For the first time in their book of the same name in 1939 the Alcoholics Anonymous devised their 12 Step Program. The basic purpose of this program was to help people to get out of the addiction, which will help them lead better and healthier life. This program was planned mainly for bring people out of their alcohol dependencies, because after all it was a program made by the Alcoholics Anonymous. However In a short while, the program got very popular. So many people used the program, but many of them used within the vicinity of the Alcoholics Anonymous itself. It was also found that they benefited hugely from it.



Later due to the popularity of the program it was soon adapted by other addiction treatment modes. Especially, the most prominent of them are the Cocaine Anonymous and the Narcotics Anonymous. There are also versions of the 12 Step Program for treatments that have nothing to do with chemical dependency too, such as for people with an eating disorder or even for people who find acne to be a serious problem! The program for alcohol treatment in Maryland also made use of this program to a significant extent.

As we can see the 12 Step Program is a very popular program for alcohol treatment in Maryland; as a matter of fact, it is a program matchless, so it is important to see why the program is popular. Let us understand the 12 steps of the program first. Here they are, in a simplified format:-

1.To help maximum number of alcoholic persons in eliminating their conditions.

2.Admitting that life has become difficult to manage and also abject because of the addiction.

3.To trust that there is a Higher Power that can help recover this condition and return meaning to life.

4.Make a decision to accept the superiority of the Higher Power and follow in the guidance provided by them with total understanding and strong belief.

5.To understand the true essence of self.

6.Confess to the Supreme Power that a lot of wrong has been committed while under the influence of addiction. Tell another person that addiction has been a wrong choice.

7. To believe the Higher Power to correct the wrongs.

8.Ask the Higher Power to correct the wrongs.

9.Acquire awareness of the people who are hurt due to the condition and be prepared to begin the journey of implementing restorative measures.

10.Begin the journey. Only make corrections where possible but avoid do so where correcting the wrongs will lead to distress to the person.

11.Continue realizing and making amendments to all that has been done wrong.

12.By the medium of prayer and meditation come closer to the Higher Power asking them to bring in the power that can help come out of the habituation.

From the above points the 12 Step Program of the Alcoholics Anonymous can be understood very clearly. This program is highly spiritual in nature. This is the only treatment program in which the patient overtly relies on the Higher Power to bring in the recovery within themselves. But here, it must be noted that though the 12 Step Program of the Alcoholics Anonymous is a spiritual program, it is definitely not a religious program. This Higher Power could be the God the person believes in. Also, it is not associated to any political belief.

This 12 Step Program starts with an intervention. In intervention the patient is told about the problem within self and corrective measures they need during such circumstances. The 12 Step Program for alcohol treatment is also much-admired in which the patients correct the wrongs that they have committed. Even the realization of something they have committed to hurt others is enough to bring them closer to recovery. Therefore the confession route is a proven method of self-correction, and this is what the 12 Step Program involves.

For the success of this 12 Step Program it is necessary that a helping hand id needed. Hence, some treatment centers that use this program insist their patients to attend the sessions with a family member in tow so that person could act as the representative that the patient has to confess to. So this person can be someone that the person is comfortable wit and also trusts and believes in. it can be the member of the family. This treatment program adds more meaning to the patient's recovery process. Surprisingly those other forms of addiction also use this program that was primarily devised for alcohol treatment all over the world.