Comparison of 12-step Groups to Mutual Help Alternatives for AUD in a Large, National Study: Differences in Membership Characteristics and Group Participation, Cohesion, and Satisfaction PMC

While millions of people have found success with AA, there are also many people with AUD who have tried or researched AA and concluded it’s not the right recovery program for them. The program is based around the Twelve Steps to help its members achieve complete abstinence from alcohol use. AA’s free and anonymous meetings are available in over 180 countries and more than 100 languages. Weiss RD, Griffin ML, Gallop RJ, Najavits LM, Frank A, Crits-Christoph P, … Luborsky L. The effect of 12-step self-help group attendance and participation on drug use outcomes among cocaine-dependent patients. Schmidt EA, Carns A, Chandler C. Assessing the efficacy of rational recovery in the treatment of alcohol/drug dependency. Corrigan PW, Sokol KA, Rüsch N. The impact of self-stigma and mutual help programs on the quality of life of people with serious mental illnesses.

They offer peer-to-peer in-person support, and online meetings and resources. Their program teaches skills that can help you stay motivated in your sobriety and cope with cravings. Many people have found success with SMART’s alternatives to AA meetings.

So finding help in recovery for your particular experience is really important, which is why this community exists. The group is a friendly, safe space to talk about dreams and inspirations in sobriety as well as fears and regrets. This kind of soul searching can be scary at times—but it’s also thrilling. The forums of Sober Recovery are a great place for people with substance use disorder to find assistance and helpful information.

• With New Life, participants follow the thirteen acceptance statements of the program.
• Finally, despite lower levels of in-person meeting attendance, members of all the 12-step alternatives showed equivalent activity involvement and higher levels of satisfaction and cohesion, compared to 12-step members.
• The She Recovers Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization dedicated to providing in-person opportunities for women in recovery to connect at a local level.
• With a network that spans the world, AA is almost always the first alcohol recovery program people think of.
• If certain aspects of AA make you uncomfortable, consider one of the following organizations, all of which have proven themselves as viable treatment alternatives to AA.

Nevertheless, most individuals do not sustain involvement in 12-step groups, and coercion to attend 12-step groups is problematic. Thus, understanding the nature and effectiveness of alternatives to 12-step groups is a high priority. To conclude, Table 4 shows mutual help group participation, cohesion, and satisfaction by primary group. Further, mean cohesion and satisfaction ratings were close to ceiling across the mutual help alternatives and, unexpectedly, significantly higher than the cohesion and satisfaction ratings of 12-step members for all alternatives.

Third, respondents were combined across 12-step groups, despite the fact that members of these groups may well differ on demographic and clinical variables as well as involvement, cohesion, and satisfaction. Combining groups was necessary to optimize power in this preliminary study, but data on differences among 12-step groups would also be useful. Further, results are generalizable only to individuals with a lifetime AUD. Individuals attending the targeted groups for drug problems only may differ from the present sample. Many studies suggest that participation in 12-step groups contributes to better recovery outcomes, but people often object to such groups and most do not sustain regular involvement.

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Alcohol.org needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding. Hall SM, Havassy BE, Wasserman DA. Effects of commitment to abstinence, positive moods, stress, and coping on relapse to cocaine use. 2We use the term “members” as a convenient shorthand, acknowledging that not all attendees of a given group may consider themselves members of that group, even while designating that their primary group. This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. WFS seeks to help all women find recovery through self-discovery and by sharing experiences, hopes, and encouragement with other women in similar situations.

For example, we may assume that those who do not benefit from a given group are more likely to drop out, and thus less likely to be sampled. Accordingly, those who benefited most from mutual help involvement are likely to be over-represented in our data. Still, there is no reason to believe that this bias should differ across PAL subgroups, so comparisons across groups should remain informative.

Find a recovery community to help you stay on your personal journey

While AA meetings have a reputation of being beneficial, other organizations offer group meetings that can be helpful as well. All proceeds go to support our fight against the addiction epidemic in America. Mutual support meetings are a powerful tool to understand your issues, overcome urges, and talk it out with others who can help. And just because AA works for some doesn’t mean it will work for you.

However, other people with alcohol use disorder find abstinence daunting, don’t consider themselves spiritual, or cannot commit the time to attend meetings. Those individuals may be a better fit for other sobriety support groups, or alternative recovery programs. Though AA may be the most well-known solution for alcohol abuse, it is far from the only one. There are many alternatives to what does drinking in moderation look like Alcoholics Anonymous, including The Sinclair Method, moderation, cognitive behavioral therapy, therapy, coaching, and Medication Assisted Treatment . Your mental health is extremely important when it comes to addiction treatment. Because substance use disorders and alcohol use disorders may cause changes in brain chemistry, discussing your mental health with a therapist can be helpful.

