Twelve Secular Steps: An Addiction Recovery Guide

The first crisis is an honest admission that my addiction is real, and it’s out of control. The next crisis then hits: What am I going to do about it? One solution is to use the support and experience of fellow addicts and alcoholics who have successfully recovered in 12 Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet the traditional Steps and approved literature may prove problematic, for they have seen little evolution since their evangelical origins in the 1930s. This guide features adaptations grounded in a science-based understanding of both addiction and the recovery process. The best indicator of success is not how confidently we proclaim “God will do this” or “I got this”. The best indicator is the willingness to show up and actively work on recovery with a “little help from my friends”.