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It’s almost a set-up for more rejection (again!) and no alcoholic needs that! My first sponsor dropped me like the proverbial bad habit and then acted like it was my fault when I failed to acknowledge her subtle hints that she no longer wanted to sponsor me.

If you’re dealing with an alcohol problem and trying to get and stay sober, you’re not alone. 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. One common mistake for those who are new to alcohol and drug recovery is substituting a new compulsive behavior for their old one. 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.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Among Medical Professionals

Codependency and controlling and passive-aggressive behavior are at the root of many addictions. An important part of recovery is addressing these issues and setting boundaries. For those struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, AA and its sister groups are some of the get sober without aa most popular programs for getting sober. In fact, as of 2019, over 2 million people worldwide went to AA. But I would rather this happen than return to the life I was living prior to sobriety. Before I got sober, my physical and mental health were questionable.

• If you’re searching for alternatives, you’re in luck.
• Partial hospitalization programs are sometimes referred to as intensive outpatient programs .
• This county has been privileged to have their knowledge base.
• There are a variety of tools available that can support your path to sobriety.

Cuz I am guessing you are still struggling with the whole personal relationship thing. 7) Authoritarian personalities are present in home groups who dominate and control the forum. For me, getting sober really only required one rule — “don’t pick up.” A simple notion, not easy, but simple. No god, no praying, no need for the Lord’s prayer, or holding hands, or any such silliness. Four out of 1,400, or roughly 0.002%, of the meetings are for the non-believer.

Inpatient Treatment

All I wanted to do was be wasted, and I was putting myself in dangerous situations when I drank. As Workit Health’s VP of Marketing, Kali Luxleans in to the culture gap between addiction, recovery, and medicine. She’s interested in finding solutions that work for substance users better than drinking or drugging does, and believes Workit is one of them. She’s written extensively on her own experience through addiction into long-term recovery. You can connect with her on Twitter @kalireadsbooks.

• AA gave us a way to regain that control through complete abstinence.
• While peer support is vital to addiction recovery, you might find other ways to stay sober.
• I am no saint btw, but I never try and demean people for the sake of my own soulsickness.
• My takeaway is that it benefits people suffering from a hardship to congregate with other people suffering from the same hardship to talk about their experiences.

You can explore your options for a support group while in addiction treatment. Many treatment providers offer suggestions to help you find the best fit for your recovery. You might have a slip, relapse, or strong urge to drink or use drugs. There is no shame in admitting that you need to go back in your recovery!

Happy Horse

I changed careers to work in recovery and give back to the world not just “a program”. I learned cognitive behavioral therapy to learn how to change my thinking and actions so I did not have to depend on meetings and a 85 year old program that you never graduate from. I found a way out of my addiction I don’t talk about it anymore it is of no interest to the kind of people who are in my life today. I share my recovery story with people I work with who want to recover but that is the only time I bring it up. Hi my name is David I am a father, husband, a Christian, an artist, I love people, and most of all I love who I am today. So here is my update 20 months after leaving AA. However, I have never looked back from leaving the Cult of AA.

I sometimes bump into people randomly who I’ve met in the rooms and they don’t seem upset that I don’t go anymore. My own counsellor from the early days of getting sober even said that she couldn’t see me wanting to stick around. Life is better without AA but I give credit where it’s due, it did help me in the early days.

years sober + 4 tips for sobriety without AA

Perhaps leaving is the ultimate realization of the Promise; I do not regret my past or wish to shut the door on it – BUT I do choose to live without the fear of drinking tomorrow. I mean, I don’t drink but life goes on and other things come along. I have been in and out of the rooms for many years, and often I feel driven from them because of the weird and dysfunctional behavior of some of the other people. Because I came from an alcoholic home (surprise!), I did tend to believe that I was the ‘problem’ and there are many people there who will be happy to have you believe that.

• After a sober living program, the time it may take you to get back in the “real world” may vary in comparison to others.
• In the first 30 days of my sobriety, I cried, laughed and felt everything deeply — even my sense of smell was deeper.
• Let our team of experts in the addiction field help point you in the right direction.
• However, there is a range of strategies that can support you in learning coping skills and identifying triggers to help you maintain lasting sobriety.
• All I wanted to do was be wasted, and I was putting myself in dangerous situations when I drank.

Surely the principle of being less self absorbed and helping others shouldn’t just be restricted to AA members in a cultish way. Also I continue to support my self care and meditation/spiritual practice through yoga and have a good therapist and self help books to help me to stay sane and grow.

The Connection Between Eating Disorders & Substance Misuse

The most important thing is your determination and commitment to progressing on your recovery journey. If you decide after reading this article that it’s not for you, either, there is nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of alternatives and many, many treatment facilities offer these alternatives. Some of them offer AA but don’t force participation in https://ecosoberhouse.com/ it because they also offer other programs. Others will compel you to participate in their AA program whether you want to or not. If you don’t like the principles of AA, look for rehabs that won’t make you attend their meetings if you don’t want to or better yet, don’t offer AA at all. Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site.

These substances are chemicals in your brain that help you feel happiness, pleasure, and satisfaction. Just as alcoholism existed before AA, alcoholics have stopped drinking before AA existed. The Instagram account, run by Erin Shaw Street who is a seasoned media professional, criticizes other websites and media who are promoting alcohol in an unhealthy way. But beyond that, Tell Better Stories is forming a community of women who understand that lifestyle media and female-centric marketing promoting alcohol is highly problematic. Forever35 is a podcast between two best friends that has sprouted many Facebook groups—but none quite as moving as the Forever35 Sober group. The community of mostly women is for supporting each other through the sobriety journey, wherever you are in the process.

Substance Use Disorder Statistics

AA’s success in life isn’t due to its effectiveness at getting folks sober. As I pointed out, the success rates are abysmal. However, the court system loves AA, providing AA with a near monopoly on recovery. And, AA is on every corner, offering a fellowship of social interaction. Alcoholism then is the only “disease” with a spiritual component … to AA’ers, the program never fails you, you fail the program. If it’s not working, attend more meetings, crack open the Big Book, call your sponsor.