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Trauma and the 12 Steps, Revised and Expanded

An Inclusive Guide to Enhancing Recovery

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
An inclusive, research-based guide to working the 12 steps: a trauma-informed approach for clinicians, sponsors, and those in recovery.
Step 1: You admit that you're powerless over your addiction. Now what?
12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) have helped countless people on the path to recovery. But many still feel that 12-step programs aren't for them: that the spiritual emphasis is too narrow, the modality too old-school, the setting too triggering, or the space too exclusive. Some struggle with an addict label that can eclipse the histories, traumas, and experiences that feed into addiction, or dismisses the effects of adverse experiences like trauma in the first place. Advances in addiction medicine, trauma, neuropsychiatry, social theory, and overall strides in inclusivity need to be integrated into modern-day 12-step programs to reflect the latest research and what it means to live with an addiction today.
Dr. Jamie Marich, an addiction and trauma clinician in recovery herself, builds necessary bridges between the 12-step's core foundations and up-to-date developments in trauma-informed care. Foregrounding the intersections of addiction, trauma, identity, and systems of oppression, Marich's approach treats the whole person—not just the addiction—to foster healing, transformation, and growth.
Written for clinicians, therapists, sponsors, and those in recovery, Marich provides an extensive toolkit of trauma-informed skills that:
  • Explains how trauma impacts addiction, recovery, and relapse
  • Celebrates communities who may feel excluded from the program, like atheists, agnostics, and LGBTQ+ folks
  • Welcomes outside help from the fields of trauma, dissociation, mindfulness, and addiction research
  • Explains the differences between being trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive; and
  • Discusses spiritual abuse as a legitimate form of trauma that can profoundly impede spirituality-based approaches to healing.
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      • Library Journal

        Starred review from July 1, 2020

        The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous have saved many people, and psychologist Marich argues that integrating the treatment of trauma with addiction can save many more. According to the author, the 12 Steps must not only encompass trauma-informed care but also be flexible enough to channel a humanist spirit of acceptance and unconditional positive regard. Marich draws on the basic tenets of the original 12 Steps to identify the basics of trauma, how trauma and addiction comingle, how the Steps help and potentially inadvertently harm, the importance of coping skills, and empirically supported trauma interventions. Jewels of the final chapters include an explanation of how the 12 Steps support racial, sexual, and spiritual minority groups. The writing is direct, relatable, warm, and educated. Toolkit strategies for clinicians are included, as is a hefty by-topic resource list. Emphasized above all, through clinical research, is how an alliance between helper and helpee is the strongest link to healing. VERDICT A must-read for addiction sponsors, mental health professionals, and anyone who has experienced or is struggling with trauma and addiction.--Jennifer M. Schlau, Elgin Community Coll., IL

        Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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    • English

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