12-Step Program

After my live, I have had several questions about the 12 steps.

As I said on the live, no matter what program you attend, all 12 step programs have the same basic ideas.

I attended ARP (Addiction Recovery Program).

This is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

However, it is not a requirement to be religious to attend.

It follows the same protocol as an AA or an NA program.

The 12 steps are:

Step 1

Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable. (This step was easy-peasy for me)

Step 2

Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.(Again, easy for me)

Step 3

Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. (Okay! I mean, I clearly need some serious help here!)

Step 4

Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself. (This is where I broke. This is intense. You make a personal autobiography of every single thing you remember from the earliest age that you remember. This is where I discovered abuse and neglect in my childhood. That was verified by family members. This was where I didn't want to continue recovery. I wanted to quit everything. Obviously, I didn't. But, for me, this was the very hardest step)

Step 5

Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs. (This is a repentance step. If you aren't ready to do this, then work with it. Don't ignore it or skip this step. Feel all the feels and work with it, not against it)

Step 6

Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses. (For me, this step is about being willing to have help. It's that simple.)

Step 7

Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings. (You can definitely combine steps 5-7. It's all the same idea.)

Step 8

Make a written list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make restitution to them. (This was very important to me. I had already started doing this long before I got to this step. However, this is considered one of the hardest steps there is. Many people quit here. Don't quit. Just be genuine. People may or may not accept the apology. That's on them. Not you.)

Step 9

Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed. (This is completely aligned with step 8. This is just saying that accountability is greater when you do it in person)

Step 10

Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong promptly admit it. (This is where it is extremely to have a strong sponsor/kitchen cabinet person. You need to have someone in your life who loves you enough to be honest with you and tell you when you're going off the path)

Step 11

Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will and to have the power to carry it out. (Meditation is imperative. Learn how you best pray. You really just need to talk to God, or the Universe. Learn how to hear. Learn how to feel.)

Step 12

Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all you do. (Share. You are not the only addict, People. Share. And share some more.)