With addiction treatment options increasing every year, more people are asking themselves “What are non 12 step recovery programs?” 12 Step programs have been the standard for years. Often, when we see addiction treatment in movies and TV, we are seeing a 12 Step program in action. This has had the effect of making these programs seem like the only way to recover. This is far from the truth. There are many different programs including SMART Recovery program in Hanover PA. Let’s take a closer look at these programs and what they offer.
What is the Traditional 12 Step Method?
When we ask ourselves “what are non 12 step recovery programs?” we first need to understand what a 12 Step program is. In its most basic sense, a 12 Step program is an addiction recovery support group focussed around the idea that addiction can only be cured by “surrendering” to a higher power. This is usually in a religious setting. These programs can be effective, but people have started to move away from the traditional 12 Step approach.
Why Have People Moved Away from the 12 Step Program?
In a nutshell, the 12 Step approach has some outdated roots that have caused people to start to look elsewhere to similar programs. The program doesn’t fit the individual needs of everyone going through substance abuse treatment programs in PA. People in recovery have been asking themselves “what are non 12 step recovery programs?” because the old models of recovery just don’t cut it anymore. This is in part because the 12 Step approach requires a lot of religious language that can be difficult for people of a variety of faiths or non-religious people. The focus tends to be on personal fault and negative aspects. However, the non 12 step recovery program focuses more on the social and biological causes of addiction. Since people have been turning away from the classic 12 Step system, where have they been heading?
What Are Some Alternatives?
There are some great alternatives for people asking “what are non 12 step recovery programs?” These programs all fill the same core function: making sure you or a loved one has a community of like-minded people while they are staying sober. This community support is vital to staying sober but doesn’t have to come from the 12 Step system. Here are some common alternatives:
- Women’s Support Groups – Groups like Women for Sobriety take an all-women’s secular approach to provide the support offered by 12 Step programs.
- Secular Organizations for Sobriety – This is a network of sobriety support groups that are loosely affiliated along the lines of being open to people of all religions.
- Moderation Management – Rather than the total abstinence approach of the 12 Step program, Moderation Management is a system that focuses on bringing things back under control.
- SMART Recovery – This program focuses on empowering the individual to recover. SMART aims to make people feel their own strength again rather than focusing on all the ways addiction made them helpless. While this has an individual root, the program as a whole is focussed on building a community of people that have the personal strength to keep their addictions in check. SMART has become particularly popular in the wake of people moving away from 12 Step programs because it has both a positive outlook and is secular.
Contact The Ranch PA Today
Addiction can be an isolating disease that is difficult to treat alone. Contact The Ranch PA for the SMART addiction treatment program to make all the difference in your recovery. There is a pathway to sobriety, and it starts with reaching out. Give us a call today at 717.969.9126 to find out more about how SMART can help you recover.
