12 STEP PROGRAM DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THE

One moment, One hour, One day at a
time
All that is required is a desire to stop
using
Acceptance – 100% complete
acceptance of being an addict and/or
alcoholic
Core Mindfulness – being in the moment
Desire to want to have a life worth living
Radical Acceptance of who you are and
a situation. “It just is”. 100% complete
Commitment to self and to a new way of
life

Commitment to self, a higher power, Life long process – to achieve and

and to a new way of life maintain a life worth living

Life long process – there is no cure, it Hard work

can only be arrested
You go through the Skills in order; then
Hard work they are repeated time and time again –
practice, practice, practice
You never complete the Steps – once
you have gone through them in order – For each situation there is a Skill/s
practice, practice, practice

For each situation there is a Step/s or a At least for me, I came out of
Principal/s desperation. I was going to die. The
old way wasn’t working and I was
For most, we come out of desperation, promised that if I truly worked hard I
truly wanting a new way of life because would gain a life worth living.
the old way wasn’t working. We were
going to die Willingness-vs-Willfulness

A beginning step is admitting there is a

Ask for God’s will for us, not our own problem

A beginning step is admitting there is a Relapse of old behavior is common.

problem However, the longer you are in the
program, the less likely you are to
Relapse of old behavior is common. relapse into them
The longer you are recovering, the less
likely you are to relapse back into old Support of others who are in the
behavior program as well, IOP then once a week
group, as well as a therapist. I cannot
Support of other recovering addicts and do it alone.
alcoholics. We have a common bond. I Primary goal is to change behavioral,
cannot do it alone. emotional and thinking patterns that
cause problems, as well as misery and
distress
12 STEP PROGRAM DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THE

Though the primary goal is to stop

using, in order to maintain recovery you
need to change behaviors, emotional, Core Mindfulness is being aware
and thinking patterns – those causing
relapse or continued substance use Core Mindfulness skills build a
foundation. It is the foundation.
Opposite of denial is awareness

Steps (12) are a foundation Wise Mind = intuition. Thoughts of long

term consequences, calmness in heart
of problems, and wholistic awareness.
DBT is Delicate Balance Today.
Illicits wholistic awareness and wholistic
unity and balance One-Mindfully

Interpersonal Effectiveness is about

Prayer and meditation is a large part of asking for things and getting what you
the 12 Step Program want.

Teaches to get needs and wants met, Willingness-vs-Willfulness

both with self and others

Step Three – willingness is the key;
surrender and trust the Principal
Step Eight, Nine, and Ten address
specifically personal relations
Interpersonal Effectiveness
When entering DBT, you 1st admit you
need help, 2nd you ask for the help, 3rd
you allow them to help you

Step One – “I can’t”; Step Two – “He Pain + Non-acceptance = Suffering.

can”; Step Three – I’ll let Him”. Acceptance decreases suffering

Non-acceptance is denial, avoiding and

numbing. An addict/alcoholic uses to
avoid and numb, which the sooner Emotion Mind problems
denial kicks in, the sooner one uses –
unless acceptance is acquired.

When in a “dry drunk” or “dry high”,

impulsivity increases, out of control
feelings, reactive, no thought of Wise Mind
consequences, willful, old behaviors and
thought patterns
12 STEP PROGRAM DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THE

When working a recovery program,

things are thought through, emotions
are manageable, behaviors are not Emotion Regulations Skills – letting go
impulsive. There is wholistic balance, of emotional suffering
which illicits calmness and peace.
Increasing Positive Emotions and
12 Steps encourage talking about Opposite Action
emotions to let go of needless suffering

12 Steps has topics of positive emotions

and subjects; ie: gratitude, happiness, Reduce Vulnerability and PLEASE
what’s good about an unpleasant MASTER
situation.
Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills.
12 Step Program is all about taking care (Relationship Effectiveness, GIVE, Self
of oneself. “Going to any length”. Respect Effectiveness and FAST)

The 12 Step Program and Sponsorship

is about not only taking care of oneself,
but how to be in a relationship(s). Self
respect and even a certain amount of
selfishness is encouraged and Reduce Vulnerability, Interpersonal
reinforced. If we don’t take care of Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance
ourselves, who is going to?!

12 Steps, mainly Steps 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8,

9, and 10 are about what was just Distress Tolerance
stated in the last two comparisons or
similarities.

Meetings, a lot of times, are about

reducing stress to stay clean and sober. Radical Acceptance
That’s where we go to talk about it.
Principal for Step One – Acceptance
Principal for Step Two – Faith
Principal for Step Three – Surrender
and Trust
Can’t do it alone
We must surrender our old way and
trust you and the DBT Program to show
us a new way to live life.
If we are not honest, where will we be
and the DBT Program will not work

Principal for Step Four – Honesty Doing and living the DBT Program is
courage

Principal for Step Five – Courage Willingness-vs-Willfulness

12 STEP PROGRAM DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THE

Not only is courage required but

Principal for Step Six – Willingness
Principal for Step Seven – Humility
Principal for Step Eight – Forgiveness
humbling oneself that I need help. I
want to have a life worth living.
If we make a mistake or hurt someone,
apologizing when appropriate and telling
ourselves it’s OK is all about
forgiveness

DBT has freed me to know that there is

a better way of life and I can and do live
it
Principal for Step Nine – Freedom
One must be able to persevere in order
to do the DBT Program, even after one
graduates
Principal for Step Ten – Perseverance
One must be patient in learning, doing,
and living DBT

Principal for Step Eleven – Patience Carrying the message from teacher to
student, and peer to peer

Principal for Step Twelve – Charity and Nonjudgmental Stance

Love

The 12 Step Program teaches us to not Letting go of emotional suffering

judge others

We go to meetings to share our pain

and suffering and after a meeting, you Reducing Vulnerability
usually feel better

At meetings we use the term HALT!

(Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired!) to Opposite to Emotion action
reduce our chances of relapse

When we feel least like going to a 12

Step meeting, that’s when you need to Honest, open-minded, and willing are
go the three keys to BPD recovery and the
DBT Program
Being honest, open-minded, and willing
are the three keys to recovery
12 STEP PROGRAM DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THE
12 STEP PROGRAM DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THE