I also asked Vivian if a person struggling with a mood disorder can benefit from the 12 steps in his or her recovery. This is what she said …

I think the 12 steps can be used to recover from anything! There are now over 200 12 step programs that address a plethora of different issues. There is a 12-step recovery program called DRA (Dual Recovery Anonymous) that addresses recovering from not only substance abuse but also from an emotional or psychiatric illness.

The Dual Recovery Anonymous™ approach to dual recovery is based on a simple set of ideas and steps. They encourage us to find our own personal recovery, the one that is most meaningful. They are meant to support those of us who wish to bring a spiritual dimension to our dual recovery. The DRA program is worked on a day-by-day basis just like A.A.

Here are the suggestions for dual recovery from http://draonline.org:

• Today, I will be free of alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.
• Today, I will follow a healthy plan to manage my emotional or psychiatric illness.
• Today, I will practice the Twelve Steps to the best of my ability.

I found The Twelve Steps to Mental Health (below) at http://www.changes.org.uk:

1. Admit you’ve got a problem
2. Take action
3. Trust and cooperate
4. Get the power
5. Use and develop personal resources
6. Begin personal evaluation
7. Cultivate healthy thinking
8. Cultivate healthy behavior
9. Realize that feelings are not facts
10. Get on with your life
11. Give it time
12. Pass it on

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