The 12 step program is an extremely popular and often effective route to seek support or treatment for any number of conditions. There are dozens if not hundreds of different kinds of support group style meetings that follow the 12 step program model today. The 12 step model is for most people easy to follow, and is virtually guaranteed to produce at least some positive effects in your life if you tackle it seriously.

The first, biggest, and most famous 12 step program is of course Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA. AA began in the 1930s when two guys suffering from alcoholism got together and decided they would do whatever they could to assist each other in getting and staying sober. These two guys were Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, often referred to as Bill and Bob, and little did they know the impact their 12 step program would have on the world of the future.

The early 12 step program associated with AA was heavily focused on religion. If you pickup a copy of the AA ‘big book’ (a clear reference to the Bible) you’ll see that it’s filled with religious wording and references to God, the Father. The religion associated with the 12 step program was of course Christianity, and the model itself is loosely based on a Christian fellowship called the Oxford Group.

The Oxford Group emphasized a method involving self-reflection, surrender to God, admission of character defects, and restitution for harm done to others in order to recover from behavioral illnesses including addictions. The method that Bill and Bob put together was largely influenced by the Oxford Group, and would become the same 12 step model followed in 12 step programs today.

12 step programs still therefore usually encourage religion or at least spirituality. For this reason, atheists, agnostics, and non-Christians are often turned off from 12 step programs due to their strong Christian roots. However, most 12 step programs today offer meetings specifically designed for atheist or non-Christian members. Even in the regular meetings, it is rare for there to be any specific denomination emphasized or even mentioned in any religious discussion.

Today there are 12 step programs to help people struggling from addictions of any kind you can imagine, eating disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, as well as many other mental illnesses and traumatic experiences. Tried and tested, the 12 step program is always a good place to start if you are suffering from any of the conditions that there are programs for.