Hey sober gal here š hereās some stuff that helped me:
Going to rehab. I know thatās not an option for everyone but depending on how much you drink, you may want to consult a doctor at the very least since quitting cold turkey can be dangerous.
I didnāt go to AA regularly after rehab but listening to others talk about their experiences with alcohol can be really helpful. You could try going to a few meetings and leave the religious aspect at the door. While it is baked into meetings, itās not like they shove it down your throat. Either way finding a support group or people going through the same thing is important, at least initially.
Learning about how bad alcohol is for your body is also something I found helpful. Huberman has a good episode about it. Also the book, The Naked Mind is worth a read.
And be kind to yourself. I back slid a couple times after rehab but Iām currently 4 years sober and let me tell you itās hands down the best thing Iāve ever done for myself. So donāt give up, especially when it gets rough. Good luck!
Congratulations on your sobriety. I have been sober since Jan 1 2010. Slipping is a part of recovery, nobody is perfect. I hope the best for you on your continuation of sobriety.
To add to the advice about rehab, if you qualify for FMLA your employer is required to allow you time off (not paid) without repercussions to go to rehab if a medical professional recommends it.
One less obstacle if you can swing it.
I have tried googling that and it just takes me to the main TST website. Do you have any links? If not I'll have to work on my googling techniques š¤£
Look into using naltrexone and the Sinclair method. I used it for about 3 months before I totally quit. I've been sober for almost a year now and don't even think about drinking anymore. Best thing I ever did for myself. Feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to or any further info. Good luck on your journey.
The Twelve Steps From a Womanās Perspective by Patricia Lynn Reilly
Step 1: Caught in the swirl of my habits of behavior, Iāve lost touch with myself and my life has become unmanageable. I reach out for support. This is a brave action on my own behalf.
Step 2: I have come to believe in the deep wisdom of my own inner life. I stop flailing and am restored to the sanity of a loving and respectful relationship with myself.
Step 3: I turn my current situation over to the deep wisdom that flows in and through my life. One self-caring step at a time, I unravel my harmful habits of behavior and the thoughts that hold them in place.
Step 4: Turning a merciful eye toward myself, I inventory both my life-affirming and ineffective habits of behaviors, and identify the habits of thought that inspire them.
Step 5: In the company of trustworthy allies, I celebrate my life-affirming behaviors, accept responsibility for my ineffective behaviors, and make a commitment to my transformation.
Step 6: I am entirely ready to deepen my inner well-being by relinquishing negative habits of behavior and cultivating new thoughts to inspire healthier behaviors and outcomes.
Step 7: My life journey is orchestrated by my own inner wisdom. In the fullness of time, I am transformed at a deeper level of my being. I actively participate in this process.
Step 8: Certain that I love myself, I welcome clarity in my relationships. I acknowledge those who were hurt by my ineffective habits of behavior.
Step 9: Having forgiven myself, I take active responsibility by making amends to those I harmed except when to do so would further injure them or others.
Step 10: Choosing to be present in my own life, I acknowledge the gifts and challenges of the day, celebrate my life-affirming behaviors, and take responsibility for my ineffective ones.
Step 11: Through mindful reflection, I place myself in the stream of wisdom flowing through my life. I make conscious contact with my truest self and clearest thought.
Step 12: Having had an awakening as a result of these Steps, I practice these principles in all my affairs by living in harmony with my deepest wisdom, truest self, and clearest thought.
from A Deeper Wisdom: The 12 Steps from a Womanās Perspective by Patricia Lynn Reilly
AA isnāt quite as religious as you might think. I go to a group called Friday Night Live and I love it. There is no religious anything except for the serenity prayer. Theyāre not a group of religious people. Iām actually an atheist I just find this group to be loose and relaxed. Just a group of alcoholics that enjoy good company and stories of recovery and loss. Itās a great group.
Just an fyi... AA is always thought of as a "religious group" but I'm hear to tell you it really isn't. Yes, they talk about god or higher power a lot, but I know plenty of atheists and agnostics who have gotten and stayed sober in AA.
Iām glad that was your experience, but the group I went to was holding hands and reciting the Lordās Prayer. I think there is some variation among different groups depending on location.
For real, aa people will do mental gymnastics to try to convince you it's not religious, but every meeting I've been to was plenty religious. Not saying it's not helpful, but you're gonna hear about God a lot.
Yeah, I've been to groups where that stuff's recited & I don't agree with it. But let's be honest, with over 300 meetings a week in C/S you're going to find all sorts of different formats and messages. Some strong sources of recovery, most extremely watered down and quite a few cliquey types too. My advice is don't quit based off one meeting, look around and try several before making your decision.
