Group participants share understanding, advice, and encouragement. No, there are numerous alternatives to AA including self-help approaches, professional counseling, and medication-assisted treatment. Besides physical activities, another effective self-help strategy is journaling. Writing down thoughts and feelings serves as a therapeutic outlet during times when emotions run high. It allows you to express yourself freely without judgment, helping you gain insights into your emotional patterns related to addiction.
Stage of Relapse (And What To Do About Them)
You must be ready to change in order to find the best treatment program for you. It will help prevent relapse once the formal treatment program ends. This guide includes the steps required to fully support the path and the journey to addiction recovery. For those struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, AA and its sister groups are some of the most popular programs for getting sober.
Free Alternatives to AA
All I wanted to do was be wasted, and I was putting myself in dangerous situations when I drank. Recognizing and avoiding triggers and temptations is key to maintaining sobriety. Identify situations, environments, or people that might prompt you to drink and establish healthy boundaries. It is generally the first step in a more comprehensive treatment plan.
What Is Sobriety, Anyway?
They offered testing, treatment, and sterile works nd injecting supplies. The best part about Swan was they also allowed us to use their facility as a safe place to inject heroin and other drugs. They would monitor us while we were in the restroom working up. I went there for 3 years, and during this time, they reversed many overdoses and never lost a life. Learning effective strategies to manage cravings and peer pressure plays a significant role in resisting temptations and remaining committed to sobriety.
- One of the biggest debates in the recovery world is about whether or not you can stay sober without AA.
- At some point in your recovery, you’ll feel stressed out, whether it’s major stress (like losing a job) or minor stress (like running late for an appointment).
- Along this path, I stumbled into a CASAC 350-hour training program, a twist I didn’t anticipate but welcomed like an old friend, opening the doors to becoming a substance abuse counselor in New York.
Regular attendance at group meetings, meditation, personal inventory, mentorship, retreat, and service are integral components of the program, ensuring your success and growth. How many people don’t connect with AA, find themselves miserably trying to force it to work for them, and give up and go back to drinking because they feel like they don’t have any other options? Those are the people we’re looking to find, because we don’t want them to get lost. We want them to know there are options, that there is help, and that they aren’t alone. There is something out there that’s going to connect with their heart and their spirit, that’s going to provide what they need to stop drinking and start recovering. There are many paths to changing your relationship with alcohol, and it may take some experimentation to figure out what treatment—or combination of treatments—is most effective for your unique needs.
If you think you have a drinking problem, you should check out AA. Without a doubt, going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and being a part of the fellowship saved my life. Well, I was thinking that the host knew I didn’t drink, as beforehand, he’d asked me if I ate https://ecosoberhouse.com/ food prepared with alcohol and I told him yes. Most of them involve an oyster swimming in its own juice or tomato juice, though sometimes it’s cocktail sauce. Usually there’s a lemon wedge and some hint of Tabasco — and yes, there’s usually at least a little booze.
- Remember, you have the power to overcome addiction and lead a fulfilling, alcohol-free life.
- Their New Life Program is based on 13 acceptance statements, and six levels of recovery.
- If any area of your life is out of control, it will not help you maintain lasting sobriety.
- If you’re willing to forego the inherent connection between alcoholics, there are a myriad of ways to stay sober with AA.
- Options like naltrexone and disulfiram have been around for several decades, and there are now half a dozen effective choices in total.
- Naltrexone is a prescription medication that immediately reduces the “buzz” of alcohol and curbs cravings in the long term.
- Getting sober is a remarkable achievement that can improve your life.
While Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most well-known support group for alcohol addiction, it’s not the only option available. In addition to AA meetings, these groups offer valuable resources for those seeking support. Of course, quitting or cutting back to your ideal amount is only the first step. Many people struggle with alcohol cravings for months or even years after quitting, and there are many pitfalls to overcome, including post-acute withdrawal syndrome. Ultimately, finding some kind of support group or coaching program can make it much easier, and much less stressful, to stay sober long-term. Fortunately, if AA doesn’t work for you, there are other choices.
Author: Find Recovery Editorial Team
Evidence-based addiction treatment uses the current and best research-based evidence to make informed decisions about your rehab care. Strictly speaking, sobriety is the state of being sober—not being under the influence getting sober without aa of alcohol or drugs. However, the word is often used in different ways in different contexts. Many 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence, which means never using the substance again.