Do you have a desire to change? Has any area of your life become unmanageable? Are you currently addicted to any substance? Do you ever feel desperate? When you are consuming alcohol, do you experience black outs? Do you believe there is a better way to live? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to consider a self-help program. Most self- help programs are based on one very important necessity, someone's desire to change. This change is usually accomplished through twelve basic steps known as the twelve steps of recovery which involves surrendering, healing, and supporting.
             Surrendering is the basis for the first three steps of a twelve step program. Step one states that one admits that they are powerless over their problem or addiction. The individual must first admit to themselves their is a problem. This step is the most important of all the steps because one can not begin to recover if they do not surrender to the fact that they have a problem. Step two states that one comes to believe in a power greater than themselves and believes this power can and will restore ones sanity. Since most addicts have little or no spirituality, this step is the beginning of relationship and faith in a God or higher power. Step three states that one makes a decision to turn his or her life over to the care of God or a higher power. In this process, one surrenders the control that they have over his or her life by turning it over to God or a higher power. Ultimately, they deepen their faith in God. After fully surrendering, one is ready to heal.
             Healing is most involved part of recovering so that the individual may start to feel better about oneself. Step four states that a recovering person should make a searching and fearless moral inventory of oneself. This is done by writing your life on paper. When this is finished, it shows the reoccurring patterns that the one needs to wo...