For those who are battling addiction, there are a number of different treatment options to choose from to help them on their road to recovery. One of these is a Twelve-Step program for support.

The Twelve-Step program originated with Alcoholics Anonymous over 60 years ago as a way to overcome alcohol addiction. Now, the Twelve Step program is used by people for many different types of addiction, not just alcohol. Other groups that use this type of system with permission from Alcoholics Anonymous include support groups for gamblers, drug abusers, overeaters, and people with debt and spending problems.

Although Alcoholics Anonymous is not affiliated with any religious groups, the original Twelve Steps focused heavily on relying on God for support for alcohol treatment. Today, the main goals behind the twelve steps include:

• Recognizing and admitting that the addiction has caused a complete loss of control over the person’s life
• Turning to a higher power for a source of support and strength
• Willingness to work to overcome the addiction
• Take a close look at problems in life or relationships that were harmed as a result of the addiction
• Attempting to make amends to those who were affected or hurt by the addiction
• Learning and applying new habits to break the addiction
• Striving to help other who are suffering from the same addictions, often through a sponsorship program

The twelve step program focuses on total healing, including the mental, spiritual, and physical aspects. These vary with each addiction, for example, a drug addict’s physical tolls may include hyperactivity or lack of control, mental may include the feeling of not being able to stop using drugs, and the spiritual could be the self-centered nature of addiction. After identifying these problems, they work to overcome each aspect.

Many people have used the Twelve Step program successfully to overcome an addiction, whether it’s an addiction to gambling or drugs or alcohol or anything else.