To understand what a non 12 step rehab program is, it is first important to understand the 12 step rehab program. The traditional 12 step rehabilitation program was pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the 1930’s. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and other similar 12 step programs followed later. The foundation of these programs is that addiction is a disease that the individual must struggle with for the rest of his or her life. These social treatment programs rely on counseling, peer support, and mentorship to treat addiction. Unfortunately, these programs do not address both the physical and mental dependencies to get at the root cause of a person’s addictive behavior.

How is non 12 step rehab different?
Fortunately, non 12 step rehabilitation programs can and do address both the physical and mental dependency components of addiction. In a non 12 step rehab program, medical and rehabilitative specialists are able to determine the underlying cause of a person’s dependency. This enables a person struggling with addiction to make a complete and sustainable recovery. Unlike the traditional 12 step program which labels an individual as an addict with a disease they must fight against for the rest of his or her life, the non 12 step program provides the tools for a complete recovery, making addiction a thing of the past. Non 12 step programs identify drug and alcohol addiction not as diseases but rather as resolvable situations. A non 12 step program allows an individual to move forward in life without the shadows of alcoholism always looming in the background.

A holistic and integrated approach
Non 12 step rehab programs use new advances in medical technology to determine the root cause or causes of an individual’s addiction. New medical techniques used by non 12 step programs may include brain scans, brain mapping, neuro and biofeedback, biophysical rehabilitation, and other advanced technologies. Medical and rehabilitative specialists combine medical treatment and therapeutic counseling to address the body’s systems and functions to determine and treat a patient’s unique underlying cause or causes of addiction.

If detoxification is necessary (a detoxification process is not necessary for all patients), medically managed biophysical detoxification can help remove toxins stored in the fatty tissues of the body and reduce withdrawal symptoms. Once detoxification is complete, biophysical rehabilitation and neuroscience technology become an important part of the non 12 step rehab program. Addressing the body as a whole and with an integrated approach to treat the physical, emotional, and neurological systems, helps to provide an individual with the tools necessary for a complete and sustainable recovery. A traditional 12 step program does not address all of these issues; thus, the threat of relapse remains constant in a person’s life.

The holistic approach used in non 12 step programs ensures that the individual gains a comprehensive view of how he or she fell victim to addiction and exactly how the addiction has impacted the quality of his or her life.