Originally Posted by tursiops999

Hi JoeyG -- I'll just share my own experience.

When I decided to quit alcohol I went to AA, because it was the only thing I knew about. I went frequently for the first year and followed nearly all of the suggestions -- got a sponsor, worked the steps, had service commitments, etc. I stayed sober. I learned a lot and generally had a good experience, and will always have love for this program.

At about the year mark, I was wrestling with some things about the program that didn't align with my own experience, values and beliefs (not the spirituality issue, but the question of 'what is the problem' and 'what is the solution'). On SR I found information about AVRT (there's a good thread in the Secular Connections sticky section). I started using that instead, and found that it fits better for me.

I think the important thing is to commit to an alcohol-free future, and take drinking off the table. Different approaches work for different people, and the key is to find the thing that works for you. Read around this site -- there is a wealth of personal experiences of people successfully using AA, AVRT, SMART, counseling with an addiction specialist, and any number of individual approaches.