Does a 12 Step Program Really Help You Get Sober?

12 Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are among the most widely known addiction treatment programs. Those who are ready to get help are willing to do anything that will work including following the 12 steps. The real question is “does a 12 step program help you get sober?”

Success Rates of 12 Step Programs

According to the Big Book, which is the text that Alcoholics Anonymous groups use as their textbook, the program has a 50% success rate and 25% of people who do relapse are still able to find sobriety. As these numbers are self-reported and the inherent anonymity of the program means many do not partake in the survey, these numbers cannot be considered empirical data. However, there are other organizations that have studied the success of these programs.

A 10% success rate is reported by The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) for long term recovery success. They also report a 40% dropout rate during the first year, which could skew the long-term success rate previously mentioned.

Find a Rehab That Incorporates Twelve-Step Programming

There may be some questions on whether or not a 12 Step Program for addiction treatment can help someone get sober, but there does seem to be a consensus that the 12 steps in conjunction with an addiction treatment program, or addiction rehab, can improve recovery rates. In fact, a study conducted by The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that this combination gave individuals in recovery a better chance of staying sober compared to people who have only admitted to a formal treatment program and did not attend any 12 step meetings.

In order to detox and get clean and sober, a medical detox program is likely the best option to start with. After that, addiction professionals might recommend residential treatment followed by outpatient treatment. Some rehab facilities include 12 Step group meetings as a part of their daily or weekly programming, to help supplement individual therapy and other treatment options.

12 Steps for Relapse Prevention & Long-Term Sobriety

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings can be found all across the United States and beyond. There are also all types of different meetings for specific groups, including open meetings, closed meetings, agnostics meetings, etc. Access to these meetings makes it easy to find a group near you where you can talk or just listen in a supportive environment. You can attend a meeting multiple times a week, a few times a month, or just when you feel like you really need a little extra support. This is why getting started with the 12 steps during treatment can help set an individual up for long term success and help with relapse prevention.

Get Sober at Level Up Lake Worth

At Level Up Lake Worth, we offer a wide array of addiction treatment, programming, and therapy options to our clients. 12 step meetings are among the programming that you can partake in when you are admitted to one of our addiction rehabilitation programs. Group meetings happen on a regular basis for those who would like to join them. 

Contact our admissions office at 877-219-2888 to get started on your road to recovery at Level Up.