Is it permissible for a traditional catholic suffering from addictions and anxiety/depression to use the 12 steps for recovery?

What's your addiction?  Alcohol or drugs?  If the latter, which one?

Solution?  The Precious Blood.  That is it.  God gave us all we need.  The powers of the Precious Blood, is the solution.  

Years ago, the true traditional Holy Mother church recommended a group known as the Sacred Heart, if I am correct, for those like you.  Men came back from war with drinking problems for an example.  The members had to go by rules: Receive confession often, Holy Eucharist often.  And yes, AA was condemned.  Why" Because it had no solution, no powers of God.  AA told members, you must come to every meeting, or such.  Take to your God, whoever.

My son ran into gambling, considered worse than drinking.  However, he came to mom, me, and was sorrowful as to how he was going to lick this addiction.

I said, "Son, I will tell you what I know."  I read about AA and they say there is a 10 -15% cure.  That is very sad.  But I do know this, the powers of the Precious Blood is the solution.  No other sect has the Precious Blood, only the true church the traditional Catholic.  We are blessed to have a truly ordained priest, and the sacraments.  I would think that the 10 -15% cures were catholics."

Original poster: Yes I agree, like I said, I am a traditional catholic. The precious blood IS my higher power. I know that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way, truth and life. So I guess the question is, Can the steps be ADAPTED to the catholic Faith.


To Alexandria: I have been addicted to both alcohol and drugs at various points in my life. I was clinically dead from a heroin overdose in January. My life is completely unmanageable without the help of others. But I've experienced the grace of God In the past too. I want to love God with all my heart and soul and be forgiven for my sins.

Im actually in a rehab facility. It has A.A meetings, and various other tools to help me. I have lots of free time to pray and practice the Faith.  I'm in touch with an sspx priest and he is coming to bring me the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion.


Thank you all for your consoling comments.

By the way, Bill Wilson got his inspiration for AA from the Catholic Church and based the Twelve Steps on Ignatian spirituality.  I'm sure you won't hear that in your rehab, but read the old AA books.  Or find an old timer at an AA meeting with decades of sobriety under his/her belt and ask them.

 

AA tells you that you only have to have a higher power, even if that higher power is a dog or a dorr knob.

Prayers, cold showers and keep busy.  

The steps line up very well with Catholic thinking.  The only problem that I've heard is that it has a spirit of Fɾҽҽmαsσɳɾყ with the "higher power" that can be whatever you want.

If you know your higher power is Jesus Christ, and you integrate the steps with Catholic teaching, you  will be fine.