The Mystery of the Twelve Step Fellowships

In addition to this, health care professionals often feel threatened, including Doctors and therapist. Imagine for a moment you have trained for years in your particular practice, which has nothing to do with 12 steps, or even addiction specifically, in walks a client/patient looking for help. The professionals have often sworn an oath to help and believe thoroughly that they can and take pride in trying, and on some level of cause this is true however with addiction it is no secret that the medical industry have failed miserably to do anything but prescribe more substances and achieve temporary relief for their patients. The idea of handing over the responsibility to a bunch of amateurs or even addicts whether clean or not is appalling for many of these professionals even though they are at a loss themselves. Also in the private sector an addict or alcoholic that does not get well is a long-term repeat customer. In reality the mystery of the twelve step fellowships is a myth.

Having said all this, the fellowships have a saying “the gift of despair” meaning people often have to hit their rock bottom having tried every other softer option, before being willing to tolerate some of the demands of being a fully fledged member of a 12 step fellowships.

A spiritual program not religious: One of the biggest blocks for many is the use of the word God in the AA literature, although it’s always qualified with “aswe understand him” more recently the word Higher Power (HP) is being used. Taken in its original context, written 80 years ago by recovering alcoholics in America they were only trying to convey the message that much of the solution is best described as spiritual.The reason being is to find and nurture hope, faith and optermism, or a sustainable belief in oneself and a willingness topersevere through uncertainty and setbacks in order to remain clean and sober. Many do this by accepting a form of what we now call spirituality or psychologists call positive psychology. Developing a sense of meaning and overall purpose is said to be equally important also.

Some more reasons why people don’t like the fellowship meetings or program

• Having to confront the problem and feeling anxious or uncomfortable
• Feeling ashamed at needing help from others
• Feeling ashamed at having relapsed or a failure
• Abstinence is paradoxical behavior being opposite to drinking or using
• Not trusting that the process will work
• Not wanting to listen to others opinions
• Not wanting to follow instructions
• Personalities at meeting we don’t like
• Going to meetings for the wrong reasons or for someone else
• Recovery did not meet our expectations

Useful principles taken from the 12 steps of the AA program and used as treatment assignments that have proven long positive results makes the mystery of the twelve step fellowships easy to understand.