Choosing between Recovery support groups is a very personal decision. Unfortunately, many people aren’t even aware they have options. There is no one size fits all approach to recovery and finding what works for you is important. We are all different, and have different ideas, needs and beliefs. This is a list of support groups that can be accessed from anywhere, whether in person or through an online meeting.
This is about what works for you
I want to first start by saying, this guide goes in no particular order. I am not trying to suggest that any one group is better than another. In fact, if you have not already chosen a particular group, try all of them. You never know what might click and help you along your journey. On the other hand, maybe you like the group you’re in, but feel like you could use some extra support. Maybe you’re just curious.
Either way, these are all great options and are available to you, no matter where you are. Pick one, or mix and match. Personally, I think that looking at addiction from multiple angles can help you find what works for you. Also, you have solid foundation to work from.
On top of that, you will meet new people and build connections to others in recovery. We all learn from each other, and you never know who might need to learn something from you.
AA, NA, CA... All the A's
AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), NA (Narcotics Anonymous, and CA (Cocaine Anonymous) are all peer based Recovery Support Groups. These are fellowships of people who come together to solve their common problems with alcohol and substance abuse. Each program is unique in its own way, and focuses on a different form of addiction. However, they are all based on the 12 step approach.
What are the 12 steps?
The 12 steps are an outline to recovery based on spiritual progress. Through a series of steps, the program encourages acceptance, rigorous honesty, and service to others.
While they may seem simple enough as you read through them, it doesn’t necessarily mean its easy. That being said, don’t let that discourage you. Working through these steps will help you discover serenity and a deeper connection with others.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
How it works
Originally started in 1935, by Bill W. and Dr. Bob S., AA has become the most popular recovery support group when it comes to addiction. They have groups around the world and has helped millions of people with their drinking problem. Since then similar groups have been created based on the same format. These other groups address issues such as narcotics, cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, as well as groups for sex addiction and gambling.
How It Works, is actually the title of a chapter in the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book outlines the program for AA, along with the 12 steps and stories from others who have worked the program.
Sponsors
Members are encouraged to work with a sponsor when going through the 12 steps. A sponsor is another peer in the program who has worked through the steps and has a significant amount of time in sobriety. The sponsor acts as a kind of mentor and will help the new individual and guide them through working the steps. Additionally, a sponsor will typically have the individual call them on a regular basis to help them through the beginning stages of sobriety.
Meetings
AA meeting, as well as meeting for the other 12 step groups can be found online or in person. In fact, in person meetings are held in just about every city in the united states. Each meeting is 60 minutes long and gather at different times during the day.
There are no dues or fees for membership and meetings are inclusive to all people. However, certain meetings are set to be specific to woman only, men only, lgbtqia+, and other demographics.
“The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us.”
―
Meetings can be open topic or discussion based, usually on a specific step or passage from the big book. For more information about AA or other 12 step recovery support groups go to aa.org.
SMART Recovery
Smart Recovery is a non profit organization that started in 1994. This program uses scientific and evidence based practices to help people overcome addiction. The Smart Recovery support groups are effective and offered for any form of addiction, including drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, food and self harm.
How is it different?
SMART Recovery does not encourage labels such as “addict” or “alcoholic”. Additionally, they do not endorse the idea of being powerless. In fact, this program empowers participants though the power of choice. This includes the aspect of spirituality as it is not part of the SMART Recovery process. This program encourages individuals to recognize their own self worth and autonomy in recovery.
Tools from different forms of therapy such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) are used as part of their approach. These can help individuals address the negative thoughts and feelings that often come with addiction.
SMART specific tools
The SMART Recovery Handbook contains various worksheets and handouts. Tools such as DEADS and the ABC’s can help individuals deal with cravings and prevent relapse. Others, such as the HOV, can help discover important life values to guide someone as they move through recovery. The best part is that many of these tools can be used through out life to overcome different obstacles and challenges outside of recovery.
Meetings
SMART Recovery support groups can be found online or in person. However, as this program does not have quite the popularity that AA does, in person meetings might only be available in certain areas. To check if there is a meeting close to your area click here. Meetings are led by a trained facilitator and last from 60 to 90 minutes depending on the group. Facilitators are often in recovery themselves. That being said, others are just regular members of the community who are dedicated to making a difference.
If you are interested in SMART Recovery and would like to know more check out, SMART Recovery (A Revolutionary Approach to Sobriety)
Women For Sobriety
WFS (Woman for Sobriety) is a non profit organization and one of the first recovery support groups of its kind. The New Life Program is specifically tailored for woman, by women. They recognize that the psychological and emotional needs of women are unique and strive to empower and support those suffering from substance and alcohol abuse.
The Program
WFS believes that depression, guilt, and self esteem issues are a common experience in women due to the pressures of modern society. The New Life program uses 13 Acceptance Statements to help women discover a new life through personal and spiritual growth.
Moreover, these Acceptance Statements inspire a new way of thinking. Overall, this program fosters awareness, fulfillment of self, and teaches woman to live as an individual.
