Make a list of the ways drinking has negatively impacted your life. You may want to reflect on this list when you feel cravings to drink. Secular Organizations for Sobriety is not one specific program but rather a collection of programs that are autonomous from each other.
- Either way, if you find yourself avoiding AA because you don’t want to quit drinking completely, this is a good solution to look into—and there are many ways to access it.
- Some aren’t comfortable with surrendering control to a higher power, or declaring themselves “powerless” over alcohol.
- Residential treatment can last days, and gives you a chance for a full reset.
- While Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been a valuable resource for many, it may not be the right fit for everyone.
Regular Exercise
- I’m into recovery, harm reduction, alternative health & personal growth.
- So, the truthful answer to whether or not you can stay sober without AA is yes.
- My company, Workit Health, has offers online, science-backed courses to help you beat alcohol use disorder from your computer or phone.
- You can take advantage of these places to start your amazing journey to recovery.
- Group participants share understanding, advice, and encouragement.
- As recovery became my focus, I eventually introduced these guys to my connections.
- Finally, many residential and outpatient programs are based on 12 step philosophy.
Start a group in your area or on a social networking site like Facebook, and watch it grow. 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. 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. According to AA, about 26% of individuals maintain sobriety for over a year within the program. It’s essential to discuss your feelings, fears, and achievements during this process. Transparency builds trust within support networks, making it easier for them to provide appropriate assistance when needed.
Find an Alcohol Recovery Program Near You
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. If you choose to quit drinking without AA, it’s important to consider your current social scene and whether or not you’d like to change that. If you need sober friends and don’t do support groups, Meetup has great local activities that will allow you to get out of the bars and meet people in positive environments. Aside from support groups, there are many other ways to get help for your alcohol use. But if you don’t want to put your life on pause, there are also outpatient centers and telehealth programs that can fit within your schedule. And for those who don’t want to quit completely (as AA requires), harm-reduction and moderation-based approaches might be a good fit.
Alcohol-Related Health Problems
Sobriety coaches work with clients to reduce or stop their drinking, often using CBT techniques like motivational interviewing (MI). A 2018 study found that MI can have a positive effect on people with AUD, including increasing their self-esteem can you get sober without aa (7). Researchers found that CBT has different effectiveness rates for different substances. For example, it is more effective at treating cocaine and opioid addictions than it is for tobacco and polydrug use (use of multiple substances).
Stability is something that both support groups and formal drug treatment strongly encourage their members to establish by creating a routine. The addicted brain has been significantly overworked and overstimulated. There’s https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/meditation-for-addiction-recovery-methods-and-techniques/ reassurance and comfort to be found in repetition and a sense of stability that their life has likely been missing for some time. How to apply accountability to your life if you’re not a part of a peer-based recovery group?
Refer a loved one
Your intentions may be good, but it takes more than willpower to avoid having a relapse. If you are able to maintain moderate drinking, it may work for you. But if you find yourself falling into previous unhealthy drinking habits, abstinence may be your better option.
- Below are ways you can quit drinking without this mutual fellowship.
- Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have been beneficial to many people who are affected by alcohol.
- Although these new activities are healthy and productive, they can be a stumbling block to lasting recovery if they become a transfer addiction to fill the void left by the original addiction.
- No matter what your sobriety journey looks like, a supportive community can be crucial to sticking with it.
- These programs offer support and encouragement for people who may wish for a different motivation or foundation than one based on spirituality and relinquishing control.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
If you’re involved in a 12-step program, you likely already know the importance of milestones. In these programs, it’s customary to receive plastic chips as you progress to the one-year mark, at which time you receive a bronze coin. If these emotions become excessive, they can hold you back from recovery. If you are trying to maintain a sober lifestyle, those feelings can become toxic and contribute to relapse if you don’t deal with them properly. Many people who misuse alcohol or drugs have trouble dealing with anger. If left unchecked, anger can have a negative impact on your health and your lasting sobriety.
Many believe that to gain any benefit from Alcoholics Anonymous, the alcoholic needs to make the commitment on their own. Prodding and persistence rarely trigger the alcoholic mind to do something against their own will. The theories behind these types of groups, while similar to AA, do present different models for sustained recovery. When you walk through the doors of an AA meeting, the warm welcome everyone receives is because of this common bond. Even though you do not have to join any group or pay any dues, the common struggle of like-minded alcoholics is priceless.
If you’ve been curious about how to stop drinking alcohol and get sober, you might be wondering where to start. Keep reading to learn about steps you can take to stop drinking, take back control of your life, and how to get sober from alcohol to start the path to recovery and long-term sobriety. Getting sober is when someone stops using an intoxicating substance. It can include a medically supervised detox, various forms of treatment including therapy and 12-step programs, and calling upon family, friends, and professionals for additional support. To sum up, incorporating these self-help strategies alongside professional guidance enhances chances of successful rehabilitation from addiction. They provide practical tools that foster resilience against relapses while promoting overall well-being beyond just abstinence from alcohol consumption.