Women for Sobriety (WFS)

We support many treatment goals, including both abstinence and moderation. McKay JR, McLellan AT, Alterman AI, Cacciola JS, Rutherford MJ, O’Brien CP. Predictors of participation in aftercare sessions and self-help groups following completion of intensive outpatient treatment for substance abuse. Finally, our measures of mutual help involvement were somewhat limited. Achieving parallel measures of involvement is an enormous challenge where groups differ in their philosophies, structures, and activities. We used the 12-step literature to identify a core set of activities that are indicative of engagement in those groups, therapeutic in relation to outcomes, and potentially translatable to other groups.

Addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease of the brain, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.1 Professional help greatly increases the chances of overcoming a drug or alcohol addiction for the long-term. Participating in a support group is also a universal part of any quality treatment program. best sober house living in boston, massachusetts Traditional treatments—such as AA or rehab—work for some, but aren’t successful for everyone. New, alternative alcohol treatment programs incorporate counseling and anti-craving medication to maximize results. Another alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous, LifeRingis an organization to support sobriety.

Hip Sobriety

If you’re struggling with alcohol abuse and need to find a recovery group, Alcoholics Anonymous may immediately come to mind. However, people who want to stop drinking can also consider other support groups and programs that may better fit their needs. S.M.A.R.T. Recovery is an abstinence-based, not-for-profit organization headaches from alcohol withdrawal that provides tools and resources for people who are struggling with addiction. The name S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. The organization’s approach is based on the latest scientific research and is designed to help people make positive changes in their lives.

But you can read anytime you want and comb through the thousands of helpful threads including a daily-check in and countless stories of those who have struggled with sobriety. As we describe each, begin to picture yourself in the program or meetings. Consider which AA alternatives best align with your beliefs and goals. Alcohol abuse is a tale as old as time, and Alcoholics Anonymous has been around since the 1930s. This program has helped many people, but there have always been those for whom AA doesn’t work. Fortunately, scientific breakthroughs in the last few decades have brought about effective alternatives to AA.

Women can find face-to-face meetings in most American cities, often finding more comfort and security in an all-female setting. In the final analysis, WFS encourages women to realize their own worth and competence, to take responsibility for their choices, and to learn how to take better control of their own lives and circumstances. LifeRing offers both online support options and local meetings throughout the United States. The focus at the meetings is about the present; instead of dredging up past sins and regrets, members typically talk about their victories and the positive aspects of living sober.

SOS focuses specifically on alcohol as opposed to other drugs, and most resources talk exclusively about drinking. But you can use the same concepts to combat addictions to other substances, including opioids. Efficacy research on SMART Recovery is thin, and most researchers use meeting attendance as a benchmark. The more people attend meetings, the better researchers think the approach works.

There are also others who make use of less faith-based communities that utilize a combination of online sober support groups, recovery coaching and medical tools. They do offer a program, which includes face-to-face meetings, where new members are asked to stop drinking for a 30-day period. They are also encouraged to maintain a diary tracking drinking patterns and behaviors in an attempt to gain a better overview of their drinking habits. Download theirGuide to Moderation Management Steps of Changefor more detailed explanations of the program, along with a breakdown of their 7 step approach towards that change . A thriving online community forum that offers a positive, supportive environment where participants share stories and resources.

There are many paths to changing your relationship with alcohol, and it may take some experimentation to figure out what treatment—or combination of treatments—is most effective for your unique needs. According to a scientific review of available research, cognitive behavioral therapy has been scientifically proven to effectively treat AUD using motivational interventions, contingency management, and relapse prevention . One-on-one psychotherapy with a trained therapist is another way to address your drinking. There are therapists who specialize in AUD, and psychiatrists can prescribe medication for AUD or co-occurring mental health conditions. SMART Recovery is a global community of mutual support groups promoting “science-based, self-empowered addiction recovery.” Their 4-Point Program covers motivation, urges, managing feelings and behaviors, and life balance . Alcoholics Anonymous is arguably the most well-known treatment for alcohol use disorder .

Sobriety coaches work with clients to reduce or stop their drinking, often using CBT techniques like motivational interviewing . A 2018 study found that MI can have a positive effect on people with AUD, including increasing their self-esteem . Kendra MS, Weingardt KR, Cucciare MA, Timko C. Satisfaction with substance use treatment and 12-step groups predicts outcomes. Borges G, Zemore SE, Orozco R, Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J, … Wallisch LC. Co-occurrence of alcohol, drug use, DSM-5 alcohol use disorder, and symptoms of drug use disorder on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. All respondent received their incentives in the form of $25 gift certificates via U.S. mail, so that respondents could not be incentivized unless they provided a valid postal address for each completed survey.