12-step Programs

[sgn]

Anyone have any experience of 12-step programs?

Is it necessary to believe in god???? .

I've read several books about childhood shame and co-dependency and there's a strong link between it and  they always recommend these program.
Addictions seems to very often be rooted in childhood shame so a lot of focus is in resolving this. Because it numbs all other positive emotions and you feel empty. Therefore you often get addicted to alcochol/drugs etc in order to feel something.

The 12 steps can vary a little bit based on which kind of 12-step program you participate in.

In my case it would be;  Adult children of alcoholics/dysfunctional families. And the twelve steps would look like this:

1. We admitted we were powerless over the effects of alcoholism or other family dysfunction, that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand God.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand God, praying only for knowledge of God's 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 others who still suffer, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Edited August 19, 2017 by sgn

[sgn]

Ok I can answer my own thread now. lol
The answer is no. You don't need to believe in god.

[Richard Alpert]

I guess you have to believe in higher power, call it whatever the name is.

You can take it as there is something more powerful than your egoic desires. Dont have to go religious.

[Visitor]

On 8/19/2017 at 2:00 PM, sgn said:

Anyone have any experience of 12-step programs?

Is it necessary to believe in god???? .
 

Yes to the first part, and I highly recommend it for anybody.

No, you don't need to believe in god, but the twelve step program does recommend to trust in a power great than yourself. Why? because it was yourself that got you into trouble over and over again. In other words, you can no longer trust yourself to recover yourself, so you will need help.  Remember, the 12-step program was put together to people overcome their addictions (e.g., alcoholism). But the program is so good it has helped all sorts of people to achieve a life of serenity.

[sgn]

@Richard Alpert @Visitor Thanks.