12 Step Program Essay
The 12-step program is only for alcohol addicts, right? Wrong. The twelve step program helps so many different people for so many different reasons. Many people think the twelve step program only helps people with an alcohol addiction, well, it can definitely help them get through that addiction, but it also helps other types of addictions and disorders. Whether a person has an eating disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, or even if they only have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the twelve step program really can help them. To summarize, a 12-step group is a group where people with addiction, or issues of any kind, can come together and meet with people who are going through very
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similar situations.12-step groups help people feel a sense community, and it helps them feel that they are not alone in the world and that there are people out there who understand, and who are there to help them. The 12-step group also helps people with addiction understand that their addiction does not control them, but that they can control their addiction, and that they can overcome their addiction. Addiction can mean anything, some people are addicted to drinking or drugs, others are addicted to lying to people, there are so many possibilities to what someone could be addicted to, and the 12-step program can help them with that. While many do not think of the twelve step program as being able to help people with PTSD, the program really does help those people.
In an article, by Najavits et al., it explains that trauma victims need community and they need to find people who feel the same way they do, so that they can heal, in the article Najavits et al writes, “Such groups can provide a welcoming community to help counter the isolation and stigma that are common in trauma. The openness and acceptance of 12-step groups can mitigate secrecy and shame.” (Najavits et al 2015). People with PTSD do not usually want to talk to their families about the things that happened in a war zone, or wherever the trauma may have occurred because they feel it could hurt their families, and that is the last thing they want to do. Trauma victims want people who understand what they are going through, and, most of the time, they can find community and relation in a 12-step …show more content…
group. Another way a 12-step group could help someone is if they have a comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) along with substance use disorder (SUD). There was a study done by Worley et al that shows how attending a 12-step group reduced the MDD in a person with MDD and SUD. In the article Worley et al state “. . . improvement in depressive symptoms linked to 12-Step involvement could be a key process in the reduction of substance use for patients with SUD and MDD.” (Worley et al 2012). Thus, saying if a person can reduce their depressive affect, it can dramatically reduce substance abuse, because depressive affect and substance abuse directly correlate. If a person is in a depressed state, they would like to make themselves not feel those morose feelings, so they go find a bottle of liquor, or they go get a stimulant out of their medicine cabinet. If a person is feeling happy, they will not need the liquor or stimulant to trick themselves into being happy. The 12-step group helps those people with depression feel happier, and feel a sense of worth, that way they do not have to abuse themselves with drugs or alcohol. Another reason a person might need a 12-step program is eating disorder, Kristen McAleavey did a study on the short-term effects of a 12-step program and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, etc.
Enright et al. (2005) described the use of a 12-Step group-recovery process that appears to be effective in assisting anorexics in developing positive body images and controlling urges to diet, exercise, and starve to reduce perceived obesity. In their view, the 12-Step approach to recovery offers new hope for this population because it directly involves peer support systems and the development of more appropriate social interaction styles (McAleavey). McAleavey studied girls because the majority of people with eating disorders are women. When she studied these girls, she found that when someone feels lifted up or feels more positive about their life, it makes it easier for them to want to treat their bodies better. When her peers recognized her, and she realized that they could be going through something very similar, it made it easier for her to overcome her eating disorder. Another reason the girls did better with their eating disorders is that when a woman feels loved, she feels empowered, and that can even make her feel more beautiful, which really helps her feel like she does not need to eat less to be skinnier. A loved, confident, empowered woman thinks she is beautiful just the way she is. There was a study done about parents of adolescents using a 12-step method to help their ADHD child by using it every day.
