12 step recovery programs can be very effective in the fight against addiction. Based on the original principles founded by Alcoholics Anonymous, some modern day programs may make slight adaptations, but the principles stand firm. The methods to treat alcoholism was discovered by the founding pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous are useful in treating different addictions. In this series we look at the 12 steps one by one. Step 11 helps the recovering addict live a life free from the addiction that once overpowered them.
Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out
Step 11 encourages self-reflection and meditation. It encourages the recovering addict to plan each day ahead and take time throughout the day to reflect meditate and use inner strength came from faith in a higher force. By step 11 a follower of the 12 step program should be more open to spiritual influences and have a greater degree of spirituality in their lives. Constant inventory of oneself and a better sense of self-awareness , restore some sanity and faith, and it is this spirituality that will help bring serenity and peace to an addict’s life. 12 step programs have a stronger spiritual angle than some rehabilitation programmes. Even those who do not regard themselves as religious or having a “spiritual side” can still complete the 12 step programme successfully. The key phrase is “God as we understood him.” This may not be God traditional religious sense or a comparable deity but may be nature, or the universe itself.
As the recovering addict accepts that their God, of their own understanding, has a higher plan for their life (which is obviously better than drinking and addiction,) a new sense of freedom may be found.
Step 11 is not just a step to be “worked through.” Step 11 is a principle that a follower of the 12 step program will carry forward into everyday life to remain sober and free from addiction.
