How Does the 12 Step Program Help with Addiction to Prescription Drugs?

The 12-Step program has helped many addicts to become sober and lead full, healthy, drug-free lives for decades. It begins with helping the addict to admit that he or she has no power over their addiction, acknowledge that their lives had become unmanageable to them, and guides them toward being strong in their ability to cope with their lives outside of treatment.

The 12-step program can help with an addiction to prescription drugs in a few different ways. Call 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) to find a treatment center that can help you get sober.

Made for Self-Help

The 12-step meetings are not a class on how to live the addict’s life or a lecture on how they messed up. Instead, it is about introducing the addict to the concepts they will need to help them make their recovery a priority everyday on their own.

The people who help the addicts to learn how to bring their recovery to the forefront will not be there in the face of temptations or triggers, but they can make sure that the addict has the tools he or she needs to remain sober when they return to their lives.

A Safe, Supportive Place

12 step meetings give recovering addicts the opportunity to share their experiences.

During 12-step programs, they do not provide the same psychotherapeutic treatment that the addict has during their residential treatment, but it provides a group of people the addict can relate to who will support them through their final steps toward recovery.

According to the NIDA, these group therapies draw on the support from their peers in discussions to encourage and maintain a drug-free lifestyle for the addict.

Because of this, most treatment programs recommend the 12-step programs for recovering addicts to cement what they have already learned in treatment and to give them a different option for dealing with stress than prescription drugs.

The meetings give the individual a place to vent to people who care about the daily stresses, which is a much healthier way to cope. The program is also a great place to make new friends who do not abuse prescription drugs like the addict’s old friends had.

This will help him or her to remain sober and to avoid a potential relapse because it will remove the triggers and replace them with supportive, clean friends.

Choosing a Sponsor

A sponsor is one of the biggest benefits of a 12-step program for addictions to prescription because they are the ones who will be a personal guide toward recovery. When the addict struggles to remain sober, the sponsor is someone they can call to keep them on track.

According to the NCBI, many people who participate in the 12 step programs will choose another member to be their sponsor, who will provide guidance and aid in times of crisis when the temptations become too great to the recovering addict.

How Can I Get My Family Involved in My 12-step Treatment?

A Time to Reflect

While participating in the 12-step program, the addicts are given a chance to look back on the choices they made before the treatment and think about how those choices affected their loved ones. These meetings also give the recovering addict a chance to share their experience and listen to the stories of others, letting them know that they are not alone in their struggle.

More than that, it can give the individual tips on how to deal with their own situations, especially ones that may cause a relapse.

Availability & Anonymity

The nice thing about the 12-step program is that there are various meetings and types of meetings, so the individual can find a meeting that fits into their schedule. In larger cities, it is easier because there should be plenty for any time of the week and day or night. There is also no need to share personal information, so the person can vent openly without fear.

The 12-step programs can help with addiction to prescription drugs in many different ways. It is made for self-help in a safe, supportive place that can help them find a sponsor, give them a time to reflect on their choices, and remain anonymous at a time that is right for their schedules. Help is available for those who need it and the 12-step program can aid the individual in their readjustment to life outside of treatment.

If you or a loved one is suffering from substance abuse or addiction and needs help finding a 12-step program that is right for them, call 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) to speak with a compassionate specialist that can help you.