11.10.2019

"12 steps" to recovery. The 12 Steps rehabilitation program for treating addiction is known all over the world.

Is there salvation from alcoholism? Of course, yes, but this path often seems too difficult. Defeating a bad habit means opening the way to your true self, stopping lying to yourself and compensating for problems with alcoholic oblivion. The task is not easy, but quite feasible. On the other hand, an addicted person has two paths: to sink lower and lower, or to find strength in himself and break the vicious circle, looking life in the face and starting his path anew. The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous system works very well for these purposes.

History of Alcoholics Anonymous

This system did not appear today. Since ancient times, people have sought to find in society those who suffer from the same illness as themselves. Together it is easier to endure all the hardships of treatment, and it is also much easier to recognize yourself as part of a mini-society than alone and abandoned by everyone. If we talk about the “12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous” program, it has been working for 63 years and during this time it has been recognized as one of the most effective systems for combating addiction, and this trend is visible not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Program Basics

Not only specialists from drug treatment centers, but also people themselves who previously suffered from addiction confirm that the most effective program in the fight against addictions is the “12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous” program. It is difficult to count the number of people who have passed through these groups because participation in them is anonymous. However, the main value is that a person does not just undergo a course to relieve physical dependence, but undergoes deep personal psychotherapy, during which his view of the world should radically change. This is what makes it possible to gain a completely new quality of life. This is very important to understand and, most importantly, accept.

Theoretical platform

Like all other addiction treatment programs, the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous has a certain basis. This is a coherent theory that is based on a complex, biopsycho-socio-spiritual model of the disease. All of these approaches are extremely important, and each of them carries its own burden. Without sobering up a person, it is impossible to move on; only then do psychologists enter the fight for a healthy lifestyle. They can find exactly those points of tension, those painful moments, which are the triggers leading to addiction. Gestalt therapy is a basic tool for such work. It is based on its principles that Alcoholics Anonymous share their experiences and feelings. The 12 Step program carries the core values of love and kindness, as well as faith. It was these strongholds that helped people survive in any life situations long before the first AA group was organized. They didn’t come up with anything new, but simply took as a basis what helps people hold on and stay sober.

Faith and religion: are these concepts the same?

In fact, no, perhaps that is why there are no disagreements between people all over the world, of different views and religions. They are all Alcoholics Anonymous. "12 Steps" is a book that reveals all the intricacies of this approach. The understanding of spirituality here is much broader than in each specific religion. That is why it will be easily accepted by both Catholics and Muslims, as well as atheists. Despite the fact that it is called spiritually oriented, it does not carry any specific religious content. If this were the case, the program would not have received worldwide significance. That is, God in the 12 Steps program is a kind of higher power, which in the understanding of each person will be different. This is the source of resources that the patient turns to. And what he calls it, Jesus, Buddha, the spirit of ancestors or collective consciousness, this is not important, the main thing is that the person feels support from him.

freedom of choice

This is the main difference between the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step program. Feedback from patients suggests that they decided to join the ranks of members of this organization precisely because no one forced them to do anything. They are free to come to meetings or not to do so. The program is truly universal; it leaves the final right of choice to everyone. Just insert the name of your problem instead of the words “alcohol” and “drug” - and get a ready-made solution.

Active patient position

This is an absolutely necessary condition. Only by going deeply through each of its steps can you achieve a good result. Any problem can be solved through such activities, which is why the 12 Steps Alcoholics Anonymous group is the best helper for each of you. This is a clear and well-structured model that describes a program of actions that involve activity both internally and externally. That is, the work is carried out simultaneously both within oneself and in society. This very well helps to reorient a person, to get away from fruitless philosophizing. It is necessary not only to think, but also to start doing. Theory is very useful, but you will never learn to swim by reading a book on technique. It is also impossible to help yourself by simply studying the contents of the 12 steps.

Brief algorithm, or What you have to do

In fact, everything is intuitively simple and clear, which is precisely what makes the “12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous” program universal. Reviews say that even a person without a secondary education can quickly find his bearings and start working on himself no less successfully than, for example, a psychologist with a higher education. You can consider the program as a working algorithm that promotes personality correction and changes in its quality.

