How to Get Sober Without AA

Developing a structured schedule can help keep you accountable and work towards important life goals. Women are more likely to believe that their problem will go away on its own. This may be down to women being conditioned to ignore their own health concerns (e.g., having their pain discounted, etc.) or down to greater optimism in general. Do not allow COVID-19 to stop you from seeking the care you need. We are here to answer your questions and alleviate any concerns.

This is terrible and probably not much better than no program at all. Many people have indeed managed to defeat an addiction and maintain sobriety on their own for many years. Most people will need help to quit, especially for drugs with severe withdrawal syndromes like the opioids. For sure, stopping even a 30-milligram daily oxycodone habit would produce powerful withdrawal symptoms that most people simply couldn’t endure. Higher addiction levels would be far worse and even more difficult to withstand.

What is the Sober Ladder?

He is also a committee member of the organizations Bonei Olam and Chai Lifeline Mid-Atlantic. 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.

• My feelings were compounded by an internal sense that the Steps just weren’t for me; I felt there was too much emphasis on amending bad/addictive behavior.
• Instead, focus on things, experiences, and activities that will support your new, healthy lifestyle.
• You make a real inventory of who you are as a person.
• On New Year’s Eve, after I took that shot, I felt, well — shot.

So, for this milestone, I’d like to share some insight about the program of Alcoholics Anonymous based entirely on my own experience. In communicating with people considering sobriety, preconceived notions about AA are the most common point of disinterest in making the change for themselves, and I understand why. Lean on close friends and family for support, even if your relationships aren’t what they used to be. Think about going to counseling or family therapy to help with that and to deal with other personal issues.

Here’s How I Found Recovery Without God and the 12 Steps

I experienced it myself over years of painful accidents, depression, and near-death alcohol withdrawal. This gives you a quick and easy explanation for why you aren’t drinking.

Another way to stay sober without AA is to exercise regularly. Exercising get sober without aa canproduce endorphins such as serotonin and dopamine.

Women-Led Communities

Self-Management and Recovery Training, better known as SMART Recovery, is a support group for addiction recovery that offers strategies, tools and techniques based on self-reliance and self-empowerment. Unlike NA and AA, there is no spiritual angle to SMART recovery. Women for Sobriety is another sobriety support group and program.

Recovery can be a linear process, yet you might need to go back if you aren’t ready to move forward. For example, you might complete a sober living program yet do not feel prepared to get back in the real world. Then, completing treatment advances you to sober living. Following that, you get back in the real world, where your life of sobriety is just beginning. Any general advice posted on our blog, website, or app https://ecosoberhouse.com/ is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or substitute for any medical or other advice. If you have specific concerns or a situation arises in which you require medical advice, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified medical services provider. It helps you find a power greater than yourself, and gets you involved in service with others in your community who need help.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

We live in an age where the addictive use of drugs, and drug-related deaths, are at an epidemic – it has even been declared as such in the U.S. recently. And there are plenty of international campaigns working hard to change the stigma attached to substance abuse, increase access to treatment, and improve resources. Refuge Recovery is a Buddhist path to addiction recovery, spearheaded by Buddhist teacher Noah Levine as an alternative to 12-Step programs.

• Even if they support your sobriety, they might still not understand how your addiction works.
• LifeRing was born out of organizational rifts within SOS, but uses fundamentally similar tenets.
• Being sober is challenging, especially in the beginning.
• In fact, some other treatment methods are just as, if not more, effective as these 12-step programs.
• If the question comes from someone you know well, you may want to say that drugs or alcohol became a problem for you, so you’re staying away from them.

It is safer to abstain from alcohol under professional care, and it’s more likely that you will get and stay sober. Looking at old photographs may help some people stay clean and sober. This especially may help if people are thinking about taking a drink of alcohol. Sometimes, in recovery, people may feel run-down, tired, and unhappy. Alcohol used to be their solution to these feelings. If you’re seeking a community that’s focused on positive health and behavior change, then Hello Sunday Morning might be right for you.

Myths About Going Teetotal or How Did I Quit Alcohol

If you have a drug or alcohol problem but don’t want to go to AA, keep reading. There are still plenty of ways to get the treatment you need and start the healthy lifestyle you deserve. For those struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, AA and its sister groups are some of the most popular programs for getting sober. In fact, as of 2019, over 2 million people worldwide went to AA.