Less alcohol, or none at all, is one path to better health

There’s no shame in asking for help, and it can be a crucial step in maintaining Sobriety. Regular exercise can help improve your mood and reduce anxiety. You can also try talking to a therapist or a trusted friend about your emotions. Remember, it’s okay to feel your emotions, but it’s important to find healthy ways to cope with them. Women for Sobriety also offers online meetings, phone support, and a forum where members can share their experiences and support each other.

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• Tragic, inspiring, humorous and heart-wrenching—these true accounts of the struggle for sobriety will move you and maybe inspire you to see what the sober life is all about.
• 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.
• She said, “If this is what getting sober is like, I’ll just keep drinking.” Thankfully, 15 years later, she found another way and is thriving in recovery.
• It offers a variety of tools and techniques, such as self-monitoring, goal-setting, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, to help individuals achieve their goals.

But if you find yourself falling into previous unhealthy drinking habits, abstinence may be your better option. Naltrexone is a prescription medication that immediately reduces the “buzz” of alcohol and curbs cravings in the long term. Unlike other treatments that require immediate abstinence, the Sinclair Method allows you to keep drinking when you start naltrexone. Many of the activities that make for a healthy routine are also effective for relapse prevention. Actions that focus on mindfulness will make it easier to work through cravings and moments of temptation. Routines also impart discipline and self-restraint which is a particularly valuable skill recovering addicts will need to relearn.

Refuge Recovery

Though AA may be the most well-known solution for alcohol abuse, it is far from the only one. There are many alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous, including The Sinclair Method, moderation, cognitive behavioral therapy, therapy, coaching, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). While its effectiveness and success is well documented, it is also clear that it does not work for everyone. A 2002 study with 279 people compared AA or similar 12-step programs with other forms of psychosocial treatment.

Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife by Brenda Wilhelmson

For example, it is more effective at treating cocaine and opioid addictions than it is for tobacco and polydrug use (use of multiple substances). A 2014 study showed that “baseline motivation and self-efficacy” are key predictors of moderation success (5). In other words, those who are motivated and believe they can successfully moderate their drinking tend to have the best results. It’s understandable if you don’t want to share this part of your life with friends or family. No matter what your sobriety journey looks like, a supportive community can be crucial to sticking with it. It can help to have a trusted confidant or two with whom you can share your struggles, successes, and revelations.

Community Support

Of course, quitting or cutting back to your ideal amount is only the first step. Many people struggle with alcohol cravings for months or even years after quitting, and there are many pitfalls to overcome, including post-acute withdrawal syndrome. Ultimately, finding some kind of support group or coaching program can make it much easier, and much less stressful, to stay sober long-term.

• If you’re not ready or willing to change those behaviors and thoughts, then treatment cannot do what it’s designed to do.
• With the same wit and candor found in his other popular works, we follow the writer from a rehab reality check back to the bustling city, where he must learn to navigate life on the wagon.
• In some cases, there may be medication that can help with a drug or alcohol problem.

If you’re in recovery from a substance use disorder, you already know how much work it took to achieve sobriety, and you’ll want to do everything possible to avoid having a relapse. It may seem that relapse is the last thing that could happen to you, but the truth is they are very common for people new to recovery. If you are tapering off alcohol or pursuing moderation, it helps to give yourself objective data.

Some key takeaways to keep in mind include finding a support system that works for you, whether it be therapy, online forums, or support groups. It’s also important to develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress and triggers, such as exercise, mindfulness, or getting sober without aa creative outlets. It’s important to find the support and resources that work best for you. Whether you find support online, in person, or through other means, the most important thing is that you are taking steps to stay sober and live a healthy, fulfilling life.

Quit drinking without AA

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. Today, my life is full of people whose lives don’t revolve around consuming booze. I don’t want to be one of those people who march back into AA after one day sober, tail between their legs.

Alternatives to AA