The first and probably most difficult thing is to admit the problem. This is a huge and most difficult step. Not for one day, but forever, you have to admit your powerlessness over alcoholism. This step causes resistance among many beginners, and only as time passes do they begin to understand its value.

The third step is again a test, making a decision. And it is realized by a simple and complex thesis: I entrust my life to God as I understand him. And at this stage prayers help a lot. In the morning the patient asks God for strength to remain sober, and in the evening he thanks him for the gift of the day. This is both an acknowledgment of the presence of a higher power, greater and more powerful than yourself, and the realization that it cares about you.

Then practical exercises begin, this is self-analysis. The fourth step is to evaluate your life from a moral point of view. Group classes help an alcoholic who sees only the bad in himself to find good traits in his personality. This is how the restoration of the soul occurs, as if a person has returned to his own and little by little begins to make major repairs.

The fifth step is confession, that is, recognition of the true nature of one’s errors before God and people. This is cleansing. It is needed to part with the past. Working through your own shortcomings and establishing healthy social connections.

The sixth step is preparing yourself to get rid of all shortcomings. This is the path of one’s own growing up, the recognition that the entire path of alcoholism is compensation for one’s low self-esteem. The patient in the group understands that he just needs to love himself and that he does not owe anything to anyone. At the same time, each patient must admit that he has acted until now like an impulsive child.

The seventh step is humility. The patient asks a higher power to correct his shortcomings. You need to learn to humbly talk about the most difficult and unpleasant moments of your life to other people. This is another brick that is not so easy to lay.

The eighth step - now the patient is ready to return to society, to his old connections that are important to him. At the same time, the task is again difficult - to make a list of people whom you have harmed. At this stage, the group members are filled with the desire to make amends.

The ninth step is to continue working on returning to normal society. The alcoholic personally compensates for the damage to all those people whose list he compiled in the previous step.

At the tenth step, group members continue self-analysis and immediately admit their mistakes if they make them.

The eleventh step is the desire to become closer to God through prayer and reflection.

Finally, the final step, which can last indefinitely, is the transfer of experience, helping other alcoholics.

Working with drug addicts in St. Petersburg

This organization has been operating for many years in a row; the first center was formed 14 years ago. Today there are branches in all major cities of Russia. The main methodology used is the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous program. In St. Petersburg, many people know this organization and trust the authority of its specialists, since the results are truly stunning. At the same time, meetings of alcoholics themselves are only part of a larger work.

The centers’ specialists take into account the individual characteristics of each client, and in addition, they perform another important mission: they help relatives cope with codependency. Various events, family education, legal lectures, and lectures on medical hygiene are held for patients of the center and their relatives. The center’s specialists provide a full guarantee of getting rid of all types of addiction if you follow all the recommendations given by the specialists.

What happens in class?

The 12 Steps Society of Alcoholics Anonymous is a kind of commune that is united by one single goal - to stop degrading and destroying oneself and start a normal life. It is very important that in classes there are not doctors, professors and psychologists nearby with sometimes incomprehensible lectures, but people like the newly converted alcoholic himself. Very often you can hear the phrase that only those who have experienced cravings for alcohol or drugs can understand an addicted person. That's what happens here in the group. All people with the same story gather here. The reasons are different for everyone, the fall is always the same. No one will scold or try to change it, everything is completely voluntary. It is very noteworthy that there are no leaders or organizers or founders here. Each session can be taught by different people.

This makes the system even more flexible. Yes, there are those who want to leave at the first lesson. But this is everyone’s decision, forced hospitalization and a course of treatment will also not yield results if a person does not set out to change his life. Surprisingly, in class, everyone essentially repeats the story of the previous and next speaker. At the same time, it is very valuable that people who are already sober admit for several years: “I am an alcoholic.” This helps newbies remove the barrier and admit their problem. From here further treatment begins to unfold.

Let's sum it up

The 12 Step program is one of the best methods for rehabilitating addicted people. There are activists who gather a group and travel far outside the city, to a farm or simply to the mountains, where they can live in tents. Fresh air, physical labor and separation from the former environment, together with regular meetings, give good results. The only task left is to return to the usual rhythm and avoid the temptation to return to old habits.

WHAT IS THE 12 STEPS PROGRAM?

