12-Step programme

Breaking free from addiction’s relentless grasp requires more than just willpower. In order to overcome your compulsions, you need a structured, methodical approach to recovery. The 12-step programme is a step-by-step addiction recovery process and is embraced by millions as a proven and effective treatment that promises lasting transformation.

Oasis Runcorn offers the 12-step programme as part of our extensive rehabilitation plan. If you are struggling to escape from the clutches of addiction, our team can help you find wellness.

What are the 12 steps to recovery?

The 12-step programme provides a structured framework for those seeking recovery from addiction. Each step serves as a guidepost on the journey toward healing and personal growth. The 12 steps include:

• Admitting powerlessness: Acknowledge that addiction has become unmanageable and recognise the need for help.
• Embracing hope: Believe in the possibility of a higher power or a force beyond oneself that can restore sanity and provide guidance. Your higher power can be anything that resonates with you – nature, the universe, God, humanity or anything else. This is something that has greater power and control than you do.
• Surrendering to a higher power: Willingly turn your will and life over to the care of a higher power, acknowledging personal limitations.
• Taking a moral inventory: Conduct an honest and thorough self-examination, identifying patterns of behaviour, character defects and underlying emotions.
• Sharing with another: Confide in a trusted person, sponsor or support group, sharing the exact nature of your wrongs and taking responsibility for your actions.
• Being ready for change: Cultivate a willingness to let go of character defects, unhealthy behaviours and negative patterns of thinking.
• Seeking humility and spiritual growth: Humbly ask a higher power to remove shortcomings and transform your inner self.
• Making amends: Make a list of individuals harmed through your addiction and be willing to make direct amends wherever possible.
• Making direct amends: Courageously make amends to those harmed, except when it would cause further harm, being mindful of others’ well-being.
• Continuing personal inventory: Engage in ongoing self-reflection, promptly admitting and addressing mistakes and making amends when necessary.
• Seeking conscious contact: Practice prayer, meditation, journalling or other spiritual practices to deepen the connection with a higher power, seeking guidance and serenity.
• Carrying the message: Share the experience, strength and hope gained in recovery with others, offering support and guidance, and living a life of service.

How does the 12-step programme work?

The 12-step programme operates on the principle of mutual support, fellowship and personal accountability. It provides a framework for you to confront your addiction, develop coping mechanisms and rebuild from the ground up.

The 12 steps work by encouraging you to change the way you think, allowing you to practise honesty, humility and acceptance. By fully embracing the 12 steps, you will have the opportunity to self-reflect and develop an insight into unhealthy behaviour patterns, in turn taking proactive steps to elicit positive change.

The 12-step programme emphasises the importance of service to others as a way to strengthen your own recovery. Through the sharing of experiences and supporting fellow participants, you can deepen your own commitment to sobriety and reinforce a sense of accountability. This also establishes a strong bond between a community of like-minded individuals, giving you a non-judgmental space to turn to when you need support, both during rehab and as part of aftercare.

What will I gain from the 12-step programme?

Engaging in a 12-step programme as part of your rehab journey can produce a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond simply overcoming addiction. Through a 12-step programme, you can gain:

• A solid foundation for lasting addiction recovery
• A supportive community with others who understand your struggles
• A welcoming and empathetic environment that promotes healing
• A heightened sense of self-awareness that facilitates personal growth
• The ability to identify underlying issues and develop coping skills to manage them
• The ability to navigate life’s challenges without resorting to harmful behaviours
• An enhanced resilience and improved mental well-being
• The opportunity to make amends and rebuild fractured relationships
• A deeper sense of inner peace and tranquillity
• The opportunity to rediscover your passions, values and personal aspirations

As well as the above benefits, the 12-step programme promotes continuous learning and development. It recognises that recovery is a lifelong journey and encourages you to remain open to insights, continually assess your current state and evolve into the person you want to be.

Does the 12-step programme work?

The effectiveness of the 12-step programme in addiction recovery has been widely studied, with positive outcomes for millions of individuals across the globe. However, it’s important to recognise that recovery is a deeply personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another.

If the 12-step programme is not working for you, we also offer the strengths programme – an eight-stage approach that allows you to map your progress in the early stages of recovery. Oasis Runcorn offers this and the 12-step programme alongside a wide range of proven rehab therapies and holistic activities. Some of these include:

• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
• Family therapy
• Mindfulness-based therapy
• Relapse prevention
• Yoga and meditation
• Art therapy
• Sound therapy

Ultimately, the key to success lies in finding what resonates with you as an individual. It may involve exploring multiple paths and treatment modalities to discover the combination that best suits your needs. What matters most is your commitment to your own recovery, your willingness to seek support and your openness to personal growth and transformation.

If you are ready to begin the 12 steps and would like to enrol into our addiction rehab programme, contact our dedicated team today.

Frequently asked questions