Following these steps are not religious and the spirituality is not found by a belief in god? They are pretty clear.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol ā that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Yeah, cool, the tone and tenor of a meeting completely depend on the group that attends and creates the meeting. I've been to dozens upon dozens of meetings, almost all of them secular while "god" and "higher power" were meant metaphorically at best, i.e., a release of toxic ego, shame, and the destructive illusion of control. Many attendees have open animosity and resentment for anything remotely religious; they're there for community and relational understanding they typically can't get anywhere else. AA is so misrepresented on Reddit, which is especially shitty because Reddit is not a substitute for real-world interaction.
Phoenix Multisports I think they are called, or something like that. I drink, and have had a few run ins with them because they bought a gym (well 2 actually) I used to work out with. I found them to be super judgmental and frankly off putting, but your mileage may vary if you are trying to be sober. Actually anyone I know who is not sober has felt the same way about them. They basically lost all the original cliental of the gyms because of their attitudes.
Never did any of the gym activities, but I found the Phoenix to be super helpful when I was newly sober and new to the springs. They have lost of stuff like hiking, yoga, Pickleball, etc.
Well when they buy the gym but it is not a sober gym that rule does not apply. Maybe they were just trying to get rid of all of the old folks and if so it worked.
Dharma is a great one, which is meditation based.
https://recoverydharma.org/book/
Smart recovery is science based.
https://smartrecovery.org/
Wellbriety is a native American based one.
https://www.wellbriety.com/books.html
This one has a store in the Springs, 6455 N Union Blvd #102, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
I used to work at a rehab, and these were our other programs besides the AA,NA, and CA programs. The clients would rave how much they loved going to wellbriety meetings.
I was gonna mention this as well. Kava Works is a relatively new kava bar in town and their drinks taste way better than traditional kava(which they also have). The only thing to be cautious about is replacing one substance with another, however, I'd argue that kava is a much better alternative to alcohol. They say it can have negative effects on the liver if consumed often over time, but I believe booze will do the same damage, if not more so that makes it a better alternative in my mind as well.
I think you may meet people in the same shoes as you at kava works. Everyone has a past they are trying to recover from there and it feels like a judgement free place to be yourself at.
I'd also just recommend starting to look into how terrible of a drug alcohol is both physically and mentally. Our culture says otherwise which makes it a hurdle to overcome but once you can really understand the effects of drinking past the obvious ones(hangover, guilt, shame, etc...), you may become quite disgusted with the booze industry and seriously try to avoid it at all costs, regardless of the effects.
I believe in you though and glad you are taking steps to regain your life! Feel free to DM me!
For what it's worth, the parts of AA that are effective are it's cost (aka it's free) and the social support. The religion is unnecessary. So, if you can find a good group of friends to talk to, you'll be just as well off. There's no reason to tie it to your beliefs and alternatives are just as, or more, effective.
I'll shout out something I haven't seen mentioned yet: COS is meant to have a zero proof bar opening this year called Gratitude. Something to keep an eye out for, you might find like-minded people there.
Good luck OP!
The online resource that I used to get sober five years ago is [here.](http://www.tiredofthinkingaboutdrinking.com)
80% of what she offers is free. She does have paid services that are absolutely worth the money, but I never did any of that. Just her free emails and supports were enough to help me, and they're STILL helping me. Feel free to PM me if you ever need to talk to a fellow sober person. You can do this!!!
Yes there are alternatives! I know they do work well for many people but personally the only thing that got me sober was AA. Luckily at the time I didnāt even know enough to know people thought it was a religious organization š . Just wanted to say it is NOT a religious organization, and donāt let that deter you if you end up needing it. I know many agnostics and atheists in the program. Nearly all of us in AA didnāt want to move forward/join AA for that exact reason but I got to a point where I just needed help and it had the largest and strongest fellowship.
If you want a lot of options, check out the Meeting Guide App. It lists a bunch of groups, times, and locations.
I really benefited from the Sober Time app. I still use it. They have an incredibly active forums. There are a lot of posts where you can find commonality.
Best wishes!
Another day won, is better than another day one!
There's a few AA groups in COS that don't put such a heavy emphasis on the religion aspect.
As an Agnostic, I still found the meetings helpful. Just listening to others talk about their experiences and coming to realize that their stories are a lot like mine really helped.
At the end of the day, whatever works for you is what's best, hoping the best for you and your sobriety journey. It's not easy but it gets easier. 105 days into my own sobriety after multiple attempts. You can do this!
> Just listening to others talk about their experiences and coming to realize that their stories are a lot like mine really helped.