This is the most effective program drug addiction treatment and alcoholism. It involves working to transform the personality of a person suffering from addiction into the personality of a person recovering from this addiction.

In this case, the person stops using alcohol/drugs and begins to lead a sober lifestyle, which is guided by newfound sanity, constant conscious contact with God and other recovering people.

The original purpose of AA was to help alcoholics stop drinking. It was not a one size fits all program. However, the 12 Step program can help people with other problems as well. Other societies have already emerged using the steps and principles of AA, for example, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Marijuana Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc. All of them are developing as separate organizations.

Here are quotes from the literature of various 12-step communities, confirming the continuity and universality of the 12 Step program.. The 12 Step program became famous thanks to the activities of Alcoholics Anonymous, organized in 1934 in Aikron, Ohio, USA. Now the society "Alcoholics Anonymous" is a world-famous organization of men and women who share their experiences and hopes with each other and support each other in trying to recover from alcoholism. This society exists on a voluntary basis. According to T. Gorsky, fifteen extensive questionnaire surveys people attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, including seven studies conducted by AA itself showing that 40 to 50% of alcoholics who attend AA become long-term members.

Between 60 and 68% of these regular members achieve permanent abstinence or reduction in binge drinking. At a regular meeting of A.A. 35% of members have been sober for less than one year, 35% have been sober for 1 to 5 years, and the remaining 30% have been sober for more than 5 years. “At Narcotics Anonymous, we follow a program developed from the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. More than a million people have recovered in A.A., most of them as hopelessly addicted to alcohol as we are to drugs. We are grateful to AA for showing us the way to a better life." (Narcotics Anonymous) "We want to express our appreciation and gratitude to Alcoholics Anonymous for sharing their program with our founder Jim W., who based it on created the Gamblers Anonymous program (“New Beginning.” Community Gamblers Anonymous). “In May 1985, I started a 12-step group called Depressed Anonymous. I was convinced that the depressed person would also find strength and peace of mind, just like those who discovered it in the first meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. This was such a primary project when, for the first time in the world, depressed people gathered in a common mutual help group. I have found that people of all ages, beliefs, and backgrounds can gradually emerge from the prison of depression if they truly help each other as a support group, especially with the steps suggested by the twelve-step program. And this group is now known as Depressed Anonymous.

I see that the 12-step program is usefully centered around the subject of depression, and can help people get out of isolation and painful feelings of helplessness, and they will no longer feel alone" (Depressed Anonymous). “We use the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of AA, replacing the words “alcohol” and “alcoholic” with “food” and “glutton.” 12 Steps lead a person to recovery, and 12 traditions ensure the well-being of AO groups. Living the principles of the 12 Steps gives us the strength to live without binge eating and frees us from our obsession with food. We move from food problems to healthier, happier lives" (from the Overeaters Anonymous brochure). “The Al-Anon program is based on the Twelve Steps, which we borrowed from Alcoholics Anonymous. We try to use these Steps little by little, day by day, applying them to our life situations along with our calls and using the Serenity Prayer.

Such beneficial exchanges of views between Al-Anon members, based on sincere sympathy for each other, and daily reading of Al-Anon literature, prepares us to receive the priceless gift of peace." ) “Alateen is an important component of Al-Anon. He uses the 12 steps of AA, with the exception of the Twelfth, where the phrase "...bringing the meaning of our ideas to other alcoholics" is of necessity replaced with "bringing the meaning of ideas to other people"... By applying the 12 Steps of AA to ourselves, we fill with goodness mind, heart and soul" (from the brochure Alateen - Community of Teenage Relatives of Alcoholics) The work of each of these communities is based on the "12 steps" program, which serves as an individual guide on the path to freedom from addiction, and on the "twelve traditions", which are the guiding principles or bylaws of the organization as a whole. Knowing the 12 steps is critical for all people in recovery for two reasons: (1) The steps work if you follow them; (2) The 12 Step program is inexpensive and available almost everywhere. This is why this program has become so popular among people who want to recover from chemical dependency, codependency, and other compulsive or addictive disorders.

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous program is popular in rehabilitation centers. It has proven its effectiveness by the number of patients cured. To overcome a destructive habit in yourself is to stop deceiving yourself and your loved ones, to stop escaping problems into unconscious life, and to recognize your inner needs. For an alcoholic, there are two roads: to slide into the abyss with a bottle in hand, or to stop self-destruction by starting to live anew.

