Applying the 12 Steps to Drug and Alcohol Recovery:

For those who have painstakingly watched loved ones become addicted to drugs and alcohol, you know all too well how long and difficult the drug and alcohol recovery process can be. Many people who are suffering from drug and alcohol addictions will often be in denial- thinking that everything is fine and they don't have a problem. Still, others take on the attitude that they are tough and don't need anyone's help. After all, “help” to them is a sign of weakness. This is where the 12-step approach comes into play.

At the Mark Houston Recovery Center, residents will have a completely different experience in either their 30-day recovery program or in the 90-day recovery program. You see, while most chemical dependency treatment centers dole out literature and talk about the 12 Steps, rarely does the resident ever WORK on all of the 12 steps! At the Mark Houston Recovery Center, all of our staff members have extensive first-hand experience and training in working the Steps and are therefore able to transmit that experience. Mark Houston Recovery residents will be exposed to 12 Step meetings seven days a week. Below are just a few examples of some of the steps that residents will work with:

• The 8th Step- Involves making a list of all the people you have harmed while being addicted to drugs and alcohol
• The 9th Step- Is a continuation of the 8th Step in which you are forced to confront those they have harmed & apologize.
• The 10th Step- Involves evaluating yourself on a daily basis to ensure healthy, long lasting drug-free development

The Best Relapse Prevention Set of Tools

While completing the 12 Steps is a great tool for drug and alcohol relapse prevention, residents will also be taught numerous life skills and practices crucial to their recovery such as: career and goal setting, organizational skills, nutrition, physical exercise, meditation, impulse control, communication skills, giving back to the community as well as spiritual laws that impact the way they have been living their lives versus the way that they want to live their lives in the future.

While attending a drug and alcohol treatment center may drug and alcohol abuse from a more medical standpoint, drug and alcohol relapse prevention is an exercise in self discipline that requires the application of specific, learned behaviors and techniques. At Mark Houston Recovery, we believe that the constant practice of the 12 Steps as well as the practice of other relapse prevention techniques on a daily basis is the key to permanent recovery from drugs and alcohol. Lack of time to practice these disciplines in a safe and controlled environment is often the reason why so many residents who complete a drug and alcohol rehab program will eventually relapse. Mark Houston Recovery wants residents and family members to be able to identify the warning signs or triggers for drug and alcohol relapse. Steer clear of tempting environments that will lure you back into a life of drug and alcohol abuse; and lastly, accept help from others. Overcoming drug and alcohol addiction is not something that you can or should do alone. The staff at Mark Houston Recovery is available, ready and willing to help you reclaim your life. Contact us at 1.866.905.4550 today.