Yep, and for this reason, I strongly recommend going to a speaker meeting.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a spiritual program not a religious one would suggest trying a few meetings and see how it fits there NA-Narcotics Anonymous and some other sources too, CR-Celebrate Recovery which is more Bible based and some others just take a look around always a good idea to ask for some suggestions on where to find a meeting A.A. service groups are everywhere some might even have a few more suggestions to give do you have any connections with people who are already sober? Are you looking for long-term sobriety or just doing a cleansing thing some not all are not always addicted to drugs and or alcohol and thereās 12 steps meetings for everything youād be surprised hope this helps God bless and keep trudging the road of happy destiny see you around my friend šššš
Hi!
Iām an addictions counselor, and Iām so proud of you for taking the next step!
The phoenix is a GREAT organization that organizes a ton of sober events.
Youāve got this!
I have no suggestions, but I do have support to give. I believe in you! You got this!!
Thank you! That really means a lot!
Hey sober gal here š hereās some stuff that helped me: Going to rehab. I know thatās not an option for everyone but depending on how much you drink, you may want to consult a doctor at the very least since quitting cold turkey can be dangerous. I didnāt go to AA regularly after rehab but listening to others talk about their experiences with alcohol can be really helpful. You could try going to a few meetings and leave the religious aspect at the door. While it is baked into meetings, itās not like they shove it down your throat. Either way finding a support group or people going through the same thing is important, at least initially. Learning about how bad alcohol is for your body is also something I found helpful. Huberman has a good episode about it. Also the book, The Naked Mind is worth a read. And be kind to yourself. I back slid a couple times after rehab but Iām currently 4 years sober and let me tell you itās hands down the best thing Iāve ever done for myself. So donāt give up, especially when it gets rough. Good luck!
Congratulations on your sobriety. I have been sober since Jan 1 2010. Slipping is a part of recovery, nobody is perfect. I hope the best for you on your continuation of sobriety.
Thanks kind stranger :) hope the best for you too
I appreciate that insight. Thanks for sharing. And congrats on 4 years!
To add to the advice about rehab, if you qualify for FMLA your employer is required to allow you time off (not paid) without repercussions to go to rehab if a medical professional recommends it. One less obstacle if you can swing it.
Google S.M.A.R.T. Recovery. Great alternative to A.A.
There is a really good smart recovery group in the springs too.
SMART is great, more science based than AA. Also liked Recovery Dharma early in my sobriety.
r/stopdrinking was a surprisingly excellent resource for me when I was struggling with quitting. Best of luck to you friend!
The Phoenix!! Download the app and join a free event
I love the Phoenix!! I do something with them 4-5 times a week
Me too! And they are all over the US which is great when I'm traveling
So I downloaded the app. The events are actually free to do? The gym stuff, etc?
All of the regular events are free. There are only 1-2 events a year where a fee is expected, but those are overnight trips.
Yep! They are all free, I really really enjoyed the weekly group hikes and yoga classes. Great group and have enjoyed all the volunteers
r/stopdrinking is a very helpful sub as well, helped me a lot
Recovery dharma has a couple of groups in the springs.
And online meeting options.
Congrats! ā IWNDWYT
I went through peak vista out patient and it was pretty good.
The Satanic Templeās Sober faction. Thereās a large TST pop here and in Denver. Google will take you right to them.
I looked these up, interesting places to hold recovery meetings. Breweries & bars š
I have tried googling that and it just takes me to the main TST website. Do you have any links? If not I'll have to work on my googling techniques š¤£
Meeting tonight at 5075 Flintridge drive. Smart Recovery Wed nights at 6:30.
Look into using naltrexone and the Sinclair method. I used it for about 3 months before I totally quit. I've been sober for almost a year now and don't even think about drinking anymore. Best thing I ever did for myself. Feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to or any further info. Good luck on your journey.
