Why 12 Step Recovery Works

I heard a really interesting lecture the other day on the "scientific" reasons the 12 step programs help people with alcoholism and drug addiction. I wanted to share it because I think it’s powerful stuff, and recently I saw an op ed in the Washington Post that essentially dissed 12 step programs as ineffective.

My first response when people say, "If it’s so great, why do people relapse?" is – so what. People get cancer and have reoccurrences, some cancers only have a 20% or less cure rate. Do we stop treating cancer? No, we save the people we can.  Some people with diabetes learn to control their blood sugar, some don’t – it’s both biological and behavioral, very similar to addiction. Does that mean that treatment failed? Or that treatment only works for some people, in particular those willing to change their behavior sufficiently to get real results?

Anyhow…there were two aspects of the lecture that caught my attention. The first was how the steps and staying in a day at a time are effective because they help with a major issue in alcoholics: memory deficits.  I was a little freaked out – sheesh, does that explain why I have such a crappy memory. Apparently, yes.  Alcohol damages the memory, and it’s long term. You might not  end up a pudding head, but you are likely going to forget things. One area where the deficit is pronounced is in what is called "prospective memory" -which is essentially, remembering to remember – or remembering to do something you planned to do.   With the structure of the 12 steps and such repeated mantras as one day at a time, 90 meetings in 90 days, call your sponsor – it’s a lot harder to forget what you need to do that day.  The steps are a progression – do this first, then this, now do this. It’s perfect for the person who has trouble remembering what they’re supposed to do next.

The second aspect is something called altruism. There have been some studies showing active addiction decreases altruism. Essentially, when you’re using you’re self-centered. Oh yes. We know that!

So the service aspect of the program fixes that issue too – by asking people to give back, and making it a central part of recovery, recovering people rebulid their ability to be empathetic and altruistic, essential elements for healthy relationships.