Metabolism, heart rate, and rate of breathing decrease. Brain waves slow down. These changes are the opposite of those induced by stress and are an effective therapy for certain diseases, especially those chronic in nature. Significantly, many doctors believe that because stress worsens a disease, a spiritual program that involves prayer and meditation is an effective component for treatment. Although skeptics still question whether the chronically ill person who is spiritual is more likely to benefit medically than someone who is not spiritual, of this there is no doubt.
Spirituality helps the chronically ill people cope with the medical challenges of their condition.
We've covered the theory a bit. The 12 steps are a program of action, is how they are being described. While some guidance is useful for following the 12 steps, they are essentially a series of action steps, steps one can take to make one's life better. These are the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which I have adapted in my series of books to apply to people with chronic illness. We admitted we were powerless over chronic illness, that our lives had become unmanageable.