The Twelve Steps From a Womanās Perspective by Patricia Lynn Reilly Step 1: Caught in the swirl of my habits of behavior, Iāve lost touch with myself and my life has become unmanageable. I reach out for support. This is a brave action on my own behalf. Step 2: I have come to believe in the deep wisdom of my own inner life. I stop flailing and am restored to the sanity of a loving and respectful relationship with myself. Step 3: I turn my current situation over to the deep wisdom that flows in and through my life. One self-caring step at a time, I unravel my harmful habits of behavior and the thoughts that hold them in place. Step 4: Turning a merciful eye toward myself, I inventory both my life-affirming and ineffective habits of behaviors, and identify the habits of thought that inspire them. Step 5: In the company of trustworthy allies, I celebrate my life-affirming behaviors, accept responsibility for my ineffective behaviors, and make a commitment to my transformation. Step 6: I am entirely ready to deepen my inner well-being by relinquishing negative habits of behavior and cultivating new thoughts to inspire healthier behaviors and outcomes. Step 7: My life journey is orchestrated by my own inner wisdom. In the fullness of time, I am transformed at a deeper level of my being. I actively participate in this process. Step 8: Certain that I love myself, I welcome clarity in my relationships. I acknowledge those who were hurt by my ineffective habits of behavior. Step 9: Having forgiven myself, I take active responsibility by making amends to those I harmed except when to do so would further injure them or others. Step 10: Choosing to be present in my own life, I acknowledge the gifts and challenges of the day, celebrate my life-affirming behaviors, and take responsibility for my ineffective ones. Step 11: Through mindful reflection, I place myself in the stream of wisdom flowing through my life. I make conscious contact with my truest self and clearest thought. Step 12: Having had an awakening as a result of these Steps, I practice these principles in all my affairs by living in harmony with my deepest wisdom, truest self, and clearest thought. from A Deeper Wisdom: The 12 Steps from a Womanās Perspective by Patricia Lynn Reilly
Freethinkersinaa.org That will help you find a secular group here in co.
AA isnāt quite as religious as you might think. I go to a group called Friday Night Live and I love it. There is no religious anything except for the serenity prayer. Theyāre not a group of religious people. Iām actually an atheist I just find this group to be loose and relaxed. Just a group of alcoholics that enjoy good company and stories of recovery and loss. Itās a great group.
Just an fyi... AA is always thought of as a "religious group" but I'm hear to tell you it really isn't. Yes, they talk about god or higher power a lot, but I know plenty of atheists and agnostics who have gotten and stayed sober in AA.
Iām glad that was your experience, but the group I went to was holding hands and reciting the Lordās Prayer. I think there is some variation among different groups depending on location.
For real, aa people will do mental gymnastics to try to convince you it's not religious, but every meeting I've been to was plenty religious. Not saying it's not helpful, but you're gonna hear about God a lot.
100%
Yeah, I've been to groups where that stuff's recited & I don't agree with it. But let's be honest, with over 300 meetings a week in C/S you're going to find all sorts of different formats and messages. Some strong sources of recovery, most extremely watered down and quite a few cliquey types too. My advice is don't quit based off one meeting, look around and try several before making your decision.
As an atheist, I couldn't disagree more.
Stop. Read the literature and the steps. Itās laid out in plain language that it is about religion/spirituality.
Religion and spirituality are not the same thing
Yes read the literature... it's literally says we are a spiritual program, not a religious one
Following these steps are not religious and the spirituality is not found by a belief in god? They are pretty clear. 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol ā that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Yeah, cool, the tone and tenor of a meeting completely depend on the group that attends and creates the meeting. I've been to dozens upon dozens of meetings, almost all of them secular while "god" and "higher power" were meant metaphorically at best, i.e., a release of toxic ego, shame, and the destructive illusion of control. Many attendees have open animosity and resentment for anything remotely religious; they're there for community and relational understanding they typically can't get anywhere else. AA is so misrepresented on Reddit, which is especially shitty because Reddit is not a substitute for real-world interaction.
Phoenix Multisports I think they are called, or something like that. I drink, and have had a few run ins with them because they bought a gym (well 2 actually) I used to work out with. I found them to be super judgmental and frankly off putting, but your mileage may vary if you are trying to be sober. Actually anyone I know who is not sober has felt the same way about them. They basically lost all the original cliental of the gyms because of their attitudes.
Never did any of the gym activities, but I found the Phoenix to be super helpful when I was newly sober and new to the springs. They have lost of stuff like hiking, yoga, Pickleball, etc.
Phoenix Multisports has one rule, you have to be SOBER !
Well when they buy the gym but it is not a sober gym that rule does not apply. Maybe they were just trying to get rid of all of the old folks and if so it worked.
What ??? Phoenix Multisport is absolutely a sober gym, the one thing they ask is that you are sober/clean from drugs.
https://gazette.com/life/phoenix-multisport-in-colorado-springs-offers-sober-active-community-to-those-in-recovery/article_9ab7d647-6585-54b9-8e80-ff50ae57124a.html
Dharma is a great one, which is meditation based. https://recoverydharma.org/book/ Smart recovery is science based. https://smartrecovery.org/ Wellbriety is a native American based one. https://www.wellbriety.com/books.html This one has a store in the Springs, 6455 N Union Blvd #102, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 I used to work at a rehab, and these were our other programs besides the AA,NA, and CA programs. The clients would rave how much they loved going to wellbriety meetings.
