Author: Alex Thompson
Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution Alcoholics Anonymous
It also works with the hospitality industry to encourage more offerings to people who choose not to drink alcohol. SMART meetings are free to attend, but donations are accepted near the end of every meeting. Meeting facilitators follow a structured program focusing on mental health and education.
Sobriety support groups are organizations dedicated to helping those seeking a sober life connect with other like-minded individuals and find ways to jumpstart their new lifestyle. Sobriety support groups are not the same as treatment facilities and should not substitute for addiction treatment. However, they all provide a similar benefit—social support for individuals looking to overcome alcohol abuse or addiction.
What Are Support Groups?
Sober Grid is a social-media-style app that connects people recovering from addiction and people who are sober. You can create a profile that is anonymous, or you can decide to share as much personal information as you’d like. This group offers both in-person meetings as well as an impressive number of daily online meetings offered at various times throughout the day.
She has penned stories for Mashable, Everyday Health, HuffPost, CBSNewYork.com, and more. The program also recognizes six levels of recovery, ranging from acceptance of having an addiction to prioritizing emotional and spiritual growth. Smart Recovery emphasizes psychoeducation and the development of self-management tools, so some people find the sessions to be slow-moving and repetitive. Still, the results of a 2018 study suggest that SMART might be just as effective as 12-step groups. Talking with people dealing with similar issues can help a lot.
You might find that a mixed approach that combines professional treatment with different mutual help groups is best for you. With the right resources, you can achieve freedom from addiction and find a sense of community while doing so. Once a person becomes sober, other conditions and issues may become apparent. People often turn to alcohol or drugs to help them cope with anxiety, depression, abuse, and other problems. While in treatment for alcohol addiction, people can get help with other conditions and problems, as well. If a person is diagnosed with a mental health condition in rehab, he also has the option of getting dual-diagnosis treatment, which addresses mental illness and substance abuse.
App users can share their stories with the community and it can alert other app users when you need some extra support. In addition to organizing meetings, SMART offers a wide collection of online resources and media, including videos, podcasts, and worksheets. Your free account also gives you access to several discussion forums.
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Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) offers global support meetings for recovery from addiction through self-empowerment. The goal of the program is to promote abstinence from alcohol and other substances through positive lifestyle changes. It’s designed to empower individuals and transform lives from self-destructive to positive, constructive, and enjoyable. Some research suggests that women who are recovering from alcohol abuse and dependency may have differing needs from their male peers. Women for Sobriety (WFS) is the first national organization to focus specifically on the needs of alcoholic women. Like SMART Recovery, it appears to be as effective as 12-step programs.
AA also runs online groups and meetings for those who do not wish to attend in person. DRA has many similarities to AA, so if the 12 steps aren’t for you, DRA may not be the right choice, either. Another potential downside is the limited availability of meetings.
- Following the initial treatment phase, alcoholics are encouraged to continue their participation in therapy and support groups.
- Getting the right support can be crucial to maintaining control in the future.
- SOS members aim to support one another in escaping the first cycle and establishing the second cycle.
- Hearing the experiences of others may reduce any sense of shame you’re feeling and enhance your self-efficacy or self-belief.
- The empathy and encouragement you receive from group members can often both comfort and inspire you.
While members may also attend different groups or follow other sobriety teachings, some people come to LifeRing after finding that other programs did not work for them. LifeRing focuses on the present day rather than the past and promotes the idea that what will work for each person is unique. LifeRing offers online and in-person meetings that promote self-empowerment rather than belief in a higher power, making it a good alternative to faith-based recovery groups. The group’s motto is “Sober shouldn’t be somber,” reflecting the idea that people can still have fun even while not drinking alcohol or using other substances.
Meetings take place at least weekly and range from 60 to 90 minutes in length. The cycle of sobriety involves regular acknowledgment of the addiction, acceptance of the addiction, and the prioritization of sobriety. The cycle of addiction involves a chemical need, a learned habit of chronic alcohol use, and a denial of the addiction. During an AA session, a member serves as chair and is tasked with opening the meeting, welcoming new members, and selecting a topic for discussion.
Women for Sobriety focuses on strategies that prioritize self-empowerment to overcome addiction and uses positive affirmations and mantras for self-value and emotional growth. Therefore, the goal of LifeRing is to strengthen a person’s Sober Self and weaken their Addict Self by connecting with others and sharing encouragement, advice, and strength. LifeRing does not require you to follow a step-by-step program; instead, you design your own program, as only you know the best path forward and the changes you need to make. With so many options available, you may be wondering which one is best suited to your needs. Based on our review, seven online addiction support groups stand out as being among the best. If AA doesn’t appeal to you, or you want to engage with additional mutual help groups, you can explore the following options.
Alcohol Recovery
If you have a drinking problem, recovery support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can be helpful in staying sober. Discover how these groups provide hope, strength, and encouragement on the road to sobriety. If you need more support in your recovery–like housing, peer support, or supportive employment–there are options out there.
What are alcohol addiction peer support groups?
The benefits of peer support groups can go beyond emotional support. You may also discover practical coping skills to help tame your urges to drink and manage stress. All of these factors can contribute to your recovery from alcoholism or a drinking problem. However, for some people, online meetings may not be an ideal format. Loosid focuses on living a happy, fulfilling life with other people in sobriety and offers resources and suggestions for sober dating and sober nightlife activities.
Best support group for women
SOS groups are autonomous, so the format of the meetings and structure of the group can vary. However, all the groups offer peer support and a secular atmosphere. Meetings can be hard to find, but the official site offers a listing of online groups. These groups help people share their experiences from living with a person with alcohol use disorder in a safe and compassionate support group.
We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Tempest operates under the assumption that addiction is the result of trying to escape from something else but that alcohol eventually becomes a problem on its own. For this reason, the membership programs involve looking deeply at the underlying causes of addiction, in addition to the secondary problem (the addiction itself).