Since the 1930's over 200 individual fellowships from the better-known AA and NA to Co-dependents Anonymous, Overeating Anonymous and many more across the world have been welcoming millions of members each week to share their experience, strength and hope with one another. More recently, research has discovered some of the links between these "programs of recovery" and the science of Positive Psychology.
This is a world I know well, having walked into the rooms over 16 years ago, dragging a life that was falling apart behind me that has since been gradually, mindfully, consciously, beautifully, renovated and rebuilt.
During my recovery journey, I began to realise that the 12 steps were really a design for living life rather than any sort of restrictive and punitive directive. They gave me a new pair of glasses to view the world through, one where self-awareness, self-compassion, empathy, humility, gratitude, spirituality and radical responsibility were elevated and consistently practised as a new-found sense of self-worth anchored me into my future.
In essence, I developed the ability to become a confident self-leader.
Over the years my fellowship friends and I sat in hundreds of meetings listening to how people dealt with what life threw at them without turning to their addictions of choice to soften the blows. We marvelled at the strength, grit, resilience, ingenuity, optimism and deep joy that our fellow travellers shared with us and learned a thousand lessons ourselves.
Over coffee and biscuits, we often said to one another “everyone should come to meetings - the world would be a better place if they did!”. It seems that our thoughts were valid as the science of positive psychology reveals.
The positive psychology connection
Dane O’Leary, a counsellor at Michaels House, a rehab centre in the US, tells us that, similar to the dopamine surge that individuals experience from an addictive substance or behaviour, sharing—or “storytelling” has been found to cause similar neurological responses. In effect, when individuals speak during 12-Step meetings, the brain releases dopamine and rewards them for the sharing behaviour. This positive feeling boosts well-being and encourages a repeat of this new behaviour.
Furthermore, recovery from addiction in 12-step programs depends on a member achieving what is referred to as a “spiritual awakening,” which creates a more grateful, upbeat, and empathetic outlook on life. This is not an intangible religious experience (though it can definitely feel deeply spiritual) - psychology tells us it occurs as the result of cognitive interventions and behavioural adjustments that accumulate as members work through the 12 Steps.
According to research, positive psychology underpins this process of spiritual renewal and awakening. As an approach, positive psychology focuses on instilling a sense of resiliency, which will allow individuals to more readily face and overcome the problems they may encounter in day-to-day life, while also enhancing one’s feelings of gratification and enjoyment in life.
As a student of positive psychology and a grateful member of 12 step program, I can testify to a much-improved life thanks to both.
The lessons available
As a recent graduate of Positive Psychology from the Langley Institute, I’ve given my 12-step experience more thought from the well-being and thriving angle, and here are some of my ideas as to why there could be a 12-step curriculum for the world!
- Hearing other people's stories creates connection and empathy. No one wants to feel terminally unique, that you're the only one struggling with difficult thoughts, emotions and scenarios. Stories connect us, as they have since the dawn of time. Honest and authentic sharing is the heart of 12-step meetings, and this encourages and rewards vulnerability which is essential for true connection. When you courageously share a deep secret, that triggers shame and fear and you’re met with “yep, me too”, something shifts inside of you. A weight lifts. A new window of possibility opens. Importantly, having empathy enables us to build social connections. To feel connected to others is hugely important for our optimal well-being, helping us to feel valued, loved, and cared for.?I had never before felt such a sense of belonging as in these meetings with my peers and this is an experience I seek to create in my group work now.
- The insights and progress you hear when members describe dealing with “life on life's terms” create feelings of gratitude and appreciation for your own life, helping you to acknowledge your strengths and resourcefulness as you reflect on what you've managed and moved through. This creates hope for the future, and you experience it every single time you are in a meeting. Hope is the belief that your future will be better than the present and that you have the ability to make it happen. It involves both optimism and a can-do attitude and as it is a state of mind, not an emotion, it can be learned. When you have hope, anything is possible.
According to American psychologist Charles Snyder's Hope Theory, hope has three distinct parts:
- Goals.?Having a goal is the cornerstone of hope. Goals can be big or small. You can have a goal to go to stay sober, begin practising yoga, secure a promotion, for example.
