The 16 Steps: An Alternative to 12-Step Programs

Reflected in the 12-Step philosophy is a belief that people who aren’t aligned with the Steps don’t have the willingness to go to any lengths to recover. Often, they feel that they have been labelled resistant or ungrateful.

While programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous help millions of people achieve and maintain recovery all over the world, I question whether these programs are appropriate for all people. Often, people have difficulty with what they refer to as the “God-thing,” sometimes stemming from family-of-origin experiences with religion that felt shameful for them. For others, it’s the patriarchal/hierarchical wording of such phrases as “His will for us” and “God as we understood Him.” Still others don’t appreciate being encouraged to explore their “shortcomings” and “defects of character,” nor are they in alignment with the concept of being “powerless” over anything in their lives, including their addiction.

Most people with substance misuse problems have already experienced an inordinate amount of shame and guilt. They need to be encouraged to find what works for them.

Thankfully, there is an alternative that often works better for many people, in particular, for women, people of colour, people living in poverty, the LGTBQ+ community, as well as those who do not subscribe to a Christian-based spirituality: The 16 Steps for Discovery and Empowerment, based on the work of Charlotte Kasl, Ph.D.

These steps are better able to encourage self-awareness and positive change without having to ascribe to any particular model of living. They are experienced by many people as inclusive and empowering and perceived as supporting us in developing an internal locus of control, as opposed to reliance solely on a patriarchal or external version of a higher power. They are interpreted by many people as spiritual as opposed to religious.

The 16 Steps are as follows:

1. We affirm we have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on substances or other people for our self-esteem and security.
2. We come to believe that God / the Goddess / Universe / Great Spirit / Higher Power awakens the healing wisdom within us when we open ourselves to that power.
3. We make a decision to become our authentic Selves and trust in the healing power of the truth.
4. We examine our beliefs, addictions and dependent behaviour in the context of living in a hierarchical, patriarchal culture.
5. We share with another person and the Universe all those things inside of us for which we feel shame and guilt.
6. We affirm and enjoy our strength, talents and creativity, striving not to hide these qualities to protect others’ egos.
7. We become willing to let go of shame, guilt, and any behaviour that keeps us from loving ourselves and others.
8. We make a list of people we have harmed and people who have harmed us and take steps to clear out negative energy by making amends and sharing our grievances in a respectful way.
9. We express love and gratitude to others, and increasingly appreciate the wonder of life and the blessings we do have.
10. We continue to trust our reality and daily affirm that we see what we see, we know what we know, and we feel what we feel.
11. We promptly acknowledge our mistakes and make amends when appropriate, but we do not cover up, analyze, or take responsibility for the shortcomings of others.
12. We seek out situations, jobs and people that affirm our intelligence, perceptions and self-worth, and avoid situations or people who are hurtful, harmful or demeaning to us.
13. We take steps to heal our physical bodies, organize our lives, reduce stress and have fun.
14. We seek to find our inward calling and develop the will and wisdom to follow it.
15. We accept the ups and downs of life as natural events that can be used as lessons for our growth.
16. We grow in awareness that we are interrelated with all living things, and we contribute to restoring peace and balance on the planet.

It’s easy to see the differences between the 12 Steps and the 16 Steps. For example, Step One of the 12 Steps tells us that we are “powerless” over our addiction and that our lives have reached the point of being “unmanageable.” Conversely, Step One of the 16 Steps assures us that we can take control of our lives and that we don’t have to depend on or rely on anything external to feel better about ourselves.

Step Two of the 16 Steps talks about the “healing wisdom” we all have inside of us and our choice to open ourselves to it. A stark contrast to Step Two of the 12-Step program that says we must rely on an external higher force to “restore us to sanity,” which implies that we are insane before we agree to do this.

Many people begin to feel a spark of hope that perhaps there is a program for them when they read the 16 Steps for Discovery and Empowerment.

These Steps are aligned with my philosophy that we must give addicts their power back, which was the focus of my 2018 Get Inspired Talk in Vancouver.  Because everyone has free will, only addicts themselves have the power to make healthier choices for themselves that lead to living a life free from addiction. The 16 Steps can be the foundation to help make that happen.

Love with Boundaries is expanding its service offerings to support the loved ones and family members of people struggling with addiction. Sign up here to be the first to receive information about the group counselling program built upon the 16 steps that is launching in the spring.