If nothing else, it starts to chip away at any notion you might have that you’re unworthy. When you begin to view your negative thoughts and feelings as problems to be solved rather than the embodiment of who you actually are, you liberate yourself. When I was finished, it was like someone had hit the refresh button on my brain. I could go back and re-read what I wrote and approach it from the perspective of an outside observer. But I didn’t know what to do with them besides feel them.
Alternative Support Groups
I experienced it myself over years of painful accidents, depression, and near-death alcohol withdrawal. From gourmet cuisine to our spacious, 10,000 square foot estate, Silver Ridge provides a tranquil and peaceful setting for recovery. Numerous other support groups, including SMART Recovery groups, LifeRing groups and SOS Alcoholism Program.
- He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has been working in the field of mental health since 2010.
- It is also responsible for regulating movement and emotional response.
- The last thing someone plagued with chronic worry wants is to be told that it’s a choice or one of the various other socially acceptable ways of minimizing the suffering of others.
- Lean on close friends and family for support, even if your relationships aren’t what they used to be.
Sober Activities to Try (That Actually Sound Fun)
True friends will respect your requests and help you on your journey. Addiction treatment for alcohol abuse is a one stop shop designed to help you get sober and remain sober. If you have been drinking or taking drugs for a long time, you will be unlikely to be able to stay sober without some help. This might be from friends or family members, or it might be from new sober buddies. You will likely realize the importance of having healthy relationships on your recovery journey, and will naturally begin avoiding old drinking buddies. Nevertheless, you can also build a recovery plan that does not include meetings.
Learning How to Stay Sober Without AA
- Being around people who are not drinking will help keep you accountable for your sobriety.
- Finally, treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) isn’t limited to the 12 steps.
- Developing new friendships and connections with individuals who support your sobriety is an essential aspect of recovery.
- The third step, on the other hand, uses the word “God” explicitly, leaving little room for alternate interpretations.
- Developing a strong sense of self-control and practice is difficult to overcome and takes meaningful effort.
Things that people do during that day that don’t involve recovering or boozy brunch. But if you can’t or aren’t able to do a group class, at the very least, take a tech-free 30-minute walk every day. I promise it will do wonders for your mental health, which, in turn, will help you feel motivated to do more things. It’s important to have the right mindset about sobriety.
Take it a day at a time
If you need some background noise to fall asleep, there are some apps designed to help! This roundup from Sleep Foundation will set you on the right track to finding the perfect white noise how to stay sober without aa — or meditation, or bedtime story — to send you off to sleep. Let your imagination paint the scene as you read through a novel.
Change your social scene
MM holds that problem drinking is not always the same thing as addiction, and in less severe instances, individuals may be able to moderate their drinking instead of abstaining completely. Moderation may not be the best strategy for everyone, MM acknowledges, but it may work well for some. With a bustling online community and local meetings throughout the United States, LifeRing Secular Recovery is a non-12-Step program that offers an alternative to AA. LifeRing believes that each individual holds the key to recovery, and it is not necessary to then place control in the hands of a spiritual being. While AA has helped many people achieve and maintain recovery, it isn’t the right fit for everyone.
Just know there are plenty of entertaining activities to replace the time spent drinking — or recovering after a night of drinking. A break from alcohol can allow you to build a better relationship with yourself, recognize your habits, and lead to more mindful drinking if you decide to break your sobriety. If you are trying to find a way to stay sober without AA, consider placing words of wisdom and positivity in your home, workplace, and on your social media pages. Words may help you and provide light and positivity to your loved ones as well. Everyone is different and so are their lives without alcohol.
- You need to be able to picture your life without your toxic friends and toxic drama.
- Many of the group follow the non-religious 12-step recovery program described in the book “Staying Sober without God” by Jeffrey Munn, but it’s not a requirement to do so.
- Regular exercise can help improve your mood and reduce anxiety.
- Proper nutrition and regular exercise improve our moods and make us feel better overall.
However, the word is often used in different ways in different contexts. Many 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence, which means never using the substance again. Other Halfway house definitions, however, focus on the process of recovery and coping habits that support health and wellness over the long term. It’s important to set boundaries when dealing with people who do not support your sobriety journey. Don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family that you don’t want to be around drinking or drug use, and remind them of why you are staying sober.
Above all else, being completely honest with yourself is vital to staying sober, with or without AA. If you’re in denial that you have a drinking problem and don’t fully believe that it’s something that needs to be fixed, nothing in the world is going to change your alcohol addiction. 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 creative outlets. Making healthy lifestyle changes can be an effective way to maintain Sobriety.
