introduction to the 12 step model

(A Note to the Prospective Student)

When you decide to go into treatment, it can be a frightening time. Maybe someone you love asked you to go to treatment. Or maybe you decided on your own, that you needed help to make some changes in your life. It may seem like everyone else but you has a problem with what you are doing. Perhaps, you have a lot of questions about what happens in treatment. How can a 12 Step program help in your situation? Passages to Recovery uses the 12 Step Model because it can be used to treat addictions along with many other problems. Here at Passages to Recovery, we are not interested in labeling people as "addicts" or "alcoholics," we are here to help you achieve your goals. The 12 Step Model does not "make" you do anything. It offers suggestions that you can use to examine your thoughts and actions.

When you come to Passages to Recovery, we will ask you to take a look at your life so you can figure out what is causing problems. If you decide that your drug use or some other issues are causing trouble, you can take a look to see if they are affecting other areas of your life. This will get you started on mapping out what is creating some of your problems. Once you establish what is throwing your life off course, you can begin looking for solutions. You might start seeing that you have little to no control over some of the stuff that is upsetting your plans. This is a big step in making some of these changes.

After you take this step you may recognize that you are going to need some help solving your dilemmas. The problem is finding the right people or things that will give you the support and answers to help you start setting things straight. Sometimes, it feels like no one understands how you feel or no one knows what you are going through. The great thing about the 12 Step Model is that you don't have to solve your problems alone. Many people in 12 Step programs initially felt like they were alone and misunderstood. After they began to get some answers they were more than willing to help others with similar addictions or problems. At Passages to Recovery we use the same principle; we have small groups of young adults who most likely have many things in common with you. The students that have nearly completed their treatment at Passages to Recovery will be able to help answer your questions and make you feel more comfortable. Remember that they have probably been through the same doubts and fears that you might be having right now.

The students and staff in your group will help you take a closer look at what changes you want to make. Now and then it takes putting pen to paper to organize your thoughts. At Passages to Recovery we will ask you to write down thoughts, feelings and ideas so you can begin to map out your recovery process. We hope that you begin to develop some trusting relationships with staff and students in your group. We know that it will be helpful to share your ideas with others so you can get as much information as possible about how to best achieve your goals.

If you found what you read so far to be acceptable, then you will most likely do well at Passages to Recovery. That's because you have just learned about the first five steps in the 12 Step program. Although it may seem like a long time, students say that the days at Passages to Recovery go by quickly. Many students get through the first five steps at Passages to Recovery and say they want more time to continue working the steps. However some of the remaining steps will probably need to be finished outside of Passages to Recovery.

As a final note we would like to let you know that the 12 Steps work for many issues in addition to addictions. For instance, there is so much hope in organizations such as Debtors Anonymous or Co-Dependents Anonymous-programs that are not dealing with substance abuse issues. We feel that if anyone, regardless of their problems, integrates the 12 Step Model on a daily basis, they will be able to make huge changes in their life for the better.