What is a 12-Step Program?

A 12-step program is a course of action that leads the participants to recovery from addiction. The original Twelve Steps was developed by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although originally intended as a way to recover from alcohol addiction, the method has been adapted to serve as an aid to those recovering from many other addictions, including drug, food, and sex addictions. Other 12-step groups, such as Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, focus on providing help to the families and friends of those addicted.

Twelve-step programs work through group meetings in which members share their experiences in recovery. The program emphasizes the common welfare of the group. Meetings are anonymous, as participants only use their first name, and all discussions are considered private. Some groups are open to all, while others are limited according to certain characteristics. For example, some meetings are only for those new to recovery, while other meetings may be for those who have been in recovery for quite a while. Groups can also be limited by gender. Most groups distinguish between those meetings that are open to everyone and those that are limited to those suffering from the particular addiction that is the focus of the group (e.g., someone with drug addiction would not attend a meeting devoted to alcoholism unless they were also addicted to alcohol).