12-Step Program
12-Step Programs are programs that are comprised of individuals who meet regularly to address problems that arise from a behavior. The group believes in the power of working together to overcome an addiction such as alcohol. The first 12-Step Program was Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). These programs are self-led and function through group consensus under the direction of established guidelines. The 12 Steps of AA, the first such program, is a guide for living a healthy life based upon honesty, self-improvement, helping others suffering from alcoholism, and living a spiritually-based life. Since the inception of the original 12-Step meeting, step programs have developed to address a multitude of self-destructive behaviors (narcotics, sex addiction, gambling, overeating, compulsive shopping, codependency to name a few). 12 Step programs are based upon the belief that “together we can do what we cannot do alone.”
