A structured routine will help you achieve other goals in your life, whether they are short-term (like being on time for work) or long-term (like going back to school and changing careers). Organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are other ways to build a support network. You can try different meetings for the different groups to find one that’s right for you. You can help people who are affected by alcoholism by making a donation to the Cleveland District Office. There is no shame or guilt in asking for help or more information.
Cut back or quit drinking
For some, this means cutting back slowly or choosing low-risk drinking goals. My own company, Workit Health, hosts online recovery groups for our members. Groups meet virtually throughout the week and focus on a wide range of topics. If you’re a Workit Health member, you can self-enroll in groups through the Community tab in our app. Freedom from alcohol in 90 days with clinical, community, and coexisting issue support. Self-compassion is about being kind and understanding to yourself and honoring your feelings.
Create a Structured Routine
Or you might rather spend time volunteering for a good cause, like an animal shelter or children’s hospital. Whatever it is, new activities can lead to new friends with interests like yours. This may mean that you don’t spend time with someone you used to use drugs with or go somewhere you used to drink. You might take a new way home from work, for example, to keep from going past your favorite old hangout.
You Can Learn How to Stay Sober Without AA
Taking all of these into consideration is a key part of keeping your sobriety. I incorporate a lot of things, including the 12 how to stay sober without aa steps, and enjoy reading about Buddhism and the 12-steps, which is interesting and rewarding. I don’t follow a script and took many different paths that helped me stay sober.
Seek Professional Help and Support
In 2020, researchers at Stanford University conducted a deep-dive study into AA statistics, and their findings Alcoholics Anonymous suggest a higher success rate of 60 percent. It should be noted that abstinence doesn’t always equal sobriety in a holistic context. Individuals who lapse but don’t relapse back into severe AUD can also be sober.
- Codependency can affect the development of desirable, reciprocal relationship traits, such as clear communication and strong boundaries.
- Identifying personal triggers and working with professionals and loved ones is necessary to have a plan to navigate triggering situations without turning to the use of drugs or alcohol.
- Alcoholics Anonymous is just one program available to those exploring their continued addiction recovery journey.
- Again, AA has never claimed to have an exclusive inside angle on recovery.
- Instead, many AA members “carry this message to alcoholics and … practice these principles” through volunteer work.
- These triggering events can cause an individual to compromise their emotional resilience, with intense amounts of stress being common.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health, which sometimes includes substance use disorders. Because they are able to prescribe medication, psychiatrists can be particularly helpful if you believe you have underlying anxiety or depression you are managing with alcohol. Essentially, Club Soda wants people who do drink to be more mindful of their drinking habits and empower those who don’t drink to stick to their guns.
In this powerful conversation we break down the real reasons your past attempts to quit drinking haven’t worked… and what it actually takes to get and stay sober—with a program or without one. Unlike AA, many modern programs support reducing alcohol consumption rather than requiring full abstinence. Harm reduction focuses on minimizing risks instead of enforcing an “all-or-nothing” approach. Counseling can also be beneficial for managing feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, it can help you gain self-confidence and give you essential skills that will help you stay sober without relying on AA meetings. Setting realistic goals and treating oneself kindly is also beneficial.
- It’s important to develop a structured daily and weekly schedule and stick to it.
- I have been to AA, know the steps, and understand the benefit of community, but I had to find my own path in recovery without AA.
- Engaging in effective NA meetings, Al-Anon meetings, 12-step programs, or continued outpatient care or a sober living facility can be instrumental to a sober lifestyle.
- It may require more self-discipline and responsibility, but the rewards are worth it.
- For some, this means cutting back slowly or choosing low-risk drinking goals.
- Identifying situations, environments, or people that might prompt you to drink is crucial.
Staying Sober without AA
If you’re using THC in any form for pain, anxiety, insomnia or what have you, you can forget it. Recovery from alcohol addiction is challenging, and not one that should be pursued alone. If you’re willing https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to forego the inherent connection between alcoholics, there are a myriad of ways to stay sober with AA. AA does not, nor has it ever claimed to be the one-and-only cure-all for alcoholism. Religious experiences and other self-help groups can also boast of providing substance to sobriety.