Program history

In the 1930s in the United States, former broker Bill Wilson created a program that gradually moves alcoholics and drug addicts towards complete liberation from their bad habit. Bill was known as an experienced alcoholic. He tried treatment four times, but the therapy did not help him. He returned to his old way of life again. The doctor, observing his behavior, told his wife that Bill would not get out of this trap. He stated that alcoholics like him never recover. Bill's future promised only terrible liver disease, brain swelling and early death.

His friend Edwin communicated with Bill, who was able to overcome alcoholism. He talked about his journey to recovery. Inspired, Bill was inspired by his success and later joined the Oxford Group, where classes were held for alcoholics. Its provisions were introduced into the “12 Steps to Sobriety” program for an addicted person.

The text of the program for an addicted person was created in 1938. Bill first organized Alcoholics Anonymous, which became a success. By 1995, its number had increased to 2 million. The “12 Traditions” program quickly spread throughout the countries of the world. In Russia, the program has been used to treat alcoholism for 20 years.

Specifics of the method

The 12 Traditions program leads to the recognition of the fact that a person cannot stop using alcohol or drugs on his own. He needs help. Substances that are dangerous to the body lead to dependence on them, which is why they become the meaning of life. Dramatic internal changes, real steps and actions are required.

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous cannot be enforced. Freedom of choice is important in the program when patients voluntarily agree to join the ranks of Alcoholics Anonymous. They are free to decide whether to come to meetings or not. The right to choose is the basis of alcoholism treatment. Each member of the organization is encouraged to replace the word “alcohol” with something that characterizes their underlying problem. The patient's active position helps return his orientation to the right direction. Treatment of alcoholics according to the program occurs in interaction with society, without detracting from the importance of working on one’s soul.

A 12-step program is a description of clear actions that must be put into practice. It is impossible to help yourself knowing only theory. Corrections are being made:

behavior;
moral principles;
emotional state;
relationships with people and the world in general.

Without internal rebirth it is impossible to achieve a good result. Faith and religion give an impetus to a complete change in self for an alcoholic.

The program model is flexible, which can be seen in the description. It is used in the context of an outpatient program. It is used less frequently in hospital settings. It consists in forming groups of patients with similar moral problems and the same addiction. Accommodates from 12 to 15 sessions, which are held over 12 weeks. The first session is for informational purposes. Its duration can be from 1.5 hours, and regular sessions with step-by-step steps take an hour.

What does each step mean?

The 12-step program includes an algorithm that must be followed consistently. You can move to the next stage only if the patient has achieved success in the previous one. Each of the 12 steps contains a specific action that helps the alcoholic understand himself, his needs and love the feeling of sobriety.

First step

Admitting your powerlessness in the face of a problem. For fundamental change to occur, there must be a starting point. In this case, it is understanding one’s own position. If previously a person could not make a conscious choice, now there is a comprehension of his personality. Fighting addiction on your own without outside support is a waste of time. The psychotherapeutic method suggests recognizing the fact that an alcoholic is powerless when alone with the problem. Therefore, honesty with oneself comes first, recognizing that life has become impossible to manage.

Second step

The inner conviction that there is something more powerful and stronger than a weak-willed person who cannot cope with his problems on his own. The second step is a logical continuation of the first. If bad habits are stronger than personality, then there is no salvation for a person if you look at the situation logically. By the will of the Force, the “I”, suffering from addictions, continues to exist. Understanding that she can restore sanity and restore the emotional sphere of life provides a way out of the impasse. The program gives hope to an alcoholic, a light at the end of a dark tunnel from which no one can get out on their own.

Third step

Surrendering your life to a Supreme Person. To decide on this step of the program, you need to look into your inner world and personify a powerful Force based on your faith. Submitting yourself to the Force allows new possibilities into life. Thanks to this, the alcoholic:

copes with selfishness;
stops withdrawing into himself;
abandons the former stubbornness;
no longer regrets the past, does not punish himself for his sins;
learns to enjoy successes in the present;
makes a firm decision to get rid of the addiction to alcohol forever and not to drink strong drinks even in small quantities;
acquires principles that will guide his heart and mind.

