12 step recovery programs do not have a monopoly on the recovery process. This being said, millions of addicts and alcoholics have fully recovered using the 12 steps. No other plan of action has had anything like this success rate. This is how I see it: If you were diagnosed with another disease and the doctor offered 2 Tx one has been around for over 75 years and millions have recovered or other Tx’s that have been around less time and there is not much eveidence that it works or it may take longer, which would you pick. By the

Because this disease centers in the mind, which is where our thoughts, emotions, impulses, feelings, and processes stem from, it is difficult to recover ALONE. Meetings provide the help we need. At meetings you will find other individuals who struggled with the same problem and have found a solution. There only purpose is to stay clean and sober themselves and help you.

A sponsor is someone who like you tried to control their addiction, made empty promises, felt the shame and guilt as a result of their addiction, were either physically or emotionally addicted to a substance or activity and found a way out of the vicious cycle. They are individuals who follow spiritual principles to cope with life. There only purpose is to show you those principles and how to implement them in your life.

No problem. Spirituality and religion are not the same concept. If you are an addict and have lost the power to choose whether you drink or use, what you need is a power to help you regain choice. What is really needed is a Power greater than you and the substance you are using. Some people call that Power God, you can choose whichever power you would like as long as it’s not yourself.

Chances are if you are addicted to one substance, especially if it has become a psychological dependence, abstinence from all mood and mind altering substances are the only way to go. All mood/mind altering substances affect the same area in the brain and the brain can not distinguish between the substances. So what happens is you stop smoking marijuana and start drinking and sooner or later you become psychologically/physically dependent on the new substance. This is cross addiction.

Addiction has nothing to do with will power. Just like with cancer or diabetes, you can’t “will” away theses diseases, you can’t keep yourself from having a heart attack or make your heart stop beating. It’s a humbling experiencing to recognize the powerlessness over the substance.