Attending 12-Step meetings and following the 12-Step principles is an important component of many professional treatment programs like those at Athens Area Commencement Center. Many of us find that the things we learn in 12-Step meetings inspire us and encourage us to stay the course of our recovery. 12-Step meetings are, for many of us, a lifeline. They are a consistent source of comfort, community, and strength.
Once you’ve successfully completed a treatment program, you might ask yourself whether you should continue attending meetings. Are 12-Step meetings something I should attend for life, or do I no longer need them once I’ve gotten sober?
Staying Committed to Our Recovery With 12-Step Meetings
One of the challenges many of us face after finishing treatment is staying committed to doing the work of recovery. Many of us wrongly assume that once we’ve finished a treatment program, we’re in the clear and our work is done. We want to believe that we’re cured of our addiction because we’ve managed to stay sober for a certain amount of time.
We soon discover that not only are we not cured of our addiction, but we also have to stay vigilant with ourselves in order to stay sober. Choosing to continue attending 12-Step meetings means we acknowledge that we aren’t cured. We humbly admit to ourselves and to others that we still need help. Being brave enough to receive support through 12-Step meetings is a sign that we have the courage to stay sober.
Receiving Guidance From 12-Step Meetings
Many of us, both before and after treatment, simply don’t know where to start. Addiction is a complex and multifaceted thing, and so is recovery. How do we know what we should be working on? Where do we even begin? The 12-Step principles give us a framework that can help guide our recovery work. We can use 12-Step programs to guide how to do that work and where to begin.
Continuing Our Ongoing Recovery With 12-Step Meetings
For those of us who have finished an addiction treatment program like those at Athens Area Commencement Center, that program represents the longest period of time we’ve ever gone without using our drug of choice since first starting to use it. We feel so relieved and proud of ourselves that we were able to finish a program and stay sober the entire time successfully. While this is a major accomplishment and one we should be very proud of ourselves for, our work is not finished.
In fact, our work in recovery is never finished. Recovery is a lifelong journey. Healing from addiction involves a lifetime of getting to know ourselves more deeply. Sobriety is not just completing a treatment program. It is an in-depth process of learning who we are and discovering who we want to be.
The Safety and Support of 12-Step Meetings
12-Step meetings allow us to continue along this road of self-exploration with the support that we need. Facing everything that comes up for us in recovery is daunting. Learning to understand ourselves better can be overwhelming. Trying to do it alone can be too emotionally taxing for us. The support and encouragement of 12-Step programs can help us feel safer and less alone as we do this important work.
As we’re recovering from addiction, we’re processing entire chapters of our lives and difficult, traumatic experiences that we may never have been able to face before. We’re analyzing the ways in which our self-destructive habits, family patterns, and coping mechanisms have been harming us. We unearth all the underlying issues that have been fueling our addictions from the very beginning. 12-Step meetings give us a safe space to go inwards and do the work to heal ourselves.
In our 12-Step meetings, we’re not only sharing our own stories, which is empowering in and of itself. We’re also learning from other people’s stories. The inspiration and encouragement that come from learning from other people are powerful. Once we’ve finished a treatment program, 12-Step meetings can provide ongoing community, a support network, and much-needed friendship.
Taking Responsibility for Our Healing With 12-Step Meetings
Continuing to attend 12-Step meetings even after finishing treatment means we’re taking responsibility for our recovery. We’re examining our life patterns and beginning new chapters for ourselves. By taking personal inventory of ourselves, we’re learning how to make healthier decisions. Staying involved in 12-Step programs even after treatment means we’re staying committed to our healing journey.
Learning Relapse Prevention With 12-Step Meetings
We learn that recovery is not a quick fix. We’re not “cured” of the disease of addiction once we’ve gotten sober. Because we may always have a vulnerability to addiction, we need to stay vigilant. We can stay vigilant with ourselves and committed to our recovery by learning to identify triggers and manage addictive urges.
Relapse prevention education is an incredibly important part of 12-Step meetings. 12-Step attendance has been associated with reduced rates of subsequent substance use. Continuing the work after finishing a treatment program means holding ourselves accountable. In 12-Step groups, we hold ourselves accountable to our support group, the steps, our goal of sobriety, and most importantly, ourselves.
There are many wonderful recovery tools we can benefit from long after treatment ends, and 12-Step meetings are among the most helpful. 12-Step meetings give us a safe space to reflect on ourselves, our addictions, and our lives. We receive the encouragement and support of our group, along with the guidance of the steps. By following the steps and being in community with others as we do so, we have a way of holding ourselves accountable, both to the group and to the healing process. In being committed to the program, we take responsibility for our recovery and hold ourselves accountable to ourselves. Call Athens Area Commencement Center at (706) 546-7355 for more information on how we can help.