“The model proposes that parents assume a coaching role with their adolescent to teach increased self-awareness, organization, accountability, and behavioral inhibition that, hopefully, will have a reparative effect on their child's immature neurological functioning” states Grogan and Weitzman in their article titled “Using the 12-Steps as a Parenting Intervention With ADHD Adolescents”. In the article they also say, “. . . behavior management training for parents is associated with improvements in the areas of increased behavioral inhibition, less distractibility, improved working memory, and improved attention (Comer et al., 2012; Van den Hootdakker, et al., 2010; Ellis & Nigg, 2009). “ (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). They are saying that a parent could use the 12-step program to teach an ADHD child etiquette and how to act in social situations. This is different from other things such as depression and eating disorders, because the child is born with ADHD, so it is engrained in their brain, and they can do anything to prevent it from occurring (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). Although it really is helpful for the child or adolescent to have a parent willing to do the 12-step program with them, it is challenging and time consuming for the parent to play that part, as Grogan and Weitzman state “Just like the 12-steps and the clinical management of ADHD, the
effectiveness of coaching is based on the supportive role of the coach, an emphasis on behavioral change, accountability, and a significant commitment of time and effort to the treatment process” (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). The parents, however, have to learn everything there is to know about the 12-step program in order to lead their child through that process, which requires a very committed parent. Learning about the program includes going to 12-step meetings, reading books about the 12-step program, and talking to people who lead 12-step groups. 12-step groups are offered just about anywhere. Many 12-step groups are held in churches. A church is a good place to attend a 12-step group if you are religious because most likely the people surrounding you have the same beliefs that you do. There are anonymous groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that help people with alcohol addictions. If someone wanted to go to a 12-step group they could research it, and find the exact group for them because there are so many people going through the same thing, and people want a sense of community and love. The 12-step group is most often led by a person who has already been through the 12-step program and got through an addiction, an eating disorder, depression, etc. so that they are experienced enough to help lead a person who needs the 12-step program. They are almost never led by a professional psychologist because they do not need to be. “In short, 12-Step groups held their own despite the fact that they are organized and operated by non-professionals and do not require highly specialized training” (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). Addiction, PTSD, MDD, and SUD, eating disorders, and ADHD is only a few of the reasons a person might go through a 12-step program. People can use the 12-step program for anything, really. Some people use it to get over bad relationships, others use it because they are feeling a loss of control of things in their life. Whatever it is, the 12-step program can help tremendously. The 12-step program helps so many people, because it is easily accessible, free, and it gives people a sense of community.
similar situations.12-step groups help people feel a sense community, and it helps them feel that they are not alone in the world and that there are people out there who understand, and who are there to help them. The 12-step group also helps people with addiction understand that their addiction does not control them, but that they can control their addiction, and that they can overcome their addiction. Addiction can mean anything, some people are addicted to drinking or drugs, others are addicted to lying to people, there are so many possibilities to what someone could be addicted to, and the 12-step program can help them with that. While many do not think of the twelve step program as being able to help people with PTSD, the program really does help those people.
In an article, by Najavits et al., it explains that trauma victims need community and they need to find people who feel the same way they do, so that they can heal, in the article Najavits et al writes, “Such groups can provide a welcoming community to help counter the isolation and stigma that are common in trauma. The openness and acceptance of 12-step groups can mitigate secrecy and shame.” (Najavits et al 2015). People with PTSD do not usually want to talk to their families about the things that happened in a war zone, or wherever the trauma may have occurred because they feel it could hurt their families, and that is the last thing they want to do. Trauma victims want people who understand what they are going through, and, most of the time, they can find community and relation in a 12-step …show more content…
group. Another way a 12-step group could help someone is if they have a comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) along with substance use disorder (SUD). There was a study done by Worley et al that shows how attending a 12-step group reduced the MDD in a person with MDD and SUD. In the article Worley et al state “. . . improvement in depressive symptoms linked to 12-Step involvement could be a key process in the reduction of substance use for patients with SUD and MDD.” (Worley et al 2012). Thus, saying if a person can reduce their depressive affect, it can dramatically reduce substance abuse, because depressive affect and substance abuse directly correlate. If a person is in a depressed state, they would like to make themselves not feel those morose feelings, so they go find a bottle of liquor, or they go get a stimulant out of their medicine cabinet. If a person is feeling happy, they will not need the liquor or stimulant to trick themselves into being happy. The 12-step group helps those people with depression feel happier, and feel a sense of worth, that way they do not have to abuse themselves with drugs or alcohol. Another reason a person might need a 12-step program is eating disorder, Kristen McAleavey did a study on the short-term effects of a 12-step program and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, etc.
