How It Works

What is happening in the brain when someone works the 12 Steps? For generations, the 12 Steps have helped people find sobriety, honesty, connection, and a new way of life. But many people still wonder why these practices work so deeply. Why does surrender bring relief? Why does confession reduce shame? Why do prayer, meditation, amends, and service help people stay grounded in recovery? How It Works: The Neuroscience Behind 12-Step Recovery explores those questions by bringing together the wisdom of the 12 Steps and the science of the brain. Written in clear, accessible language, this book explains how addiction affects the brain's systems for reward, stress, impulse control, memory, meaning, and connection. It then walks step by step through the recovery process, showing how each practice can help reshape the brain:

• Step 1 and the prefrontal cortex
• Step 2 and the dopamine system
• Step 3 and stress regulation
• Step 4 and memory reconsolidation
• Step 5 and social neuroscience
• Step 9 and the healing power of amends
• Step 11 and the brain's attention networks
• Step 12 and the reward of service