Fourth step

A real step to evaluate yourself and your actions. Understanding morality leads to the fact that the alcoholic begins to see his real self. It is very important to examine your moral qualities, approach self-esteem impartially and understand what “I” is. The steps of recognizing the motives for previous behavior, digging up grievances, and selfishness help cleanse the soul of unnecessary ballast.

A former alcoholic often sees only negative character traits in himself. The program suggests that he begin to look for good moments in himself and put emphasis on this. Gradually, complete restoration of the soul occurs. The step is reminiscent of returning to an old dilapidated house that needs major repairs.

Fifth step

Admission of guilt. You cannot change your internal state without admitting your mistakes. Deeply buried guilt is destructive. Once it is brought to the surface, the true path of healing begins. Recognizing misconceptions helps the human personality to develop: to find the root causes and sources, to identify false motives.

You need to explain to yourself where the failure came from, where its starting point is. Cleansing the inner self helps to say goodbye to the past, work through shortcomings and free yourself from mental oppression. After this step of the program, it will be easy for an alcoholic to establish social connections and surround himself with healthy, happy people.

Sixth step

Preparation for getting rid of character defects. In psychotherapy, this stage is very important, which is no less significant than the treatment of alcoholics. If the preparation for the next step takes place, then the action itself will be successful. It is important to approach the point that you will have to get rid of many shortcomings. It's like a child growing up who is aware of his actions and looks at them with a mature look. It is necessary to understand that alcoholism is nothing more than a consequence of low self-esteem. As soon as a former alcoholic loves himself, accepts his characteristics of body, character, social status, everything will immediately change.

A person must understand that constant alcohol intoxication has become a real obstacle to a healthy life. As soon as he comes to terms with himself, understands that he acted impulsively, without relying on common sense, he will be able to begin the path of recovery according to the steps of the program.

Seventh step

Humility and a request to get rid of all shortcomings. “Whitening” of the soul does not happen on its own. What is needed here is will, humility, and a request for help directed to the sky. The patient must humbly admit his wrongdoings in private and talk about the most difficult situations in life. An alcoholic can remember moments in which he was weak and analyze them. It is important to learn to “confess” to people, to fearlessly talk about problems out loud, and not to be ashamed of the past. This step of the program will help you restore contact not only with people, but also with yourself, understand yourself better and find the best way to get rid of problems.

Eighth step

Awareness of harm caused to other people. On the path to healing, there must be a desire to change your past life, not only in words, but also in deeds. This means that those people who suffered from the behavior of the addict should receive compensation for their damages. This step of the program is to compile a list of everyone who, either forced or voluntarily, suffered the evil of drunkenness near them. Then you need to decide to make amends in the possible way, which will help free the soul from the state of oppression for the past.

The list is just a step in preparation for the task. But it is important among everything else, as it helps restore lost connections with relatives, friends, and colleagues. Remembering and recording bad deeds and outright harm can cause an alcoholic to have hostile feelings towards himself. The main thing here is not to succumb to self-flagellation, but to look at the situation as a path to correcting everything negative.

Ninth step

Compensation for damage. An alcoholic must correct his actions and repent to the people who suffered from his behavior. Personal admission of guilt can cause internal aggression not only on others, but also on oneself. The program prevents such a relapse. It is necessary to transform this aggression into positive energy, directing it to help others.

The alcoholic takes full responsibility for the past, tries to regain lost social connections, and in every possible way compensate for moral and material damage. The ninth step in the program is considered the most difficult, since it is quite possible that people will react inappropriately. You will have to listen to a lot of reproaches, even angry speeches and bad words addressed to you. All this must be accepted with humility, since without forgiveness of oneself and other people it is impossible to move on.

Tenth step

Continued self-analysis. An alcoholic will still make many mistakes, since his personality is imperfect. You can’t stop there: if a difficult path has been overcome, it’s important to praise yourself. But an alcoholic needs to continue to take care of himself, personal development and analysis of his own falls, mistakes, problematic situations, unsurpassed tests. You can learn to control yourself and prevent breakdowns by avoiding situations where you will be tempted to drink. But if a fall occurs, you need to immediately get up and confess to a trusted person what happened. There is no need to remain silent about this.