Enright et al. (2005) described the use of a 12-Step group-recovery process that appears to be effective in assisting anorexics in developing positive body images and controlling urges to diet, exercise, and starve to reduce perceived obesity. In their view, the 12-Step approach to recovery offers new hope for this population because it directly involves peer support systems and the development of more appropriate social interaction styles (McAleavey). McAleavey studied girls because the majority of people with eating disorders are women. When she studied these girls, she found that when someone feels lifted up or feels more positive about their life, it makes it easier for them to want to treat their bodies better. When her peers recognized her, and she realized that they could be going through something very similar, it made it easier for her to overcome her eating disorder. Another reason the girls did better with their eating disorders is that when a woman feels loved, she feels empowered, and that can even make her feel more beautiful, which really helps her feel like she does not need to eat less to be skinnier. A loved, confident, empowered woman thinks she is beautiful just the way she is. There was a study done about parents of adolescents using a 12-step method to help their ADHD child by using it every day.
“The model proposes that parents assume a coaching role with their adolescent to teach increased self-awareness, organization, accountability, and behavioral inhibition that, hopefully, will have a reparative effect on their child's immature neurological functioning” states Grogan and Weitzman in their article titled “Using the 12-Steps as a Parenting Intervention With ADHD Adolescents”. In the article they also say, “. . . behavior management training for parents is associated with improvements in the areas of increased behavioral inhibition, less distractibility, improved working memory, and improved attention (Comer et al., 2012; Van den Hootdakker, et al., 2010; Ellis & Nigg, 2009). “ (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). They are saying that a parent could use the 12-step program to teach an ADHD child etiquette and how to act in social situations. This is different from other things such as depression and eating disorders, because the child is born with ADHD, so it is engrained in their brain, and they can do anything to prevent it from occurring (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). Although it really is helpful for the child or adolescent to have a parent willing to do the 12-step program with them, it is challenging and time consuming for the parent to play that part, as Grogan and Weitzman state “Just like the 12-steps and the clinical management of ADHD, the
effectiveness of coaching is based on the supportive role of the coach, an emphasis on behavioral change, accountability, and a significant commitment of time and effort to the treatment process” (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). The parents, however, have to learn everything there is to know about the 12-step program in order to lead their child through that process, which requires a very committed parent. Learning about the program includes going to 12-step meetings, reading books about the 12-step program, and talking to people who lead 12-step groups. 12-step groups are offered just about anywhere. Many 12-step groups are held in churches. A church is a good place to attend a 12-step group if you are religious because most likely the people surrounding you have the same beliefs that you do. There are anonymous groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that help people with alcohol addictions. If someone wanted to go to a 12-step group they could research it, and find the exact group for them because there are so many people going through the same thing, and people want a sense of community and love. The 12-step group is most often led by a person who has already been through the 12-step program and got through an addiction, an eating disorder, depression, etc. so that they are experienced enough to help lead a person who needs the 12-step program. They are almost never led by a professional psychologist because they do not need to be. “In short, 12-Step groups held their own despite the fact that they are organized and operated by non-professionals and do not require highly specialized training” (Grogan, Weitzman 2015). Addiction, PTSD, MDD, and SUD, eating disorders, and ADHD is only a few of the reasons a person might go through a 12-step program. People can use the 12-step program for anything, really. Some people use it to get over bad relationships, others use it because they are feeling a loss of control of things in their life. Whatever it is, the 12-step program can help tremendously. The 12-step program helps so many people, because it is easily accessible, free, and it gives people a sense of community.