Can You Actually Stay Sober Without AA?

Having people you see regularly and are all working towards the same goal also provides a level of accountability. Having to face your group of peers and admit that you broke your sobriety can be a powerful deterrent in the face of weakening resolve. Self-Management and Recovery Training, better known as SMART Recovery, is a support group for addiction recovery that offers strategies, tools and techniques based on self-reliance and self-empowerment. Unlike NA and AA, there is no spiritual angle to SMART recovery. The real kicker is when one of my AA friends sober without aa in a fit of anger told me that he didn’t understand why I get to stay sober because I don’t work a good program of AA. After slimming down my meeting attendance and quietly giving up my service commitments, I just called my sponsor and told him I was leaving. I am grateful for the program for helping ,e to realize my sobriety – now I’m off to live it. Most people in AA seem to be spiritually damaged. They don’t like the fact that God made it so easy for me to quite drinking and I get a lot of grief for sharing my experiences, strengths and hopes.

Sobriety fatigue can last a few weeks to a few months. However, in severe cases of post-acute withdrawal, symptoms can last up to two years. 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. 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. If PAWS is severe or if you’re experiencing prolonged symptoms, a medical professional can help you work through them and remain in recovery without relapse. Some definitions of sobriety call for complete lifelong abstinence while others focus on developing coping mechanisms that can reduce harm with the understanding that setbacks are common. This article discusses what sobriety means and describes strategies that can support your long-term recovery.

I Can’t Even Make It Sober One Day: How To Stay Sober?

Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any mental health symptom or medical condition. Never disregard professional psychological or medical advice nor delay in seeking professional advice or treatment because of something you have read on GoodTherapy. Anyway, I do wish AA was better organised and like someone said above, I wish people were held more accountable for their actions. I had my anonymity broke and a very personal thing about me gossiped about in local meetings. And the reason was that ‘some people are more sick than others’. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, as they say. I have also experienced bullying in AA from several people who seem to want to gang up on me.

Many alcoholics will become involved in church or civic activities to help them stay sober. AnnaMarie Houlis Content Contributor AnnaMarie’s work as a staff writer for Alcohol Rehab Help spans topics like binge drinking and heavy alcohol use to alcohol use disorder and more. She provides resources on everything from coping with alcohol withdrawal symptoms and supporting a loved one struggling with alcohol use disorder to dangerous drug and alcohol interactions. I quit drinking in 2009 without the help of AA or rehab. There was no intervention, medical crisis or new low that finally spurred me to action.

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Now, you can get into differentexperiencesthat will add fun, value, and friendships to your life. With a clear mind, you can focus on what will lead to long-term happiness. You can now focus on loved Sober House ones more than before. You can help others in their sobriety, which is proven toincrease happiness. You can be sober and happy by focusing on your health and wellness in your everyday life.

Today, I have not one single friend in my life from AA after 23 years of active participation in my community. It may have its place in my life 20 years ago when i didnt know better but i am 39. I think that i will take with me what has worked and leave the rest. Convinced in rehab I had an incurable disease of the mind, which put simply only gets worse has absolutely destroyed me.

How Do You Not Get Bored When Sober?

It has been a very confusing and difficult decision to sort out. I am still sober, and I haven’t abandoned what I’ve learned about staying sober – identifying my triggers and honest responses to drinking. I have, I hope, now armed myself with more viable tools of recovery. However each step away from the fellowship had to be taken very gently and with great care. Like-minded peer support online was indespensible. Its hard to find a balanced view of AA out there, but I found online blogs from others in a similar situation to be very useful. RecoveringFromRecovery is a great example of this.

When reflecting on past behavior, these feelings are normal and natural emotions. But do not allow these feelings to become excessive; they can be toxic and prevent you from moving forward in your recovery journey. To remain sober, it’s good to develop more healthy relationships, whether with new friends or spending more time with sober friends. Medications are sometimes used in alcohol addiction treatment. The Sober Mom Squad began during COVID-19 times as a way to offer support to women who are sober and now find themselves overloaded with taking care of the kids while also working and quarantining and…. The Gratitude List and many other forum posts and chats. A favorite of mine is the Anxiety Disorders section, where I can talk to others in recovery who also suffer from anxiety about how we deal with staying calm in a world that sometimes just wants us to keep drinking.

