Addiction Rehabilitation: The Big Book

1808 Words4 Pages

The point of a rehabilitation center for addicts is it is a place for people who are struggling with substance abuse can go to for help. Substance abuse addiction is a growing problem in the United States and causes many problems socially and economically. The words “alcoholic” or “drug addict” carry a negative connotation. An alcoholic is not considered a role model for kids. But, what can be said about the programs and processes in place that are supposed to help addicts? Through my research, I have examined the current addiction rehabilitation centers, and I believe there needs to be a restructuring of the existing strategies used to help addicts.
The majority of addiction rehabilitation centers are based off of a twelve-step program. A twelve-step program is a set of twelve guiding principals to help people recover from addiction. “The first 12-step program began with alcoholic anonymous in the 1930s…” (12step.org). Alcoholic Anonymous is a self–help group led by men and women who have the desire to stop drinking. The twelve steps used in A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) can be found in The Big Book, which is the governing book used in all A.A. meetings, and has been revised for drug addicts.
The twelve steps of A.A. are:
• “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
• Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
• Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
• Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
• Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
• Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
• Humbly asked Him ...

... middle of paper ...

...ns 15.4 (2009): 413-415. PsychINFO. Web. 2 Mar. 2014
Brennan, Tom. Personal Interview. 22 Mar. 2014
Chenhall, Richard. “What’s in a rehab?” Anthropology & Medicine 15.2 (2008): 105-116.
Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection. Web. 2 Mar. 2014
Dos Santos Canabarro, Rita de Cassía, de Leão D’Agord, and Marta Regina. Drug
Addiction and Social Discourses. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicopatologia Fundamental 15.3 (2012): 482-296. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Mar. 2014
Fletcher, Anne M. “Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment- and How To Get Help That Works.” New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.
Foucault, Michael. The Archaeology of Knowledge and The Discourse on Language.
Great Britain: Tavistock Publications Unlimited, 1972. Print.
McCoy, Chris. Personal Interview. 23 Jan 2014.
The 12 Steps. 12Step. 12Step, 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Open Document