If your facing and alcohol addiction, then you’re not alone. In 2016, over 15 million adults in America battled alcohol addiction. Just as you’re not alone in your alcohol addiction, you’re not alone in your recovery. Alcoholism is the most common addiction in the world today and has been around for centuries. What makes alcohol addiction even more difficult is the fact that it’s more socially accepted than most other addictions. Alcohol addiction ruins lives, destroys families, careers, and hope. If you’re looking to overcome alcohol addiction and want to try something other than AA, then there are other options to consider that can help you reach your goal of sobriety.
Alcoholics Anonymous has been around for a very long time and has helped a lot of alcoholics recover, but AA is not for everyone. There is no one size fits all for drug and alcohol recovery. As attitudes and recovery methods change, and as knowledge and understanding of addiction grow, new types of treatments and approaches to recovery emerge. Treatment centers for alcoholism and drug addiction now focus on more than just the addiction itself but the underlying causes of addiction as well. AA groups and meetings are primarily used as support groups during and after treatment or as a self-help treatment for overcoming addiction. However, there are still many treatment centers and rehabs that use the AA 12-step model as a basis for addiction recovery, but AA is not the only way to get free from the addiction of alcohol and drugs.
Alternatives to AA for Alcohol Recovery
Many of the new approaches to recovery from alcohol addiction are customized to an individual’s needs and drug and alcohol abuse history. Other treatment centers apply a Christian-based philosophy and lifestyle for helping those in recovery reach and maintain sobriety. AA is a spiritual program, but it’s not solely based on Christianity or any other religion. There are other alternatives to AA that promote self-management and recovery training through a global support group. These types of programs teach sobriety can be obtained through proper mental awareness and positive thinking. One thing to keep in mind when seeking recovery is to only apply methods, beliefs, and treatments that work for you. Sobriety is not a competition on who will get there first and which program works. Recovery is about which program and methods work best for you. Recovery through AA requires applying and completing the 12-step program. Though recovery is not achieved through the completion of the actual 12-steps, a commitment and dedication to their completion are required as well as attending AA meetings regularly to remain sober. In other words, if you want to get and remain sober through AA, you have to work the 12-sep program constantly and make it apart of your life. These strict guidelines are not for everyone, and attending regular AA meetings is not every recovering alcoholic’s idea of a support group. It’s crucial to your recovery that you find a group of people, whether AA or not, who will support you before, during, and after treatment in a way that’s beneficial to your recovery and sobriety.
A good treatment facility is a great source for finding and building support throughout the recovery process. Whether you decide to attend an in-patient or out-patient program, a professional drug and alcohol treatment facility can help you in many ways. A treatment center will help you to identify triggers that are associated with alcohol consumption, such as hanging out with the wrong crowd or thinking that relives past drinking or drug use in a good or enjoyable way. Treatment through a drug and alcohol facility will also give you the tools to look at your past and identify the people, things, and situations that may contribute to your addiction and show you ways to avoid them. Whether a treatment facility uses the AA method or not, you can still benefit. You have more to gain than you have to lose. One thing that is often said in recovery is that you take what you need and leave what you don’t.
If you’re looking to overcome a drug or alcohol addiction and are sick and tired of being sick and tired, then it’s time to get help. No matter what approach to recovery you have taken in the past, it’s crucial that you keep trying. Getting your life back together, or keeping it from falling apart entirely, is only a phone call away. Call us at 833-820-2922. and one of our counselors will be happy to help you get started on the road to recovery.