Regardless of the difference in our needs, the most important thing is that we just don’t drink. Your sobriety is your own, and how you do it is entirely up to you. In AA specifically, meeting people who have lived through relapse and recovery cycles is common. It is also common for people to project the one thing that eventually worked for them onto others as the only way to be sober. The most common feedback I’ve received comes from people who want to be sober with others but do not want to partake in Alcoholics Anonymous.

• Regardless of the approach you choose, certain tips and strategies can make you much more likely to succeed at quitting alcohol long-term.
• This is monumental for the continued building of an unmovable foundation.
• Self-belief is not all-or-nothing, and the approach to it as such is futile.
• It’s hard enough to stay sober when life is on an even keel.
• Multiple accredited sources report that AA members fail to stay sober more often than they succeed.
• It is also common for people to project the one thing that eventually worked for them onto others as the only way to be sober.

I come from the 60s and 70s when speed was “black beauties or cross tops” not crack or crystal meth. Being that I was an “Old School ” heroin addict and the dope was uncut, I have watched the heroin being stepped on and replaced with Fentanyl as an SUD Counselor now working in treatment. I also see the synthetic prescription opiates like Oxy, Norcos and Vicodin that are becoming major gateways to long term addiction. That wrath is addiction and it is not a California thing or a New York thing, it’s not even a United States thing or a North America thing…it is a GLOBAL THING. Addiction is internationally known and it affects us globally here on this planet we call Earth. But I would rather this happen than return to the life I was living prior to sobriety.

Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs)

LifeRing is another alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous. It is abstinence-focused, and designed to be compatible with a variety of other treatment resources. The program’s philosophy emphasizes positivity, practicality, and staying focused on the present.

Other approaches like harm-reduction, medication-assisted treatment, and moderation-based programs may help you succeed if AA isn’t a good match for you. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health, which sometimes includes substance use disorders. They can be particularly helpful if you believe you have underlying anxiety or depression you are managing with alcohol. One of the most popular forms of alcohol addiction management and recovery support is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-Step program. AA has more than 2 million members worldwide in over 100,000 locally supported groups.

Attend Recovery Groups Even After Getting Sober

Red flags, to me, are thoughts that romanticize drinking. Sometimes, for example, I’ll find myself liking the way alcohol smells or tastes on my partner’s mouth. Or I’ll feel left out when I’m at a dinner party and everyone else is drinking. I’ll sometimes find myself wishing I had a wine glass, too. The yucky way alcohol makes me feel is reason enough not to drink. I avoid refined sugar and processed foods because of how crummy my body feels after eating them — why should alcohol be any different?

I stopped attending meetings because a lot of stuff I was instructed to believe became less useful the more “sober” I got. The other day I came across this great article that spells out the very frustration I would feel in meetings. From my very first meeting, I learned a lot about addiction and how my addictive nature manifests. I worked with a sponsor and did the Steps, which gave me tons of invaluable insight into myself and my experience. Your sponsor must be a member is good standing and who has already completed the steps.

What is Lean (Drug): 15+ Purple Drank Facts

Exercise will get your endorphins pumping, reduce cravings, and make you feel better. Women for Sobriety (WFS) is a program that is specifically engineered to focus on women’s treatment needs and what will best support their recovery. The groups are led by moderators, and serve to promote emotional and spiritual growth free from the bounds of alcohol abuse and addiction. Topamax is an anticonvulsant drug traditionally used to prevent seizures and migraine headaches. It has its own steps—nine of them—which the organization says can help followers to achieve balance and moderation in all aspects of their lives. The organization is upfront about the fact that 30 percent of its members go on to abstinence-based programs, if moderation didn’t work for them.

It really only stands to reason just based on the statistics alone of the 2.5 million people that have maintained sobriety within the AA community. That fact alone is (or should be) enough to convince anyone struggling with addiction, that there is a solution available. https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/is-it-possible-to-get-sober-without-aa/ It should also be known that the founders of the fellowship themselves have stated, “we do not claim a monopoly on recovery”, meaning AA may not be the only way to recover. Just like you, I am addicted to pleasure…and air and water and just life in general.

A sponsor is someone who has previously worked the program steps and is qualified to give another member direction, and ultimately guide them through the process. This is referred to as 12-Step work and it consists of rigorous honesty within yourself to go through this fact finding process about one’s self. The root of this gig is pure “selflessness” and this is the one precursor to becoming a successful member. However, it is still considered “all good” because this selflessness is what keeps us sober.

Ask someone you respect if they can be your “go-to” friend in times of need. It’s great if this can be someone successful in their own recovery program or a substance abuse coach, as they will be the most qualified to support you on your journey. That said, it is also key to cultivate supportive relationships with close friends or family members who can step in to support you at a moment’s notice. It is safe to say, as well, that staying sober without AA may prove to be more difficult than being able to stay sober while being involved with AA, as a member.