Maintenance -- The Tenth Step

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The 10th Step of the 12 Step program is to "continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admit it." This step is the first of the maintenance steps - by the time you get to Step 10, you should be well on your way to recovery, ready to really begin getting on with your life free of addiction and truly empowered. Of course, this step is very important. While Steps 1-9 are about admitting to addiction, developing a relationship with a Higher Power, taking an inventory of ourselves and making amends to others - concrete, very important steps - Step 10 allows us to begin evaluating ourselves on a day to day basis. Lasting and empowering recovery requires ongoing, continual growth, and the 10th Step is one of the best ways to ensure that we continue to develop. At Mark Houston Recovery, our residents spend the first two months working the first 9 Steps, and approach Steps 10-12 in the third month of treatment. Other treatment programs don't allow enough time to fully take on all the steps, but with our longer length of stay, we feel that this allows our residents enough time to more thoroughly get to these maintenance steps and truly have the framework in place to begin a life of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

Approaching the 10th Step

Step 10 allows us to embark on a continuing self-evaluation that can help us better understand our true selves. This will eventually lead to serenity and balance as we become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The 10th Step can be approached in a number of ways. Some people write things down, by recording the day's events in the evening or in the morning while organizing their day. Others are able to take personal inventory by training themselves to track their mood and how it corresponds to their current activities, which some call maintaining a witness within. No matter how you approach the 10th Step, a crucial component is that this inventory shouldn't be totally negative. We should keep track of what we do well along with the mistakes we make. We shouldn't wallow in what we've done wrong, but take a honest, complete look at ourselves to see what's good about us as well as what needs to be changed. Step 10 is a concrete and practical way to keep on track every day, and when we approach it properly, we can begin to learn to live happier lives as we continue on our path to sobriety.

Step 10 at Mark Houston Recovery

The 10th Step can seem like a challenge, but by continuing to take this moral inventory of ourselves and admitting our shortcomings, we are better able to understand ourselves and our battle with addiction. At Mark Houston Recovery, we combine working the 12 Steps with learning and practicing key life skills, and also developing a better spiritual awareness and relationship with our Higher Power. Step 10 is a key step on the road to recovery, and with the completion of the 12 Steps in our program, residents can overcome their addiction and begin a life free from substance abuse issues.