Without the constraints of a specific program, you have the freedom to explore different treatment options and find what works best for you. One common mistake for those who are new to alcohol and drug recovery is substituting a new compulsive behavior for their old one. People new to recovery can find themselves approaching their new diet, exercise program, job, and even participation in support groups with a compulsion that echoes addiction. If these emotions become excessive, they can hold you back from recovery.
Don’t compare yourself to others
It’s worth remembering that burnout can be a genuine relapse trigger. As mentioned elsewhere in this article, maintaining relationships is integral to sobriety. If you have a tendency to isolate, make sure that you set aside time each day to connect.
- People who have been through the worst kinds of alcohol and drug addiction have gotten clean and sober, and got on to live happy and successful lives.
- If you have a drug or alcohol problem but don’t want to go to AA, keep reading.
- One of the best middle-ground options out there is online treatment.
- If you think you can stick with it, creating a tapering schedule and gradually reducing how much you drink is usually the best approach.
- SOS also offers face-to-face and online meetings, as well as a forum where members can connect and support each other.
- This article, for example, outlines the CORE process, which stands for Commit, Objectify, Respond, Enjoy.
How to Get Sober and Stay Sober Longer
In short, treatment facilities will teach you how to live a sober lifestyle and assist you in looking at past mistakes. If you are invited to a bar or restaurant for a social gathering and want to take this approach to being sober curious, try to only attend events at places where alcohol isn’t the main focus. This practical booklet demonstrates, through simple examples, how A.A. Members throughout the world live and stay sober one day at a time.
What Can I Drink Instead of Alcohol?
Below is the full Fourth of July television schedule, including times and network designations. Fubo offers a free trial, giving users a chance to try it out before purchasing it long-term. Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest returns for 2024, bringing a ton of mid-day entertainment. This will be the first time in a long time that the competition doesn’t feature Joey Chestnut, who is banned due to a sponsorship complication. Knowing relapse signs can help you recognize your risk of relapse, and they may include a return to addictive thinking patterns and compulsive behaviors. Matt Hunt is a documentary photographer connecting with people, sharing moments, and telling stories in Southeast Asia.
- I also know that you do not have to believe in yourself 100% for others to believe in what you are doing.
- In social situations where people are drinking, you might feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand.
- They offer 9 Steps Toward Moderation and Positive Lifestyle Change.
- I’ve seen what it does to their bodies, families, and livelihoods.
Peer support is a big part of LifeRing recovery programs, as individuals share advice with other members, and offer support and encouragement in recovery. LifeRing focuses mainly on the present – on living a full and positive sober life without dwelling too much on past indiscretions and hurts that may have been the result of problematic drinking. SMART Recovery programs offer both local in-person meetings and online support through a 24/7 chat board and daily online meetings. SMART Recovery programs avoid labels, such as “alcoholic,” and shy away from the disease model of addiction. They focus on methods that use both Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy components to engender change of self-destructive behaviors. 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.
Is Life Better Without Alcohol?
- At a glance, these messages make sense, but in reality, they are not practical.
- It’s worth remembering that burnout can be a genuine relapse trigger.
- According to AA, about 26% of individuals maintain sobriety for over a year within the program.
- Aside from support groups, there are many other ways to get help for your alcohol use.
Therapy can be effective in helping individuals stay sober without AA. It can provide a safe space to explore underlying issues that may contribute to addiction and develop coping strategies. It offers a variety of tools and techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and rational emotive behavior therapy, to help individuals overcome addiction. SMART Recovery also has an online community where members can connect and support each other. This may include connecting with friends and family, joining a sober living community, or attending support groups that align with your personal values and beliefs. The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success.
Some people may find that wearable devices and smartphone apps can support their recovery from alcohol use disorder. Biosensors monitor physical changes, detect alcohol use, and identify relapse risk. Studies suggest digital health options can improve access to care for some of the 15 million https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/5-stages-of-alcoholism/ people experiencing alcohol use disorder each year. Getting sober may seem difficult, but there are strategies you can use to get and maintain sobriety. Some are structured in programs, such as the 12-step approach used by Alcoholics Anonymous and similar addiction recovery programs.
Getting Sober Without AA—What Are Your Options?
Some people who move from a controlled and protective setting find themselves awash in the environmental cues that lead to their drinking. The program only works for some people, and refusing to change dismisses the larger group of people it doesn’t work for in its current form. If the core of AA is meant to help people get and stay sober, it would adapt to a modern world and/or just stop denying that it is a program of God written by two sexist men that died ages getting sober without aa ago. 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. The most common feedback I’ve received comes from people who want to be sober with others but do not want to partake in Alcoholics Anonymous.