Working the 12 Steps Program 1
Working the 12 Step Program
Thaija Wilson
Ivy Tech Community College
Working the 12 Steps Program 2
With recovery comes a lot of information, repetition, commitment, and understanding.
Although there are many programs for every person addicted today, most of these programs
follow the twelve steps. Since Alcoholics Anonymous was started there has also been
narcotics, gamblers, over eaters, cocaine and various other anonymous programs to help
people reach recovery. Each of these programs can be a struggle to any addict but they are
there so that people have the resources and the community needed to stay sober. The twelve
steps may slightly vary in each group; however, they all follow the same baseline.
Working the 12 Steps Program 3
In 1938 Bill Wilson began to form the twelve steps for alcoholic anonymous from his
own experiences and spiritual awakening. Although he had to work through his own
addiction, he would eventually incorporate his twelve steps into what is knows as The Big
Book. Although these steps were made for alcoholics, they are now used in almost every
form of recovery. These steps take a lot of communication, trust, understanding, and
commitment.
There are many programs for people who struggle with any form of addiction. Some of
these programs do not follow the twelve-step guide. However, groups such as gamblers
anonymous, narcotics anonymous, and sex addicts anonymous follow the twelve-step guide.
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, within the next three to five years the twelve-