Acceptance Statements
I have a life-threatening problem that once had me.
I now take charge of my life and my well-being. I accept the responsibility.
Negative thoughts destroy only myself.
My first conscious sober act is to reduce negativity in my life.
Happiness is a habit I am developing.
Happiness is created, not waited for.
Problems bother me only to the degree I permit.
I now better understand my problems. I do not permit problems to overwhelm me.
I am what I think.
I am a capable, competent, caring, compassionate woman.
Life can be ordinary or it can be great.
Greatness is mine by a conscious effort.
Love can change the course of my world.
Caring is all-important.
The fundamental object of life is emotional and spiritual growth.
Daily I put my life into a proper order, knowing which are the priorities.
The past is gone forever.
No longer am I victimized by the past. I am a new woman.
All love given returns.
I am learning to know that I am loved.
Enthusiasm is my daily exercise.
I treasure the moments of my New Life.
I am a competent woman, and I have much to give life.
This is what I am, and I shall know it always.
I am responsible for myself and for my actions.
I am in charge of my mind, my thoughts, and my life.
As members incorporate these acceptance statements into their daily lives, they move through different levels of sobriety. As a result, their recovery support groups have helped thousands of woman to live a substance free life and discover the best versions of themselves.
“Our program makes sobriety a happy existence by helping us to understand ourselves better. Our sobriety is more than simply a period of time in which we are not drinking; it becomes a happy learning experience.” – Women For Sobriety
Meetings
Meeting can be found online and in person and last from 60 to 90 minutes. WFS is inclusive and supports all women, welcoming members of the LGBTIQQA+ community. Each meeting is facilitated by an experienced member of WF, referred to as a CF, who has a minimum of one year of sobriety. To find a meeting near you click here.
Recovery Dharma
Recovery Dharma is a peer led movement and bases its path to recovery on Buddhist principles and practices. It was founded in 2017 in the United States by a group of people who felt that there was a need for a more secular and inclusive recovery community that could help individuals struggling with addiction to find freedom from their suffering.
Recovery Dharma is based on the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and the Eightfold Path, which provide a framework for understanding the causes and nature of suffering, and for developing a path towards liberation from it. The program emphasizes mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness as key tools for recovery, and encourages members to develop a daily meditation practice and to participate in group meetings and other recovery activities.
Do you have to be a Buddhist?
Not in the least. Their recovery support groups are free and open to anyone seeking change and freedom from their addiction, regardless of their beliefs or spiritual background. They provide a safe and supportive environment for members to share their experiences, struggles, and achievements in order to learn from each other and connect.
Meetings
Meetings usually involve a reading or discussion of recovery literature, followed by a guided meditation or other mindfulness practices. Online and in person meetings are available and last 60 minutes. Typically, these meetings are open to everyone, however, some meetings are specifically for men, women, or LGBTIQQA+.
Similar to sponsors in AA, these recovery support groups encourage the use of mentors. Along with mentors, practice partners for meditation and other support found within the groups are referred to as wise friends. These wise friends are there to help you along your path to recovery and provide guidance and encouragement.
To find a meeting near you click here.
Refuge Recovery
Refuge Recovery is similar to Recovery Dharma in the sense that it is based on Buddhist teachings. It was founded in 2014 by Noah Levine, a meditation teacher and author who had struggled with addiction himself and wanted to create a program that combined Buddhist teachings with a modern understanding of addiction.
What sets Refuge Recovery apart from other recovery programs is its focus on the Buddhist principle of non-attachment, which encourages individuals to let go of the desire for external validation or material possessions and to find freedom from the suffering caused by addiction. This approach can be especially helpful for individuals who may have struggled with addiction due to trauma, anxiety, or depression.
“Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.”
The program
Refuge recovery describes itself as “a practice, a process, a set of tools, a treatment, and a path to healing addiction”. It is a nontheistic approach that does not require anyone to believe anything. Furthermore, it provides a system that is able to accommodate any form of addiction.
The Four Truths of Addiction
1st Truth: Addiction Creates Suffering; We take stock of all the suffering we have experienced and caused as addicts.
2nd Truth: The Cause of Addiction Is Repetitive Craving; We investigate the causes and conditions that lead to addiction and begin the process of letting go.
3rd Truth: Recovery is possible; We come to understand that recovery is possible and take refuge in the path that leads to the end of addiction.
4th Truth: The path to recovery is available; We engage in the process of the Eightfold Path that leads to recovery.
The Eightfold Path to Recovery
1. Understanding
2. Intentions
3. Speech/community
4. Actions
5. Livelihood/service
6. Effort
7. Mindfulness
8. Concentration
Meetings
Meeting are offered online and in person and typically last 60 minutes. There is generally an introduction, followed by meditation and then a topic of discussion. Furthermore, these recovery support groups are open to anyone who is suffering from an addiction. Along with meetings, special events and retreats are held in different locations throughout the year.
To find a meeting near you click here.
