The 12 steps are based on the premise of giving yourself to a higher power. This does not mean that they are religious, but more so that there is a spiritual aspect to working a 12-Step program. These programs can be incredibly beneficial to your recovery journey and goal of obtaining long-term sobriety. For this reason, Spero Recovery utilizes the 12 steps in our residential recovery program. Reach out today for more information at (303) 351-7888.
What Is Spirituality?
Spirituality is the belief that there is something higher than all of us. The view that the world is connected by some form of a higher power. It is not necessarily religious because it doesn’t focus on a deity or an individual as a point of worship. There are no rules to how you practice spirituality, it is whatever works best for you.
Types of Spirituality
There are different ways that people connect with and focus on their higher power. Some of these ways include:
- Breathing exercises
- Meditation
- Prayer
- Volunteer work
- Spending time outdoors in nature
- Yoga
- Through religious traditions if that is where you find it
Why Spirituality?
People turn to spirituality for different reasons, including:
- Finding a sense of purpose or meaning in life.
- Coping with life, feelings, and stressors they are experiencing.
- Restoring your faith and hope in the world.
- Finding connection with others that follow the same belief and give you a community of support.
Benefits of Practicing Spirituality
There are both physical and mental benefits to practicing spirituality, such as:
- Lowered stress, depression, and anxiety levels.
- Decreased heart rate and hypertension.
- Increased positivity and good emotions in your life.
What Are the 12 Steps?
The 12 steps were first used for alcoholics anonymous (AA) but now they are used to treat other substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health conditions. They are a set of goals written in the Big Book to help you work on your recovery and maintain sobriety. These steps are based on community and giving yourself to a higher power to overcome addiction.
The Twelve Steps
Working The Twelve Steps can help you evaluate your past and present to help you obtain the sober future you want for yourself. These steps give you something to work towards and the tools to work through your treatment. They include:
1. Admitting that you have SUD and that it is negatively affecting your life.
2. Coming to terms that there is a higher power that can help you overcome your addiction.
3. Relinquishing yourself to this higher power so that you can begin your recovery journey.
4. Performing an honest self-evaluation to determine wrongdoings and things that could prevent you from reaching long-term sobriety.
5. Confessing to yourself, your higher power, and others about these wrongdoings so that you can start to make amends to overcome them.
6. Opening yourself up to help from others and your higher power.
7. Leaning on your higher power and others to help you overcome these wrongdoings and shortcomings.
8. Making a list of those that you wronged while under the influence and creating a plan to make amends.
9. Working towards making amends with those on this list, unless it could further hurt you, them, or others.
10. Continuing to perform self-evaluations to ensure you are on the path you want to be on. Also, evaluating the way you are behaving and admitting if it isn’t the right way.
11. Practicing spirituality and stillness to work towards reaching inner peace.
12. Reaching out to others that are struggling with SUD and teaching them about the 12 steps.
Benefits of the 12 Steps
Things that make 12-step programs beneficial include:
- Providing a sense of community and a sober support system to lean on.
- Giving clear goals to reach and ways of achieving them.
- Helping to hold you accountable for your sobriety and working The Twelve Steps.
- Having a support system that is understanding of what you are going through.
- Easily accessible when you are in times of need.
How Do Spirituality and the 12 Steps Go Hand in Hand?
The 12 steps use the idea that a higher power is what you need to lean on to overcome your addiction. Accepting that you are not in control and need help from something more than yourself will lead to your sobriety. This relinquishing of control promotes spirituality through understanding that there is something more at work than just us.
Spero’s Use of Spirituality and the 12 Steps in Their Programs
We are a residential recovery program that uses the 12 steps and spirituality to treat your SUD. Our use of grants and donations allows us to keep our costs below the national average. This helps us be able to provide help to under and uninsured individuals, making us the perfect match for everyone.
Spero Recovery emphasizes meditation, self-evaluation, and community to promote your recovery. We understand that these values and practices can help you discover who you want to be in your new sober life and maintain your sobriety to reach your goals.
Spirituality and the 12 steps go hand in hand. One of the main ideas behind the 12 steps is giving yourself to a higher power to help you overcome your addiction. Spirituality is the belief that there is something more than just us. This higher power doesn’t have to be religious but may have some religious conditions with it. The higher power is there to help you understand your addiction and overcome it. If you feel like you are struggling to find spirituality in your program or need help with your recovery journey, reach out to Spero Recovery at (303) 351-7888 for more information today. We understand your unique challenges and are here to help.
