12 Steps of NA

What to Expect at Meetings?

• NA describes their meetings as places to “share recovery with other addicts.”
• Each meeting is facilitated by a moderator. It is usually based on open sharing and discussing substance abuse and recovery.
• The meeting dynamic can change with the meeting’s time of day, location, or type. No two meetings are alike. Sharing at these meetings is voluntary, and participation is confidential.
• NA recommends that new members show up early, stay late, and ask lots of questions to get the most out of every meeting they attend. 
• NA recommends that new members commit to a meeting every day for at least 90 days to get to know NA members and the program.
• The key with any 12 step of NA program is that results come with continued attendance. It’s unnecessary to experience a “breakthrough” at every meeting. But sustained attendance will create results in your recovery. 

The 12 Steps of NA

1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Science Behind the 12 Steps of NA

The 12 steps of NA are not medical treatment. But they have something important to offer individuals attempting to quit an addiction. The 12 steps of NA work by providing a community that attracts and engages people long-term. This support group offers members mental health benefits, reducing relapse risk. This is necessary because addiction is a chronic relapsing disease that needs ongoing support.  The 12 steps of NA also emphasize that addiction is a disease, not a moral failure. This helps the person struggling with drug addiction let go of guilt, which hinders recovery.

Drug Addiction Treatment and Detox

Now that we’ve answered that question “what are the 12 steps of NA?”. It is never too late to seek help for yourself or a loved one. To determine the most effective ways to treat alcohol or drug addiction, it’s crucial to get an accurate assessment of all the symptoms. When the symptoms have been evaluated by a mental health professional, it may be determined that another form of mental condition is present and needs a particular type of treatment.

Medically-Assisted Detox

Medical detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated withdrawal process, but it doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to drug use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete detox.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient rehab treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can give necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Psychotherapy 

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves making changes in both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Person-Centered Therapy – is a strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• Solution Focused Therapy – is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.