My life is nothing like it was before I got sober. I am happy and content with my lot most of the time. Feelings of inferiority, anger and confusion at what happens in life, but hell am I really that unique? My problem wasn’t with the program so much it was with other members who seemed to go out of their way to try and humiliate me. It came to a head a couple of months ago at a meeting. This one member tried to get a rise out of me, playing the clown behind my back and generally being obnoxious.

According to a2014 surveyby Alcoholics Anonymous, 27% of members stay sober after one year, 24% for one to five years, and 13% between five and ten years. Some support groups, likeSMART Recovery, do not use the 12-Step model. “SMART” stands for “Self-Management and Recovery Training.” SMART Recovery focuses more on building coping skills for everyday life and does not focus on a higher power. Committing to long-term sobriety also involves continually looking for ways to improve your life. You might get bored when you no longer work towards the next step. Be honest with yourself about what you need to stay sober. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse , therelapse ratefor drug andalcoholaddiction is about 40-60%.

One common mistake for those who are new to alcohol and drug recovery is substituting a new compulsive behavior for their old one. 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. You may also need to change your route to work or home in order to avoid any triggers, or people, places, or things that make you want to use drugs or drink again. Some people experience many setbacks before they find lasting recovery. Your intentions may be good, but it takes more thanwillpowerto avoid having a relapse. Other definitions, however, often focus on the process of recovery and developing coping mechanisms and habits that support health and wellness over the long term. Total abstinence may be the goal, but the reality is that setbacks are common. There are sober coaches, counselors, and psychologists out there happy to support you on your recovery journey. •Refuge Recovery is a mindfulness-based addiction recovery community that practices and utilizes Buddhist philosophy as the foundation of the recovery process.

• But to submit to a greasy dude who now rides a harley and because he now outwardly has his stuff together, I don’t see how that is going to make life anymore bearable or the wisdom in that.
• Typically, this means questioning brands that sell T-shirts that say “Wine is My Valentine” or questioning why something like “Rage Yoga” even exists.
• Sometimes, you need to take a step back before moving forward.
• Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates.
• In 1983, a review stated that the AA program’s focus on admission of having a problem increases deviant stigma and strips members of their previous cultural identity, replacing it with the deviant identity.

Check out why person in long-term recovery and counselor, Chrissy Taylor, encourages exercise in early sobriety. Exercise will get your endorphins pumping, reduce cravings, and make you feel better. Sober living homes help you remain accountable to your sobriety. In early recovery, you need to give yourself time to build healthy habits. In sober living, you will be in a community of like-minded sober friends committed to helping each other. During inpatient addiction treatment, you might have gone through detox and learned about co-occurring mental health issues related to alcohol and substance use disorders.

Then behavioral therapy and other services are introduced. These programs provide 24/7 comprehensive, structured care. You’ll live in safe, substance-free housing and have access to professional medical monitoring. Attending a relapse prevention program may help stop you from relapsing during your addiction recovery journey. There are plenty of benefits to relapse prevention and treatment programs. Surround yourself with friends, family, and other loved ones who support you. You may even turn to addiction support groups to meet other people who are in similar positions as you. LifeRing Secular Recovery is a support group for people to share life experiences and success stories about sobriety. Healthy lifestyle changes and relying on the support of friends and like-minded peers can help.

Sober life allows you to focus on fulfilling activities and pursuits. This is why it often requires professional addiction treatment. The more you drink, the more your passions and responsibilities can fall to the wayside. So, if you’re trying to get and stay sober, consider engaging with the things you love again. It’s important to take care of yourself, live a healthy lifestyle, and cut out alcohol if you have a problem.