6 STEPS TO SUCCESS INALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

1. Invest Your Heart Into It

AA Isn’t magicAlcoholics Anonymous is a support group, but it will not do what it’s supposed to do unless you let it. Recovery does NOT happen passively.

You must not only be committed in attendance, but proactive during the meetings. As with any other program, a willing attitude, a humble spirit and a deep sense of ownership are the secret ingredients to lasting recovery.

A.A. can be a nurturing and enriching experience that truly makes a difference in your life, or it can be a worthless activity. In the end, your attitude determines the success of your experience.

”You must be as enthusiastic about A.A.

as you were about your drinking"

2. Keep Coming Back

More meetings = longer abstinenceStudies have proved that higher levels of A.A. attendance correspond with higher rates of abstinence. In other words, more meetings equals longer abstinence. 

In fact, a study from the Journal of Clinical Psychology (2006) reports that nearly 70% of previously untreated alcoholics who attended over 27 weeks of A.A. meetings were abstinent from alcohol after 16 years.

As unbelievable as that sounds, numerous studies emphasize the benefits of long-term participation in community-based self-help programs like A.A.

"AA isn’t for people who need it,

its for people who WANT it."

3. Frequently Make a Meeting

Attend at least one meeting a week The more frequent the A.A. meetings the better, but a report from the American Journal of Alcohol Abuse (1999) showed that it takes at least one meeting a week to see positive results.

This study showed that over 70% of those attending one12-Step meeting a week were still sober after 2 years, but those who attended less than one meeting a week had similar results as those who had never attended any meetings

“AA is bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions"

4. Start Early

Start participating A.S.A.P.When you begin attending A.A. meetings is significant.

In studies published by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, individuals who started participated in A.A. in the first two to three years after seeking help had better outcomes than those who began attending A.A. later in their search for serenity.

Don’t waste time trying to figure it out on your own, find a group and attend early and often!

"The person with the most sobriety at a meeting

is the one who got to the meeting first"

5. Get a Sponsor

Call your sponsor before, not after you pick up

Sponsors are a vital part of how A.A. works, and numerous studies prove that sponsorship significantly increases abstinence. 

An article from the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors reported that A.A. attenders with sponsors were three times more likely to be sober three months later than those without a sponsor.

"An alcoholic without a sponsor is like

Dracula in charge of a blood bank."

6. Attend Residential Treatment

Rehab will help you build the foundation for long-term sobriety

Various studies have found that patients who attend both 12-Step groups and residential treatment have better outcomes than patients involved only in 12-Step groups.

"If you’re not moving away from a drink you’re moving toward it."

CALL TODAY888. 717.9724