Like a 12 step program, Non-12-step programs also use group meetings to help people recover from substance abuse. These meetings provide the same community-based support that people get from 12-step programs. The key difference between these two types of treatment is that non-12-step programs don’t ask participants to follow the same dogma that 12-step programs do.
Instead of saying that a person is powerless over their addiction, non-12-step programs say that people do have the power to control their addictions. This self-reliant approach is more appealing for many people.