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Do 12 Step programs work for any kind of addiction

PureX

Veteran Member
Oh I don’t doubt it’s helpfulness.
I just have a couple of doubts of its theory, so to speak.

It’s always seemed like a well intentioned group therapy session but run by laymen.
That’s just my impression of 12 step programs.
As I am not trained in mental health, I can only really speculate as a layman myself.

I do know some folks working in mental health, to various degrees. I’m kind of curious of their take on it now.
I know several good psychologists that will not even take on an addicted patient unless they are willing to work a 12 step program. They understand that there is no point trying help someone that is not sober. This refers, however, to drugs and alcohol. How they would respond to a sex or gambling addiction might be different. And of course it would be different for a food addiction.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I personally can't see how regaling others with stories of humiliation and addiction does any good.
Well, for one thing it helps the addict recognize and take responsibility for the actions they've engaged in while drunk or high. One of the toughest aspects of addiction to deal with is the denial, and the blaming of everyone and everything but one's self. Often doing harm to the those closest to the addict. So it's important that the addict trying to get sober face, fully, their own culpability and responsibility for their predicament. It's also very important for them to understand that they are not unique, or alone in this. That they have people around them who have experienced the same self-destructive insanity, and that are a little further ahead of them in the process of dealing with it. So that these people can and will help them.

As far as humiliation goes, there are few things in life as humiliating as an addiction. Believe me when I tell you that sharing a story of the insanity of one's addiction with others who have also experienced similar humiliation is not nearly as bad as have experienced it in the first place. And it helps a lot to let those "secrets" go. To own up to what we have been, and done, among people who understand what it's like.

It's not surprising that you wouldn't understand this given that you had not experienced it, personally. It's why most meetings exclude non-addicts ... it's not for them or about them. And it's not a good idea for the actual addict to need to bring a friend to a meeting. He or she needs to be at the meeting by and for themselves. They have to want it for themselves.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I don't think 12-step programs are effective against an addiction to 12-step programs. This is a major failing, given how many of those programs there are these days. :rolleyes:
What is "an addiction to 12 step programs"? Aren't you confusing a reliance on them to stay clean and sober with an "addiction"? Why do you see this reliance as being so bad that you'd consider it an addiction?
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
I know several good psychologists that will not even take on an addicted patient unless they are willing to work a 12 step program. They understand that there is no point trying help someone that is not sober. This refers, however, to drugs and alcohol. How they would respond to a sex or gambling addiction might be different. And of course it would be different for a food addiction.
Well I can understand that. A person needs to have willingness to go through with some kind of help. Otherwise the doctor is just wasting their time. Not meaning that to sound harsh, but with the exception of emergency medical cases, I can understand having to jump at least one hurdle before getting help for addiction.
That said, I can’t help but think that the 12 step has suffered from the so called “war on drugs” in some capacity.
Like it is used to blackmail folks or otherwise make them feel guilty for choosing not to go (maybe relying on something else because the 12 step didn’t help them before.)
I’d be curious to see if it’s handled differently in countries with more “lenient” drug laws. Maybe it’s the same process just treated differently by society.

I dunno, there’s just a little itch of skepticism that I can’t seem to shake.

I do see gambling addiction “services” advertised time to time here. I don’t know if it’s the same as the 12 step. Maybe it is, just with more math and budgeting lessons :shrug:

Food addiction might be the same process, just with nutritionist input. I dunno
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
What is "an addiction to 12 step programs"? Aren't you confusing a reliance on them to stay clean and sober with an "addiction"? Why do you see this reliance as being so bad that you'd consider it an addiction?
I've said before, it was meant to be a tiny bit of humour, based on self-reference, as expressed by the purple emoji. Obviously a failure, mea maxima culpa.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I've said before, it was meant to be a tiny bit of humour, based on self-reference, as expressed by the purple emoji. Obviously a failure, mea maxima culpa.
Sorry, I missed that.

It's kind of an interesting thing, though. I have friends with many years of sobriety that have not been to an AA meeting in decades. And I have friends still active in AA even after many decades of sobriety. I think the determining factor seems to be more related to where they live. The more rural folks tending to continue being active because they become close friends with the others there. Meetings are small and less frequent so everyone in the area tends to show up at them, and become close. Also, when meetings are small and less frequent, the long time members feel more obliged to keep showing up in case a new-comer shows up. And to support the newer members.
 
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