Joe Nerv

I used a lot of things...

Detox
AA
Read and studied Big Book and other AA literature
Rehab
Substance abuse counseling
Therapy
Group therapy
Other 12 step fellowships
Change in diet (cut out processed sugar and became vegetarian)
Exercise
Lots of self help books (Maryanne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, Norman V. Peale, Hugh Prather, many more)
A Course in Miracles (possibly hurt more than it helped - long story)
Unity Church's daily word - always seems to be righ on target

Many other things have helped me maintain sobriety. Thems are the biggies.

wellwisher

Five day hospital detox
90 day inpatient rehabilitation in county run facility
AA meetings
about a year of outpatient alcohol counseling - individual and group
about six or seven months of prescribed antidepressants that I started about four months in to my sobriety

I've met some wonderful people on my journey and I think the best thing I learned is that I am not a victim in this life. I live each and every day grateful for what I do have and that when there are "issues" in my life, I always look to what part I played into it. I try to live today by doing the right thing, and not the "easy" thing.

So much less pressure in living honestly and giving up on having to control things.

This has worked for me for almost 18 years - no relapses, no thoughts of drinking at all for a long, long time, and I wish everyone can find the same.

Keep going; the process of putting down the substance is hard at first, but the rewards are SO WORTH IT. It is a process to be endured at first, but with work comes rewards you probably can't even dream about when you first start.

keepfinding2

Use whatever works for you.

Best advice.

EliteSaijan

From all the knowledge i gained from drinking and others, i decided to put it to use and it worked for a few months.

The solutions were brilliant and did not let me down, i let my self down by thinking i could control drink.

Dalek

FredG makes a valid point -- people do measure success differently. I used AVRT from Rational Recovery, and to me, a successful recovery from addiction means secure, permanent abstinence. I don't care for time counting, sobriety, or serenity. All the rest is just life.

DisplacedGRITS

I use SR, AA, a therapist, a psychiatrist and medication. I think this combination has been absolutely necessary for me to maintain my sobriety. Knock out any of those blocks and my Jenga tower comes tumbling down. I also have been to rehab twice and have learned a lot from those experiences. The support i get from my spouse, family members and friends has also been essential. As i progress in sobriety i'll probably continue to add things like journaling, more Step work, a more involved sponsor and other things that will become invaluable to me and my sobriety. The more blocks i add, the stronger my wall becomes.

DryScotsman

I did the following (and still do):

went to counselling,
started a gentle exercise regime,
drank lots of water and changed my diet to cut out takeaway foods,
spoke to my wife about the unholy mess I had made of my finances and our relationship,
met problems head on and dealt with them instead of deflecting them, and
let my actions speak for me instead of making empty promises.

Sober life is harsh and sharp edged at times but it is also intense and beautiful.

rdytoquit

It's become apparent that many here have used so many different ways to help in there recovery, but one thing that is obvious is that it really doesn't matter what you've tried, or used on a daily basis. It all comes down to you. When YOU decide. That's the key right there. If it weren't for that drive to want to change, none of those programs would work.

Thanks everyone for the responses so far, it's been interesting. Luckily, so far I haven't needed any outside sources to continue with sobriety. I just quit the poison. Period.

Itchy

Good for you rdy! When you get a year come on over to the one year and over thread.

Lily

18 months today

I have tried unsuccessfully for 22 yrs. (I NEVER worked the program though and only went to meetings, but carried around every single defect of character and resentment out there so my only stretch of 7 yrs was purely white knuckling) I did forget to add that like whack a mole (the game) that was me previously with food, so instead of setting down the drugs and alcohol this time and picking back up the food, I started working a program of OA too. this was advice from the AA Sponsor cuz she saw a pattern in me. It was a lifesaver!!

Super duper Happy and CONTENT!! I love my life today!! Totally serene and when I am not, I check out what I am fighting or not accepting today.

LILY

freshstart57

I made a decision to stop drinking one hungover Monday morning, then started looking for the way to make it as easy as possible for me to get a secure, permanent abstinence from alcohol. I read the BB and went to meetings, started a SMART workbook, learned about CBT and started seeing a therapist. Then I learned that what I had been doing to stay sober after I had taken my last drink was AVRT, so I looked into it and stuck with it. It has stuck with me too, for almost a year. Mindfulness and SR have been important as well.

Success in any of these programs depends on a deep conviction to make it work, no matter what happens in your daily life, and we all need to find that to make our journey successful.

Db1105

I got sober through AA, I'm on daily reprieve number 12,604.

Zencat

I'm very encouraged by the results. just a another fine example of people using a variety of ways to kick alcohol/drugs out of their life.

I choose other. For its all about addiction treatment and wellness skill building. I've gone the secular route with building life skills. It fits nicely with my true self.

aNewEternity

I guess a combination of the first four, but I'd rank them as AVRT/SMART/AA/SoberRecovery in order of importance.