Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
In this article
Alcohol addiction is a complex disorder that affects brain circuitry. Also called alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcoholism, the condition can alter your:
These and other issues are why it's challenging to overcome alcohol addiction alone. For that reason, there are a variety of alcohol addiction support groups available.
Read on to learn more about how these support groups can support you or your loved one's addiction recovery.
There are various strategies and methods to treat and even cure alcohol addiction. These include engaging in support groups.
Alcohol addiction support groups come in different formats, which may include:
There are support groups which focus on different groups of people, such as:
Membership in alcohol addiction support groups is usually free. They're also anonymous or confidential.
You can join independently or as part of your treatment plan. Meetings occur in convenient settings, flexible times, and various formats.
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Below are some of the most popular alcohol support groups:
Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is one of the world's most popular recovery support groups. Membership is open to everyone. AA:
Alcoholics Anonymous has 1,967,613 active members spread across 120,455 supportive groups in 181 countries.
Estimated Worldwide A.A. Individual and Group Membership, Alcoholics Anonymous, 2021
The 12-steps were designed by AA as structured guidelines for people to overcome alcohol addiction. The process gained success, leading to other addiction support groups adopting them.
Although the 12 steps are rooted in spiritual principles, many nonreligious people use and embrace them.
SMART Recovery is a four-point program. It helps alcohol addicts build motivation and confidence towards abstinence from alcohol. The program also:
Members can join a local group for face-to-face meetings. Virtual support and online sessions are also available.
Women for Sobriety is a nonprofit support group that helps women manage addictions like alcohol abuse. The group uses 13 acceptance statements.
These declarations help women alter self-destructive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to live without alcohol. WFS:
LifeRing Secular Recovery is a support group sharing practical experiences and sobriety success stories. Their three values are "Sobriety, Secularity, and Self-Help."
LifeRing focuses on transforming despair into hope to combat alcohol abuse. Rather than applying the same steps to everyone, the group embraces the idea that every person heals differently. Participants also join other types of meetings and programs as part of their recovery process.
Moderation Management is a recovery program different from many alcohol abuse support groups. This is because it doesn’t expect complete abstinence. Instead, participants can drink alcohol in moderation.
MM works to combat problematic drinking through the Steps of Change treatment program. Their members keep a drinking diary before committing to 30 days of abstinence from alcohol. Afterward, they can reintroduce alcohol use.
Secular Organizations for Sobriety is a nonprofit group. They encourage members to support each other in their addiction recovery. SOS:
Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step program for Christians needing addiction recovery. The addictions that Celebrate Recovery combat include:
Celebrate Recovery also deals with eating disorders, love and relationship problems, anger, and more.
Dual Recovery Anonymous is another 12-step support group. The group focuses on those who struggle with both alcohol abuse and mental health issues. This is known as a dual diagnosis.
Many people with alcohol addiction have co-occurring mental health issues such as:
These issues make overcoming alcohol use disorder even more difficult.
Besides emphasizing the 12 steps and relapse prevention, Dual Recovery Anonymous encourages members to seek mental health treatment.
The best treatment for co-occurring alcohol addiction and mental health disorders is an integrated approach. This is when the alcohol abuse and the mental health are treated together.
There are also support groups created for family members of someone experiencing alcohol addiction.
Al-Anon is a support group for people who have family members battling alcohol addiction.
Addiction can lead to destructive behavior. Partners and children of alcohol addicts often experience the worst of these outbreaks.
Even if they don’t become abusive, watching a loved one suffer from alcohol abuse can be difficult.
Al-Anon allows family members to discuss and share feelings about their experiences. AI-teen engages children, ages 12-17, of alcoholics who may also have a difficult time.
They’ll connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor
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Studies show mutual support groups for alcohol addiction lead to a variety of positive outcomes.
Treatment through such programs is linked to the reduced spread of STD's and increased maintenance of sobriety. Participants also exhibit increased feelings of life satisfaction.
Another study found those who took part in Alcoholics Anonymous were twice as likely to abstain from alcohol as non-participants.1
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Support groups give alcohol addicts hope and encouragement to achieve and sustain sobriety. Participants' shared experiences can help make addicted people take responsibility for their recovery.
This helps them develop coping strategies to further their addiction recovery.
Benefits can include:
Support groups come in different formats, so people can select a treatment program that suits them best.
Actively attending Alcoholics Anonymous makes a person twice as likely to maintain sobriety.
Alcoholics Anonymous Effectiveness: Faith Meets Science, Journal of Addictive Diseases, 2009.
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