Looking for alternatives to AA
 

Hi. I am a 62 year old male. I drank regularly for most of my adult life. About 5 years ago I had a DUI and attended weekly outpatient group therapy for a year. I started going to AA and have been attending meetings about 4 times a week. I was sober for 4 years and had a relapse where I have drunk on and off in secrecy for close to a year. I have difficulty with certain aspects of the AA program. I don't get the surrendering to a higher power part and have struggled with "working the program" in it's entirety. I want to stay in the program to be among recovering alcoholics but need other strategies to help in my recovery. Looking into Rational Recovery and Smart Recovery as alternatives. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks.
B.

If you have not yet scrolled down to find the Secular Connections forum, you might really enjoy that. Very good information, and a different slant.

there is a panel to the right that starts with Find a Facility, then within that Recovery Programs.....might want to poke around there?

This link has information on recovery programs and lots of ideas that we've compiled from our members:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

Rational Recovery information is available online, look for the Crash Course in AVRT. As BixBees505 suggests, lots of discussion about AVRT / RR and other alternative approaches in the Secular Connections Forum.

Welcome to SR Beaubien :)

D

There are secular programs like SMART, rational recovery, lifering, etc,.. Though at 62, I'm sure you've been beating your body with alcohol for decades.
Surrendering to the fact that alcohol has you in a death grip is extremely hard, though whichever program you choose, I you find your sobriety

Welcome to SR Beaubien. Posting here and some counseling has helped me✌️

We were actually discussing this in AA today and how the word "him, God and higher power" can turn some people away. An a fellow there made a suggestion that was like "ah-ha" that's a good point. He had suggested maybe turning those words you don't like such as higher power, him and God and refer those to "karma"
My AA meeting is unorthodox and I absolutely love it. We don't throw anything at anyone, heck we cross talk and everyone is involved in the discussion.

Today was step 6 and we got to talking about this exact issue.

I wish you the best of luck

Hard to beat that.
Seems AA was working for you?

I've been attending AA for over 10 years with 10 years sober now. I don't agree with the whole Program but, if it works don't fix it.

Good luck,
M-Bob

I stumbled onto SR and into AVRT, that said the only alternative not to look for is an alternative to abstinence.