Eleventh step

Improving the soul. You need to take care of yourself as much as possible, establish contact with the spiritual world. Everyone wants to know about their purpose on earth, about the mission to be fulfilled. A former alcoholic needs such knowledge for a stable consciousness of his personality. This step of the program, like a strong medicine, can bring you back to life and put you on your feet.

Communication with the Heavenly Power through prayers, knowledge of his will, reasoning about eternity opens up new talents, opportunities, and abilities. False attachments disappear, a feeling of constant peace sets in, and self-analysis skills increase.

Twelfth step

Help your own kind. After complete cleansing has occurred, liberation from addictions, the alcoholic has a natural desire to help others. A once offended, dejected person finds the joy of freedom and sincerely shares his experience with those who are still in the slavery of alcohol. An attempt to change the lives of those who are enslaved by their own rejection cleanses the inner world, gives new acquaintances, and makes them feel needed.

Program effectiveness

The program is a real path to recovery. She is praised by people who have reached the end. It is of interest to those who have just embarked on the path of a fulfilling life without alcohol. Group members like the fact that no one forces them to act - it is their voluntary act.

The program does not provide for dictatorship or strict obedience to anything. Each member of the alcoholics community is on an equal footing with everyone else, ready to accept or provide help with all their hearts.

Treatment of alcoholism using this method helped over 90% of people. Those cured were able to look inside themselves, understand their needs and problems, regain lost opportunities, and find new perspectives. Many alcoholics were able to regain the favor of relatives and loved ones, take up an exciting hobby, and get a decent job. But, unfortunately, not everyone can accommodate and accept how one can live without a substance that affects consciousness. Therefore, a small percentage of alcoholics still return to their previous path, not wanting to change their situation.

Traditional medicine, seeing the effect of the program in the treatment of alcoholism, has a positive attitude towards it. She often uses it in the complex treatment of an alcoholic along with medications. Psychologists consider this approach to the steps of the program to be correct, based on the fact that at the center of the problem of drunkenness lies the inadequacy of the behavior of alcoholics and the inability to react in a healthy way to stressful situations. Also in the lack of understanding of one’s personality, the inability to control feelings, to manage them.

Such a well-known and sensational anonymous program throughout the world as the 12 steps is truly a truly significant system and one of the best developments of the twentieth century. Thus, it is a universal program suitable for many addictions - including the 12-step program, which is effective for many other types of diseases.

Here you have dependence on medications, and also many addictions that have nothing to do with chemicals.

The 12-step rehabilitation program is effective where conventional therapy, famous for its qualified specialists, powerful medications and the most modern equipment, does not help. Although, to be completely honest, drug therapy goes well with the program.

Features of the 12 Step Program

A patient’s dependence on chemicals is his inability to experience some life situations and problems without the use or administration of chemicals.

At this stage of addiction, he believes that this is a truly effective way to get rid of feelings that carry problems (self-doubt, pain, fear, etc.). In some of these patients, fear is even hereditary in nature, since by nature they “got” too little of the happiness hormone.

That’s why such a person tries to somehow replenish the happiness hormone artificially, and it doesn’t matter at all why he first touched alcohol or drugs. The only thing that matters here is that now he will repeat it again and again, once he felt unprecedented confidence and lightness.

However, you should not think that life is over here. So, in the twentieth century, a medicine was invented that helped millions of patients recover. And its name is the 12 step program.

Of course, the 12-step program for alcoholics and drug addicts is not medicinal, but primarily spiritual, and this is worth understanding. That is why it is very difficult to consider it just as a recipe that can help everyone right away.

Thus, each patient must have his own individual approach, but the principles prescribed in the 12-step program for addicts must be the same for everyone.

Don’t get your hopes up that chemical dependency is truly curable. In addition, if not dealt with, they will progress and easily lead to death.

And of course, the disease leaves an indelible mark on everything that the patient once lived with - so, his physical and mental health suffers.

And most importantly, addiction also affects the spiritual sphere of the individual, and as a result, a person becomes selfish, deceitful, indifferent and commits immoral acts.

As for the 12-step program for drug addicts, it allows the patient to honestly look at his life, not only externally, but also internally. Thus, the patient learns to be responsible for his actions, and most importantly, not to harm himself or other people.