Non-12-Step Treatment in Huntington Beach, CA
Through different approaches and programs, the non-12-step treatment encourages participants to take responsibility for their substance abuse and addiction and states that people have the power to overcome their problems with drugs or alcohol.
While 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are what people often think about when they think about rehab and recovery, there are other options.
Non-12-step rehabs in Huntington Beach, CA, offer some alternatives.
Why do non-twelve-step treatment programs in Huntington Beach, CA, exist?
Many rehab centers encourage their clients to attend meetings affiliated with 12-step programs. These programs ask participants to progress through—or “work”—the 12 steps.
The steps urge people to admit that they’re powerless to drugs or alcohol, submit to a higher power, and ask for forgiveness.
Some people might be uncomfortable with these steps and feel more at home in non-12-step rehab programs.
They may not want to follow the spiritual aspects of these steps. They may believe that they’re not powerless against alcohol and drugs but instead have the power to change.
Non-12-step treatment centers in Huntington Beach, CA, recognize that different people want and need different ways to recover from substance abuse and addiction.
What’s the Difference Between 12-Step vs. Non-12-Step Programs?
- Twelve-Step programs tend to have a spiritual outlook on recovery. The 12 Steps list “God” as a higher power to help you achieve abstinence from all mind-altering substances, and they follow a set of “traditions” that are outlined in the Big Book of AA.
- Twelve-step programs require you to admit that you are powerless over your addiction. Alcoholics and addicts are seen as having no control over their use and will always be addicts whether they are sober or not.
- Twelve-step programs operate on the basis that addicts have moral defects. These must be admitted and rectified in the recovery process.
- Non-12-Step programs tend to revolve around the pursuit of knowledge and self-reliance. These programs foster empowerment through encouragement and education.
- Non-12-Step programs may change their approach according to scientific research. Unlike 12-Step programs, which follow a consistent approach, non-12-Step programs are also constantly evolving to adapt to new addiction research.
What are some options for non-12-step treatment in Huntington Beach, CA?
The best non-12-step rehab programs in Huntington Beach, CA, offer many alternatives. Some rehab clients might not want to participate in the meetings of 12-step programs offered by organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.
Clients can still attend meetings of other organizations, though. Some organizations that offer a non-AA approach in Huntington Beach, CA, include:
SMART Recovery
While organizations such as AA ask people to surrender to spiritual forces, SMART Recovery requires participants to actively participate in their recoveries.
Its four-point program asks participants to:
- Create and maintain the motivation to make changes in their lives.
- Address their urges to use drugs or alcohol.
- Handle their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors without using addictive behaviors.
- Live in ways that are positive and balanced.
SMART Recovery meetings and literature might be part of a non-12-step recovery program in Huntington Beach, CA. The organization also offers in-person and online assistance for people outside of treatment facilities.
Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)
Much like SMART Recovery, this program values ongoing scientific research on addiction and doesn’t subscribe to just one theory of addiction
LifeRing Secular Recovery
This program offers support and encouragement for members through empowerment and sharing of experiences. Members discover which strategies work best for them and continue to develop and refine them throughout recovery.
Women for Sobriety
A nonprofit organization that helps women achieve sobriety through a 13-statement program focused on positivity and growth.
Are There Non-12-Step Programs for Families of Addicts?
SMART Recovery Family & Friends is designed to help those affected by the substance addiction of loved ones. Just as SMART Recovery uses research and empowerment for recovering addicts, the Family & Friends approach is science-based and uses tools from the CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) approach, created by Dr. Robert Meyers.
Family & Friends have both in-person meetings and online support meetings.
