Can You Actually Stay Sober Without AA?

While addicted to alcohol or drugs, you might have only thought about the next time you would get drunk or high. Many recovering addicts now find that they have more time to fill without drugs and alcohol consuming their thoughts and actions. You can be sober and happy by focusing on your health and wellness in your everyday life. Going to a 12-Step program or other support group offers encouragement and support for your long-term recovery. Many treatment centers encourage you to find a support group that will work for you. The cornerstone of 12-Step meetings is admitting that you are powerless to your addiction. You are asked to surrender control to a higher power, which may or may not be based on faith. Each stage of recovery brings you closer to your goal of long-term sobriety. When you advance to a new phase, tell your loved ones and share your success with them. Addiction is a “chronic brain disease” that is treatable yet not cured.

However, I am thankful that it is there and if I ever encounter someone who I think would benefit from going to meetings and stopping drinking, I would gladly take them. I struggle with the idea that these people are totally accountable to a god that they cannot define or know what it wants. I do see the purpose of being part of a community and it is vital for humans to be in one. But to submit to a greasy dude who now rides a harley and because he now outwardly has his stuff together, I don’t see how that is going to make life anymore bearable get sober without aa or the wisdom in that. They are like paratroopers when you say that are new to the meeting, there are like 20 of them ready to tell you to how to live your life. Do everything i tell you and tell me all the nasty stuff you have done and you will get to stay sober one more day. Going to meetings is humiliating and depressing. 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.

Do not attend social gatherings that involve alcohol

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. I’ve also witnessed the fantastic potential and empowerment that often emerges by building relationships with people in recovery. Extraordinary magic comes with being in the company of people that are in the process of growing beyond what they knew they could ever be capable of. The social aspect of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can add a pleasant camaraderie that highlights that you are far from the only person struggling with alcoholism. Having people you see regularly and are all working towards the same goal also provides a level of accountability.

AA is highly judgmental when it comes to MAT or medication-assisted treatment. They do not believe in using any kind of medication to help you stay sober, even though statistics tell us these drugs do work. In fact, many opioid addicts cannot feel normal without them. This is probably due to permanent changes in their brains that occurred as a result of long-term exposure to powerful opioids. Even CBD, which isn’t psychoactive, is prohibited.

Are There Options Instead of AA?

But there are plenty of other programs out there that could help you as well. A structured schedule can help you achieve short-term goals, such as returning to work. It is easy to be triggered if you follow the same routine you found yourself in at the height of your substance abuse. Addiction support groups, such as narcotics anonymous, can help you learn new coping skills, develop negative thinking patterns and remind you that you are not alone. It is vital to learn from these past mistakes, don’t harbor the feelings, and speak to your loved ones and anyone else you believe you have hurt. This will help you move past these toxic thinking patterns. The internet can be a great resource for people in recovery. It can help you connect with people from all over the world. There are many amazing websites, groups, chat rooms, and many other places on the internet that can help with yoursobriety and recovery. There are bloggers, videos, and podcasts designed to give people hope.

I have lost the willingness required to carry on, along with being open in meetings or with other AA clones wanting to drive me back into the rooms. I’d rather be completely free from all the complicated talk and trying to remember all the cliches. I already know I can live my life in peace without the fear being generated by folk in rooms. After slimming down my meeting attendance and quietly giving up my service commitments, I just called my sponsor and told get sober without aa him I was leaving. I am grateful for the program for helping ,e to realize my sobriety – now I’m off to live it. Still quite isolated and miserable, I joined AA for the social contact. I have got myself a sponsor and although fearless regarding my approach to this wonder why i should divuldge my inner most secrets to someone i dont know because i wouldnt expect it of her. Additionally, in my city, the new age positivity crowd started taking over meetings.

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Matt Hunt is a documentary photographer connecting with people, sharing moments, and telling stories in Southeast Asia. Most threads have been very heated to say the least. I’m a, , and one of Gods children, like us all. I’ve worked the twelve steps twice with two sponcers.

Sobriety can also, however, define the process of recovery and developing long-term coping tools. It’s no secret that getting sober after having an alcohol abuse problem takes a lot of work. There are many different methods out there to encourage individuals to get and stay sober, but it isn’t as easy as it may look. Exercise Sober Home boosts your brain, battling the brain disease of alcoholism. This isn’t talked about in 12-step much but it’s a life-saver. Check out why person in long-term recovery and counselor, Chrissy Taylor, encourages exercise in early sobriety. Exercise will get your endorphins pumping, reduce cravings, and make you feel better.

The Top 25 Sober Communities Beyond Traditional AA

Such resources may supply you with the courage to stay sober. If you do not have internet access at home, it is free in many places, including libraries. If you do not feel that AA is the program for you, the internet has many resources and may help people stay sober. As a member of the LGBT community, I sometimes have sobriety-related concerns that are difficult to share with my heterosexual friends. That’s exactly where a community like LGBTteetotaler comes in. The free iOS/Android app can connect you to other sober people all across the world. It’s a great way to get to know others in your neighborhood—or anywhere else! One of the best features of the app was extra support during the holidays thanks to a “Burning Desire” button that allowed a user to alert others in the area that they need help when temptation arises. The program has in-person meetings in the US and Canada and other locations across the world. They also have online meetings for those that don’t want to or can’t attend regular meetings.

For those that haven’t read my tale of boozing woe, here’s the primer of those drinking days. In terms of sobriety, it is essential to know that even if all youwantis to believe in yourself, you are on the right track. You might not believe in yourself today, tomorrow, or next week. Still, if you’dliketo believe in yourself, you have what it takes to do it. Similarly, if you’dliketo be sober but aren’t sure if you can do it 100%, you are already on the right path. That said, here are 4 things I have learned that are useful in getting sober from alcohol without AA.

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. All content created by Alcohol Rehab Help is sourced from current scientific research and fact-checked by an addiction counseling expert. However, the information provided by Alcohol Rehab Help is not a substitute for professional treatment advice. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery are open to anyone with a substance abuse problem. Partial hospitalization programs are sometimes referred to as intensive outpatient programs . Alcohol and drug addiction is not easy to overcome. Studies show that people who obtain professional help are more likely to remain sober than those who try to recover on their own. The more you surround yourself with healthy relationships, the easier it will be to recover and maintain sobriety.

• So, the truthful answer to whether or not you can stay sober without AA is yes.
• She Recovers believes that you don’t have to get to the bottom in order to recover from something.
• I think that I have the conscious choice to pick up a drink or not.
• Alcohol and drug addiction is not easy to overcome.