It’s important to remember that there are innumerable approaches to recovery, and whatever you choose to help you, you’re not alone. The second biggest misconception about recovery is that leaving AA is synonymous with relapse. If someone wants to continue in recovery, they will find a way to do so. Equally, if someone wants to return to use, they can do so in the rooms or outside of them. And we should not shame or ridicule either of those choices. Kelly believes this journey of recovery needs to be more widely accepted.
- Research shows that peer-led mutual aid groups like SMART Recovery or LifeRing Secular Recovery have been successful in helping individuals maintain long-term sobriety.
- “I was really, really nervous when I first went sober that I’m going to be so boring,” says Kali.
- An important part of recovery is addressing these issues and setting boundaries.
- Are you wondering if it’s possible to get sober without attending AA meetings?
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. This can help you focus on something positive instead of turning to alcohol.
I stopped attending meetings because a lot of stuff I was instructed to believe became less useful the more “sober” I got.
Also, with the exception of online rehab, these programs can be very disruptive to work and family life. Finally, many residential and outpatient programs are based on 12 step philosophy. If this perspective is a reason you want to stop drinking without AA, these won’t be suitable.
- Instead, it indicates areas that require more focus in your recovery process.
- The further you stray from who you used to be, the more you feel that you can’t relate to others (or that they can’t relate to you).
- It can be as simple as your existing friend group who checks in on each other through text, or commiserating with online strangers on a sobriety memes account on social media.
- When you walk through the doors of an AA meeting, the warm welcome everyone receives is because of this common bond.
Its like words light up your way so that you can follow on a clear path to recovery. Once they are sober, they realize it was not a good option at all. It only allows one to hide behind the realities instead of facing them. The internet makes the world look like a global village where https://ecosoberhouse.com/ you connect with people from diverse backgrounds. Also, there are various platforms, social media groups, chat rooms among other sites. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol.
Online Communities
It’s a science-backed approach to treatment, and an empowering, modern way to quit drinking without AA. WFS uses 13 acceptance statements to support its “New Life” Program that asks members to focus their energies on positivity over negativity. Efforts are made to accept thoughts and actions as self-destructive, learn how to cope with the emotions and behaviors that are created getting sober without aa through alcohol addiction, and then overcome them. Women are encouraged to go over the 13 acceptance statements each morning and then work through them throughout the day, reflecting on them each night. Women also take responsibility for their own actions, understanding that each person is in control of their own happiness, and each woman is worthwhile and competent.
- Nevertheless, the choice to become a part of the AA community is yours and yours alone.
- Grace Roy, 18, began writing while receiving treatment in hospital in a bit to share her experience.
- Group participants share understanding, advice, and encouragement.
- Of all the things that support my sobriety, one of the most critical is knowing that there are sober people are all around me, inside and outside formal programs like AA.
- Exercise will get your endorphins pumping, reduce cravings, and make you feel better.
- She’s found sharing her sober journey on her own podcast, Hangxiety, as well as listening to other people’s experiences has been a good way of helping her stick to it.