- Agency (willpower). Agency is the ability to stay motivated to meet your goal. It involves believing that good things will come from your actions.
- Pathways. These are the specific routes you develop to meet your goals. If your first pathway doesn’t work, you problem-solve to find a new way through. People with a high-hope orientation understand that roadblocks are inevitable and that it might take several tries to reach your goals.
- Meetings help you to realise that we seldom know what’s going on under the surface for another person. Your fellow humans battle big and little issues that are really challenging. This often means that their reactions to things might seem surprising, disappointing or even frustrating to you. When you adopt the philosophy that everyone is doing the best they can, that their reactions and behaviour often have very little to do with you, when you can tap into compassion you can travel through life more lightly. Not only does that feel good, but it also creates a ripple effect that positively impacts others.
- Acceptance is at the heart of all 12-step programs. This does not mean you are a passive creature, with life “happening” to you. Rather you don’t waste time and energy fighting upstream against the current. You begin to get clear about what is in and outside of your control and you focus and apply yourself accordingly and begin to let go a little more. As Byron Katie reminds us “when you argue with reality you only lose 100% of the time”.
- Another core practice is to take personal inventory. This is a significant and confronting step - very few people look forward to identifying the many ways in which they’ve screwed up, hurt others, made mistakes, and been wrong in the post and then take action to make amends. But wow, is it freeing when you do! This radical responsibility is a game changer, especially as the program encourages you to “continue to take personal inventory and when you’re wrong, promptly admit it”. Imagine if more people did that!
- “Does it need to be said, does it need to be said by me, does it need to be said now?”. That filter was shared with me very early in the program and it has been one of my most used tools ever since. Try it out - you’ll likely be surprised at how much you don’t actually need to say!
- Introducing a spiritual connection into our life is invaluable. I was initially rather sceptical of the “God” word in the 12-step literature, but my disdain was softened by the qualifier “God… as you understand him”. You have the freedom to define your own Higher Power - as I believe we all should. For me it was nature and that has grown into a general sense of peace, of being taken care of by something bigger than me, something that I can’t really pin down, but I feel deeply supported by. I love Brene Brown's definition of spirituality - “Spirituality is recognising and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practising spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.” Once again, this aspect of 12-step programs is supported by Positive Psychology. The science aims to foster self-fulfilment and spirituality, as a distinct and universal component of human experience, contributes to that process of fulfilment.
- A vital skill that is developed in the program is Emotional Regulation - the ability to pause and then mindfully respond rather than react to situations. When practised, this skill delivers incredible results, helping you to nurture personal and business relationships, make better decisions across the board, building confidence in your ability to cope with anything that life throws at you. Studies on emotional regulation indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between emotion regulation and depression management. People with lower levels of anxiety show higher emotional control and social-emotional intelligence. It's definitely a skill worthy of your attention.
- Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude - keeping a gratitude diary each night became an integral part of my recovery journey and gradually, it helped me to filter for the good in my life and lift my natural optimism again. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps us feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, build strong relationships and deal with adversity, and that has certainly been my experience. Don't dismiss it - it really is a simple and powerful way of leading yourself into a more resilient and positive state of mind.
Self-Leadership development
My recovery journey has been a masterclass in self-leadership development.
Growing in self-efficacy, challenging my old thinking patterns, pausing to respond rather than react, facing rather than numbing and running from my emotions, and taking consistent courageous action when I was scared and sad, as I gradually left my addiction behind and rebuilt my self-worth, were all actions of self-leadership.
Self-leadership is actively developing a confident sense of who you are, taking ownership of what you do, and being intentional about where you are going.
- We start with knowing ourselves - our stories, strengths, values, drives, vulnerabilities and vision for the future.
- From there we build our ability to think clearly, harnessing our inner dialogue and thought patterns to support ourselves.
- We then heighten our emotional dexterity by noticing our triggers, defining our feelings and choosing to respond rather than react.
- This allows us to leverage self-determination, to act with courage, clarity and integrity, building our self-efficacy as we set and achieve positive goals.
Each one of these steps has been shaped by the 12 steps and I’m enjoying developing my Self-Leadership and Positive Leadership programs with these insights.
Which ideas might you explore further as a self-leader in your own life?
