Program

Rigorous 12 step work big book style has an empirical track record of success. What does true success mean? One day at a time staying sober the rest of ones life. This also means living relatively happy with zero cravings or triggers and having the promises. However cognitive behavioral therapy(cbt) and (dbt) dialectical behavioral therapy is  revolutionizing the psychotherapy and addiction recovery field as we know it. Mind Body Spirit MBS practice is used for all levels of recovery anxiety,ptsd, trauma etc Eastern holistic approach has also enhanced the quality of life for countless individuals and its still in its incipient stages. We are creatures of habitual thinking, behavioral patterns etc This means that Mind Body Spirit practice will enhance the probability of ones mind actually getting rewired over time through countless repetition. Cognitive behavioral therapy doesn't dispute ones feelings but rather helps us deal with our negative thoughts. Acupuncture, psychotherapy, massage therapy, yoga, chiropractic care, staying in the moment type mindfulness practice is much better then giving one a lobotomy like they did not that long ago for people that were chronic alcoholics and drug addicts. If that didn't work they just locked you away in the insane asylum and  threw away the key. That is not much different then being in and out of prison ones entire adult life. However being an active alcoholic and drug addict  is like living in your own private kind of hell so its really not that much different then actually being in prison. You can be abstinent but still be very miserable if one isn't rigorously practicing the 12 step principles and utilizing MBS techniques..Dbt and cbt therapy is not much different then practicing the 12 steps but keep in mind most sponsors are not trained psychotherapists. That is why rehabs are now implementing MBS programs like never before. Combining the 12 steps with MBS techniques is  almost bullet proof therefore increasing the chances of ones recovery substantially. The reason that there is such a high relapse rate is because many people don't follow up with  a hard core daily program once they get out of rehab. It is also important to note that relapse doesn't really mean relapse for most it only means reverting back to old behavior after a period of brief abstinence. For example I relapsed after 21 years of abstinence however I had only 15 years of solid sobriety therefore almost guarantying that I would use again. Somebody has to be sober in order to relapse. This means that for 12 years I never relapsed I just intermittently used drugs in between stints in rehab and jail. There is a huge difference between being sober and dry. Without a daily recovery program chances are quite small one will make it long term. Its one day at a time, its cunning baffling and powerful and it is killing a lot of people. It also has the capacity to give one the promises where ones past will then become their greatest asset. The reason why psychotherapy alone is not as effective as the 12 step program is because success in the program means getting out of self and giving back to others through service work and sponsorship.