Alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous AA: Including both Quitting and Moderating Drinking

One of the best middle-ground options out there is online treatment. Although it can’t help with medical detox, practically every other aspect of a well-rounded rehab program can be done through your phone. Not only is this much more https://thearizonadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ flexible to your schedule, it’s also significantly more affordable. Start by talking to a doctor to make sure it is safe for you to go through withdrawal without medical care, and create a list of people to call just in case.

I know what you’re thinking: Why didnt you go to NA?

Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater. To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships. Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House It is estimated that up to 80% of those who find long-term sobriety had at least one relapse along the way. Some people experience many setbacks before they find lasting recovery.

Alternative Support Groups

Regular exercise can help improve your mood and reduce anxiety. You can also try talking to a therapist or a trusted friend about your emotions. Remember, it’s okay to feel your emotions, but it’s important to find healthy ways to cope with them. When you feel the urge to drink, try to distract yourself with something you enjoy doing.

Recognizing Potential Triggers for Relapse

• The groups are led by moderators and serve to promote emotional and spiritual growth free from the bounds of alcohol abuse and addiction.
• If you’re wondering if it’s possible to achieve sobriety without attending AA meetings, the answer is a resounding yes.
• Sobriety means not being under the influence of a substance.
• But if AA or recovery groups in general aren’t for you, consider meeting with a counselor to help you create healthy coping mechanisms and beneficial means of dealing with unwanted thoughts and behaviors.

Instead, focus on things, experiences, and activities that will support your new, healthy lifestyle. One study found that mutual support groups can be as effective as 12-step programs and may help improve the odds of success for people who are committed to maintaining a lifetime of total abstinence. The article provides tips on dealing with relapses in the journey towards sobriety, including recognizing potential triggers and developing strategies to manage them. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining an optimistic outlook, reaching out to support networks, prioritizing self-care, and continually refining strategies based on previous experiences.

• Though AA may be the most well-known solution for alcohol abuse, it is far from the only one.
• These medications can help reduce alcohol cravings, helping people to either cut back or stay sober after they’ve quit.
• If any area of your life is out of control, it will not help you maintain lasting sobriety.
• Clinically, Warren has developed a therapeutic skillset that utilizes a strengths-based perspective, Twelve Step philosophies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.
• “This study suggests that these alternatives really are viable options for people who are looking for recovery support and don’t like AA for whatever reason,” Sarah Zemore, lead author of the study, told me.
• Refuge Recovery is a Buddhist-inspired program that emphasizes mindfulness, compassion, and community.

By focusing on exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness, you can improve your overall health, increase your resilience, and boost your chances of maintaining sobriety. This type of counseling involves multiple family members to address issues within the family and focuses on family-level assessment to transform familial relations. The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success. Remember to care for yourself, seek supportive relationships, and consider seeking help from a therapist.

• When you feel the urge to drink, try to distract yourself with something you enjoy doing.
• Secular Organizations for Sobriety is not one specific program but rather a collection of programs that are autonomous from each other.
• Sober living is a crucial step in maintaining sobriety after detox or rehab.
• This especially may help if people are thinking about taking a drink of alcohol.

Many people who have AUD don’t want to abstain from drinking entirely and instead seek treatments that reduce drinking. And others have the goal to quit drinking, but don’t find other aspects of AA to align with their values. MM holds that problem drinking is not always the same thing as addiction, and in less severe instances, individuals may be able to moderate their drinking instead of abstaining completely. Moderation may not be the best strategy for everyone, MM acknowledges, but it may work well for some. Finally, if you find all of these options too time consuming, expensive, or fussy, you can always go it alone. This can be a lot more difficult—and even dangerous if you have a severe enough addiction.

• Outpatient rehab lets you continue living at home and attend treatment for several hours per day.
• If you’re in recovery from a substance use disorder, you already know how much work it took to achieve sobriety, and you’ll want to do everything possible to avoid having a relapse.
• Now that you are sober, you may have discovered that some of your past relationships were not only unhealthy but downright toxic.
• Absolutely, there are many alternative methods such as sober living programs, therapy, and lifestyle changes that can lead to long-term sobriety.
• A primary reason 12-step works for so many people (in my opinion) is it sets you up with a new social scene, full of folks just like yourself.