While 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are what people often think about when they think about rehab and recovery, there are other options.
Non-12-step rehabs in Aurora, CO, offer some alternatives.
Is there a need for non 12 step treatment in Aurora, CO?
In a word, yes. Heroin accounted for 4.1 deaths per 100,000 people in Colorado in 2016. This was more than four times the number (0.9) in 2000, just a few years earlier.
Another opioid drug, fentanyl, killed 0.9 per 100,000 Coloradans in 2016 and 0.1 per 100,000 in 1999. As with other regions of the United States, prescription opioids are also a problem in the state.
Overall in 2016, drugs killed 16.1 of every 100,000 people in Colorado, prompting the need for non-12-step recovery programs in Aurora, CO, and other treatment and recovery options.
Why do non-twelve-step treatment programs in Aurora, CO, exist?
Many rehab centers encourage their clients to attend meetings affiliated with 12-step programs. These programs ask participants to progress through—or “work”—a dozen steps.
The steps urge people to admit that they’re powerless to drugs or alcohol, submit to a higher power, and ask for forgiveness.
Some people might be uncomfortable with these steps and feel more at home in non-12-step rehab programs in Aurora, CO.
They may not want to follow the spiritual aspects of these steps. They may believe that they’re not powerless to alcohol and drugs but instead have the power to change.
Non-12-step treatment centers in Aurora, CO, recognize that different people want and need different ways to fight substance use disorder and addiction.
What are some options for non-12-step treatment in Aurora, CO?
The best non-12-step rehab programs in Aurora, CO, offer a plethora of choices. Some rehab clients might not want to participate in the meetings of 12-step programs offered by organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous (AA or NA).
Clients can still attend meetings of other organizations, though. Some organizations that offer non AA rehab in Aurora, CO, include:
SMART Recovery
While organizations such as AA ask people to surrender to spiritual forces, SMART Recovery requires participants to actively participate in their recoveries.
Its four-point program asks participants to:
- Create and maintain the motivation to make changes in their lives.
- Address their urges to use drugs or alcohol.
- Handle their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors without using addictive behaviors.
- Live in ways that are positive and balanced.
SMART Recovery meetings and literature might be part of a non-12-step recovery program in Aurora, CO. The organization also offers in-person and online assistance for people outside of treatment facilities.
LifeRing Secular Sobriety
Another nonspiritual option at some non-12-step drug rehabs in Aurora, CO, is the LifeRing Secular Sobriety program.
It operates on three principles it calls its Three S philosophy:
- Sobriety
- Secularity
- Self-help
LifeRing Secular Sobriety separates people into a Sober Self and Addict Self. It works to encourage and strengthen the Sober Self so that the Addict Self doesn’t control people’s decisions and lead them to use substances again.
Women for Sobriety
The 12 steps of 12-step groups state that people are powerless to their addictions and should ask for forgiveness. Meanwhile, Women for Sobriety promotes a series of 13 acceptance statements that empower participants.
This empowerment begins with the organization’s first acceptance statement:
“I have a life-threatening problem that once had me.
I now take charge of my life and my well-being. I accept the responsibility.”
Non-12-step alcohol rehabs in Aurora, CO, that offer Women for Sobriety and other programs might offer them along with 12-step options, reinforcing the idea that there are different ways to become and stay sober.
How is non-12-step rehab in Aurora, CO, similar to other approaches to sobriety?
Although there are differences between 12-step programs and non-12-step rehab centers in Aurora, CO, they still share some characteristics.
For one, people might undergo detox (detoxification) procedures before they undergo non-12-step alcohol rehab in Aurora, CO. These procedures remove alcohol and drugs from the body. When people detox procedures in rehab centers, they might be safer and more comfortable because they’ll have access to medical professionals and possibly medications.
Therapy is also a typical component of non-12-step drug rehab in Aurora, CO. Substance use disorder and addiction are mental as well as physical, so therapy (group, individual, and family) addresses the mental aspects of those conditions.
When rehab centers provide assistance after their clients leave, it’s called aftercare, and it’s also a vital component of non-12-step recovery in Aurora, CO. It can be challenging to transition from life in a treatment center to everyday life, so centers might check in with former clients, arrange therapy appointments, or find 12-step or non-12-step support groups for them to join.
Non-12-step assistance is proof that there is no one way to rehab from drug or alcohol addiction.
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Medical disclaimer:
Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.
Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.