AA Alternatives: 25 Sober Communities Beyond Alcoholics Anonymous

As such, I support AA as one potentially useful tool but it’s not one that works for me. In no way is AA or the 12 steps the alpha and omega of recovery its strictest adherents would have you believe. I quit drinking in 2009 without the help of AA or rehab. There was no intervention, medical crisis or new low that finally spurred me to action. I got sober as I had gotten f-ed up—alone, under my own power. Three weeks into my sobriety, a survey I took at a public health clinic flagged me to an outreach program, Project Link, and they hooked me up with an addiction specialist at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

• •Yoga of 12 Step Recovery connects the dots between the practical tools of 12-step recovery, the ancient techniques of yoga, and modern research on trauma healing and neurobiology.
• Of central importance to my transformation was keeping my appointments with my counselor, Chris Sturiano.
• It is safer to abstain from alcohol under professional care, and it’s more likely that you will get and stay sober.
• There is no empirical data which proves that AA helps alcoholics get sober or stay sober.
• Mark’s natural leadership skills as well as his creative thought process to generate new revenue strategies make him one of the most sought-after professionals in healthcare.

•Refuge Recovery is a mindfulness-based addiction recovery community that practices and utilizes Buddhist philosophy as the foundation of the recovery process. Some people do need meetings every day, and others do not.

What Happens if I Relapse?

AA isn’t explicitly religious, but it did grow out of a Christian organization called The Oxford Group. Contact our addiction recovery staff to find the program that is best for you. They also provide more support, and have dedicated professional counselors and treatment experts who can provide assistance with all aspects of sobriety. You can attend AA meetings for as long as you want to. In fact, it’s encouraged that if you are a recovering alcoholic, you continue to attend meetings even years into your recovery. The goal of outpatient treatment is to provide therapy, education, and support in a flexible environment.

For these folks, online communities and supportive sobriety groups beyond AA can be a welcome addition to your recovery journey. It’s not that traditional 12-Step groups aren’t welcoming, but that sometimes you need a group you can relate to in order to support your sobriety—a safe space where you can actually feel like yourself. Professionally-assisted treatment offers support throughout the entire treatment process and helps people learn how to live an alcohol-free lifestyle permanently. There is a lot of choice when it comes to alcohol rehabilitation programs, and that can be a good thing.

How To Stay Sober: 9 Answers About Staying Sober And Why You Need A Sober Community

10) Power of suggestion leads people back to the bottle when they are told that they will “relapse” if they fail to do a 90/90. how to stay sober without aa 9) Although “I’m only as sober as the time I woke up this morning’ is touted, members with “time in” have superior status.

They are best for people motivated to recover and cannot leave their responsibilities at home, work, or school. Partial hospitalization programs are sometimes referred to as intensive outpatient programs . Therapy helps you identify and unpack the core reasons causing you to drink. For example, drinking alcohol can be an escape mechanism if you’re struggling in your marriage or dealing with trauma. If you live with friends or family, kindly ask them to do the same to support your sobriety.

The 7-Word Question That Has Helped Me Overcome Every Addiction in Life

Cirque Lodge is considered amongst our colleagues, as one of, if not the premium drug and alcohol rehab facility in the country. You will not find a more beautiful or comprehensive treatment resource to heal and recover from alcoholism or other substance use disorders. Breaking free from prescription drug addiction and abuse isn’t easy. However, with effective support, you can overcome the root causes of addictive behavior and rediscover your love of sober life.

When you are struggling with alcohol addiction, chances are your body is being deprived of necessary nutrients. Eating a well-balanced diet will help to get your body back to a healthy state and help you maintain your sobriety. While that’s my answer, it’s not a one-size fits all solution, and that’s a leading cause of AA’s failure … but they really don’t care about you getting sober . If you believe, like I do, excessive drinking is really just a bad habit for many, then abstinence only is doomed to fail. Ironically, thanks in great part to the work I did in 12-step programs, I learned that alcoholism wasn’t my only problem — or even my biggest problem. The forums of Sober Recovery are a great place for people with substance use disorder to find assistance and helpful information.

Refuge Recovery

One of their top rules is all about sharing that philosophy without attacking another’s. For those who want to pair a physical style of recovery with a free sober active community will find inspiration in the more than 26,000 people across the U.S. who are part of The Phoenix. This recovery path features physical exercise, from CrossFit to climbing to hiking and running to yoga and cycling, and so much more. The old website Tired of Thinking About Drinking was very helpful for someone on their own path to sobriety.

• The more strategies you learn to identify triggers, cope with stress, and manage your new sober life, the easier it is to prevent relapse.
• Once in a while, I’ll make a stupid bet with a friend or play cards; Steve has a gambling problem so he won’t bet a nickel or even play solitaire.
• LGBTteetotaler can provide that boost of extra confidence.
• They also feature a newsletter and plenty of resources for those who want some additional information online.

A lot of the team does not know, but I love learning from them. If I am not learning something about our industry or workplace, I am certainly learning how to effectively collaborate with different types of individuals. To my mind, therein lies the dilemma of trying to compare the success rates of one approach versus another. The people who find that AA works for them are going to be the people who continue showing up and re-committing to their recovery, even if they relapse. If it hadn’t worked for them, they would have dropped out. I became an AA member because I thought it was the default. Everyone’s path to addiction is unique—so must be their recovery.