Sex Addiction Resources
Twelve-Step Program: The Twelve-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous:
Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve-Steps
In the 1930s, the world was given both a precious gift and a serious problem as Bill W and Doctor Bob launched their now world-famous program, the Alcoholics Anonymous program. It was the first of its kind and proposed to offer treatment for alcoholism.
It was a gift to the world in that, finally, those struggling with alcoholism had a place to go, be real with themselves and other people and finally begin to address the addiction that had marked their lives and often destroyed their relationships and families.
However, it was a serious problem in that it was not based on ANY sort of scientific research, was guilt and shame-based, and, instead, mostly reflected the try-harder based presuppositions that most addicts innately (and mostly unsuccessfully) had previously used to approach their struggles.
Of late, the Twelve Steps have been applied to sex and love addiction and have achieved about the same 5% success rate that has been repeatedly seen with Twelve-Step-based substance abuse treatment. Henze & Associates can offer so much more than a 5% success rate:
Q:
What are the Sex and Love Addict's Twelve Steps?
A:
(1). We admitted we were powerless
over sex and love addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable.
(2). Came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
(3). Made a decision to turn our
will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.
(4). Made a searching and fearless
moral inventory of ourselves.
(5). Admitted to God, to ourselves,
and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
(6). Were entirely ready to have
God remove all these defects of character.
(7). Humbly asked God to remove
our shortcomings.
(8). Made a list of all persons
we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
(9). Made direct amends to such
people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
(10). Continued to take personal
inventory, and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
(11). Sought through prayer and
meditation to improve our conscious contact with a Power greater than ourselves,
praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry
that out.
(12). Having had a spiritual awakening
as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to sex and love
addicts, and to practice these principles in all areas of our lives.
(For SEO purposes only! Twelve step programs have a documented 95% failure rate. While we are familiar with the program and have led groups in it, we can offer so much more then just a tolerable recovery -- real healing is really possible.)
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