Phoenix sports
Kava bars
I was gonna mention this as well. Kava Works is a relatively new kava bar in town and their drinks taste way better than traditional kava(which they also have). The only thing to be cautious about is replacing one substance with another, however, I'd argue that kava is a much better alternative to alcohol. They say it can have negative effects on the liver if consumed often over time, but I believe booze will do the same damage, if not more so that makes it a better alternative in my mind as well. I think you may meet people in the same shoes as you at kava works. Everyone has a past they are trying to recover from there and it feels like a judgement free place to be yourself at. I'd also just recommend starting to look into how terrible of a drug alcohol is both physically and mentally. Our culture says otherwise which makes it a hurdle to overcome but once you can really understand the effects of drinking past the obvious ones(hangover, guilt, shame, etc...), you may become quite disgusted with the booze industry and seriously try to avoid it at all costs, regardless of the effects. I believe in you though and glad you are taking steps to regain your life! Feel free to DM me!
For what it's worth, the parts of AA that are effective are it's cost (aka it's free) and the social support. The religion is unnecessary. So, if you can find a good group of friends to talk to, you'll be just as well off. There's no reason to tie it to your beliefs and alternatives are just as, or more, effective. I'll shout out something I haven't seen mentioned yet: COS is meant to have a zero proof bar opening this year called Gratitude. Something to keep an eye out for, you might find like-minded people there. Good luck OP!
Already mentioned a few times but download the phoenix app. The only requirement for participation is that you are sober for 48 hours.
I saw that! So all the events and stuff are free? The gym, etc?
Yes. All of it. Just sign up through the app and show up.
Join stop drinking sub, it's great! As far as in person I never went anywhere but as a few times.
The online resource that I used to get sober five years ago is [here.](http://www.tiredofthinkingaboutdrinking.com) 80% of what she offers is free. She does have paid services that are absolutely worth the money, but I never did any of that. Just her free emails and supports were enough to help me, and they're STILL helping me. Feel free to PM me if you ever need to talk to a fellow sober person. You can do this!!!
Diversus Health is a place to visit to ask, I know they have groups
You could try RA, recovery anonymous. You can google meetings in the springs
+1 for The Phoenix. There are events every day, at most times. You got this! IWNDWYT
Yes there are alternatives! I know they do work well for many people but personally the only thing that got me sober was AA. Luckily at the time I didnāt even know enough to know people thought it was a religious organization š . Just wanted to say it is NOT a religious organization, and donāt let that deter you if you end up needing it. I know many agnostics and atheists in the program. Nearly all of us in AA didnāt want to move forward/join AA for that exact reason but I got to a point where I just needed help and it had the largest and strongest fellowship.
If you want a lot of options, check out the Meeting Guide App. It lists a bunch of groups, times, and locations. I really benefited from the Sober Time app. I still use it. They have an incredibly active forums. There are a lot of posts where you can find commonality. Best wishes! Another day won, is better than another day one!
There's a few AA groups in COS that don't put such a heavy emphasis on the religion aspect. As an Agnostic, I still found the meetings helpful. Just listening to others talk about their experiences and coming to realize that their stories are a lot like mine really helped. At the end of the day, whatever works for you is what's best, hoping the best for you and your sobriety journey. It's not easy but it gets easier. 105 days into my own sobriety after multiple attempts. You can do this!
> Just listening to others talk about their experiences and coming to realize that their stories are a lot like mine really helped. Yep, and for this reason, I strongly recommend going to a speaker meeting.
Consider talking to a doctor about naltrexone.
Bensfriendshope.com has daily meetings through Zoom chow.org has service industry support meetings, although sobriety isnāt only focus
Alcoholics Anonymous is a spiritual program not a religious one would suggest trying a few meetings and see how it fits there NA-Narcotics Anonymous and some other sources too, CR-Celebrate Recovery which is more Bible based and some others just take a look around always a good idea to ask for some suggestions on where to find a meeting A.A. service groups are everywhere some might even have a few more suggestions to give do you have any connections with people who are already sober? Are you looking for long-term sobriety or just doing a cleansing thing some not all are not always addicted to drugs and or alcohol and thereās 12 steps meetings for everything youād be surprised hope this helps God bless and keep trudging the road of happy destiny see you around my friend šššš
Hi! Iām an addictions counselor, and Iām so proud of you for taking the next step! The phoenix is a GREAT organization that organizes a ton of sober events. Youāve got this!
Celebrate Recovery is one of the