I’ve quit drinking but relapsed more times than I care

Recovery
#1

I’ve quit drinking but relapsed more times than I care to (or probably can) remember, so thought I tried something different this time by actually connecting with people

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#2

Connection is key! Have you went to any meetings and connected with anyone there? Surrounding yourself with a sober community is key!

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#3

Hi Matt. Welcome to Loosid. Quitting or stopping is great. However, it’s staying stopped that’s so difficult. Getting connected is definitely an important part of staying sober. You are on the right path. As Jessica said, I also recommend you make connections with a sober community in your area. I found my peeps in AA meetings. There are several other options out there today. Regardless of which one you get involved in, these daily recovery programs will help you live in the solution.

#4

Hi Matt… I’m in the same boat. Been here 2 days now and lots of good advise and support

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#5

I went to an AA meeting once and I think it’s a great program but it just wasn’t for me. What other programs are there?

#6

Matt try podcasts. Try recovery elevator, that’s one of my favorites. It’s a great podcast where relatable people share their stories and it helps so much. They have a private Facebook group too.
Very inclusive and positive group of folks you can build connections with.

#7

Will check it out, appreciate the suggestion

#8

• SMART Recovery
• Recovery Dharma
• Refuge Recovery
• Life Ring
• SOS
(Secular Organizations for Sobriety)

Also.
Not all AAs present the same, I find you really have to shop around to find a good fit. Even the morning vs the evening ones I catch differ at the same place. They can all vary drastically. And if it’s the god/hp talk that’s the issue, I get it. There are also agnostic AAs.

AA in general really are the most prevalent option in person in most areas. I just use them to build my local community. Put to the side the stuff I don’t need. Augment with options above (zoom meetings + online support groups), therapy and lots of books + inner work.

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#9

I will look into some of those groups. The higher power aspect was a major part of the AA meeting I went to and was the biggest issue for me, since I am not religious or spiritual. I’m glad this approach has helped so many people, but it’s not for me. I think a group that focuses less on that will be more helpful for me. It’s a good point that you can put aside things that don’t resonate with you from meetings and only keep the parts that do.

#10

This a great list. I’ve also heard good things about The Luckiest Club. There are life coaches for sobriety as well. Check out programs like IGNTD Recovery too.

Also, AA has secular meetings if you just can’t work your way around the “G-d talk” in AA. The point is this is not something one should try to do on their own.

You got some great feedback and answers Matt. The ball is in your court my brother! How bad do you want it?? Get some help ASAP :pray::peace_symbol:❤‍🩹

#11

I’ve met some really good humans at these meetings. And have made my boundaries kindly clear how I am not down for any HP talk. You go often enough, you’ll start sorting out the other like minded friends. There’s a lot of us lurking about.

My place has 2 meetings every day, certain days with a main focus. 12 Step Traditions, As Bill Sees It , Etc. Those are usually the Sun- Tues stickler crowd. The dudes who are BB thumpers and been around quite awhile. A different vibe takes place when the younger crowd filters in for the Wed-Sat meetings that are more open based.

Again, only something I learned by going and observing multiple meetings.
I find a lot of problematic things with AA that I’ve had to navigate through. I recently moved across the country and was starting over from scratch so my ability to do that was rather essential to building community for myself. Hope you find something (or things) that work for you!

I’m sure many will chime in here because this is a popular subject in the community.

Edit to add:
Something I found helpful that I took from a wise dude at one of these meetings (as I am sure it has been said here) - the community itself can be your HP, right? Human powered.

The analogy likened to moving your broken down car off the road. Alone, can ya do it? Yeah probably. But having your buddy or some kind human back ya up with a push is gonna get you there a bit quicker. Literal (hu)man power behind it.

Someone is sick. I bring them soup. I aid in their physical recovery so they can rest. In the reciprocal process they offer to pick up my kids so I can stay at work and make more money. We help each other.
We aren’t waiting around for forces to step in for us.