to escape the issues by self medicating.

Drug and alcohol abuse have numerous negative impacts on the human body. Many physical effects become glaringly apparent. Alcoholics will generally exhibit one or many symptoms of the disease. Hypertension, gastro-intestinal problems, lower back pain, bronchial infections, trembling and shaky hands are but a few. What few people realize is the tremendous impact these substances have on the addict’s mental state. Alcohol and virtually all drugs dramatically impair the body’s neurotransmitters that are responsible for one’s psychological state. Primarily affected are the serotonin and dopamine systems which are utilized in normal feelings of well being and joy. Both are dramatically impacted and there presence and normal function slow and become minimized. Neurotransmitter function will continue to decrease as the addiction continues and intensifies. The continued and accelerated use of the drugs and alcohol only increase the spiral of depression.

As the drug and alcohol use progresses and the depression continues the addict begins to experience feelings of hopelessness. Their self-esteem plummets and they begin to accept the role of being an addict or alcoholic. They wonder how this all happened but feel that there is no way out because they have become dependent on their drug.

Every tool possible should be employed to help addicts get control of their substance abuse issues and addictive issues cannot be addressed without simultaneously addressing the causes. Attempts should be made to expose any and all underlying problems. Treatment should include psychiatric, psychological, physical and social assessments. When the issues are disclosed, the appropriate treatment and therapy should be utilized to help the person resolve all of the issues. One of the most important aspects of treatment and cognitive behavior therapy is to restore a sense of pride and raise the dependents self-esteem and self-image. The alcoholic or addict cannot achieve their desired goal of sobriety without caring enough about themselves not to go back to the dependency they have escaped with treatment.

Until the person truly wants sobriety for themselves their addictive issues will continue and sobriety will be short term at best. Addicts and Alcoholics must understand this. When physical discomfort and cravings are addressed and psychological issues are dealt with, the dependent person starts achieving clarity and the feelings of despair and hopelessness are replaced with optimism. As sobriety is sustained, cravings diminish, the brain and body heal and the person once again becomes whole.