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How to Quit Drinking Without Going to AA

get sober without aa

Celebrating your progress reminds you of your strength and determination to maintain sobriety. Embrace each sober day as a significant step towards a healthier, happier life free from alcohol’s grip. Educate yourself about the long-term physical and psychological effects of substance use disorder.

get sober without aa

Tips for Avoiding Relapse After Recovery

It also provided me stability as I slowly stopped shooting heroin. Plan your day with activities that promote your overall well-being, such as exercise, meditation, spending time with loved ones, pursuing your passions, and setting realistic goals. Building a structured daily routine provides stability and reduces the chances of relapse. Instead of shunning them, I was grateful for their kindness and went to Sunday worship for breakfast, warmth, and companionship. We met weekly for breakfast for several years until I lost contact. Surrounding yourself with a solid and understanding support system is crucial for successful sobriety.

Sobriety in A.A.: We made changes to stop drinking

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. HAMS is a peer-led group that provides support and information to those who want to change their drinking habits. It’s an AA alternative that involves 17 steps instead of 12, and supports moderate drinking and harm reduction in addition to full sobriety. Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) was developed in the 1970s.

Why Harm Reduction combined with recovery coaching meets readiness for change.

If you were active in your addiction for a period of time, you may have developed financial problems. A therapist can help you learn new coping skills, develop new thinking patterns, and address any co-occurring mental health conditions that may make recovery more difficult. Our holistic approach supports your physical, mental, and spiritual health through a range of evidence-based treatment modalities.

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. It was designed to create community, support and camaraderie for those struggling towards sobriety. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, it’s important to find the right program. With so many options, it’s always a good idea to talk to professionals.

Recognizing Potential Triggers for Relapse

  1. But even though my job was only 15 miles away from home, I’d spend 3 hours driving in traffic each day commuting to and from work.
  2. People in recovery can experience a lot of shame simply for having become addicted in the first place.
  3. SOS-supported groups are nonprofessional and offer a healthy network of individuals with the similar goal of sobriety.
  4. I’d get high once in a while when I had to cop for friends driving down to NYC from upstate.
  5. In the long run, the research suggests AA could save individuals and the economy millions in health care costs linked to harmful drinking patterns.

Support is available in self-help groups across the U.S. and abroad, as well as in an online forum. Neurofeedback allows you to see your own brain waves on a computer screen, in real-time, and thus learn to alter certain brain rhythms through continuous feedback. It’s traditionally been used for sufferers of PTSD, though in recent years it’s been incorporated into a few rehab centers and a growing number of psychological clinics.

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) involves withdrawal symptoms that persist past the detox period. Such symptoms are often related to mood and may include irritability, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and fatigue. From gourmet cuisine to our spacious, 10,000 square foot estate, Silver Ridge provides a tranquil and peaceful setting for recovery. We understand the challenges of this stage of life, and our program is specifically built to serve the mid-life adult in a meaningful and individualized way. If you or someone close to you is battling with addiction but isn’t interested in AA, there are other potential solutions that can help them reach a successful recovery. To get started with mindfulness, check out the apps Calm or Headspace.

The key to lasting and long-term recovery from alcoholism on your own will come from taking away the best aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous and drug rehab and incorporating those practices into your daily life. Sober living is a crucial step in maintaining sobriety after detox or rehab. It provides continuous support and a safe space to transition back into society. Plus, studies show that those who participate in sober living programs have lower relapse rates and better mental health and employment prospects.

Most people who make their way into recovery have left a lot of pain and suffering in their wake. Feeling guilty or ashamed of past behavior or actions during active addiction is natural and healthy. Once you do return to work, it’s important to create a budget and take steps to safeguard yourself as work stress can be a relapse trigger.

get sober without aa

I have spoken with my temporary sponsor and will begin volunteering and helping at my AA meetings. I felt a great weight lifted when I admitted I needed help and reached out. “You can easily pay $100 or benzodiazepines $200 dollars for a psychotherapy session but in AA people throw a buck into a basket, and even that is optional,” Humphreys says. If not, there are plenty of alternative tools and methods you could try.

Financial troubles and problems finding and keeping employment are major triggers for relapse, but it is possible to take baby steps and get your finances in order. Just keep in mind that your improvements won’t happen overnight. 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. My experience at Silver Ridge has been life changing to me.

get sober without aa

Could not even get one based in my country.I’m not deterred though. The one i joined today will do for the time being.I will keep attending and hopefully will also happily get to the other side so i can be of help to others. In this short video, they describe bringing a water bottle filled with vodka to bring to school. A chance opportunity to go to a meeting led them to choose sobriety in A.A., where they found friends, meaning and a new way of life. This subreddit is a place to motivate each other to control or stop drinking.

It’s an amazing resource for those who choose to use it, and I highly encourage anybody who wants to quit drinking to try it out first. Recover from addiction at home with medication, community, and support—from the nonjudmental experts who really care. Staying committed to your goal, even through setbacks, empowers you to overcome challenges and embrace your newfound sober lifestyle.

The method’s simple but smart ideology has you taking joy in the pain of quitting as evidence of the death of your Beast. Finally, if you’ve tried self-help strategies and find yourself not able to fully quit drinking, it may be time to seek professional help. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to stopping alcohol use and treating alcohol misuse, but no matter how severe the issue may seem, recovery is possible suicidal behavior for every person. Keep in mind that self-help strategies are helpful tools, but you may need additional help to remain sober long-term. When you think about getting sober, or are trying to help someone wanting to get sober, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) often springs to mind as a trusted means of recovery. Yet recent evidence suggests that less than 50 percent of people use that method of recovery today.

SMART Recovery concepts help individuals to recognize that alcohol abuse can be destructive, and it creates problems emotionally, physically, socially, and behaviorally. Of course, quitting or cutting back to your ideal amount is only the first step. Many people struggle with alcohol cravings for months or even years after quitting, and there are many pitfalls to overcome, including post-acute withdrawal syndrome.

Trained professionals can help you integrate whatever medication is available into your treatment program. Effective communication, building strong support systems, and embracing self-help approaches such as regular workouts and journaling can also aid in maintaining abstinence. While some individuals find comfort and support in religious beliefs or practices, it’s important to find a recovery approach that aligns with your personal values and beliefs. According to AA, about 26% of individuals maintain sobriety for over a year within the program. Connecting with others who are also on the path towards sobriety offers unique benefits. 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.

While the program’s anonymous nature makes success rates hard to track, an independent 2020 study confirmed that AA is genuinely effective in plenty of cases.1 It has a loyal following, and for good reason. Humphreys suspects that this study might prompt health professionals to become more comfortable recommending AA among other options. If I wasn’t a sobriety blogger, I don’t know that alcohol would really be on my mind that much. I’ve said before in other posts that at this point I don’t think about sobriety or “not drinking” that much anymore. I’ll even admit that if I could drink moderately, I’d still be an occasional drinker.

One of the critical steps in your journey towards sobriety is seeking professional help and support. If you’re wondering if it’s possible to achieve sobriety review of answer house sober living without attending AA meetings, the answer is a resounding yes. I tried to go to AA the first time I got sober, and it was not a good fit for me.

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