There are a number of paths someone can take to find help for a substance abuse disorder. For decades, people with alcoholism have flocked to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. Millions claim years of sober time, dedicating AA for saving their lives.
Many AA fellowships welcome people with issues other than alcoholism. However, the primary purpose of the organizations is to help the still suffering alcoholic. So, with decades of success to support the results, what are the benefits of AA?
Experience, Strength and Hope
A common question shared by many who are new in recovery wonders how people actually stay clean and sober. What did these people with years’ worth of sober time do it? Is there some sort of magic trick to staying off the drugs and booze?
Early sobriety will also be filled with anxious moments about how to make it through to another day. The fellowship of AA is filled with years of experience, strength and hope. It is a haven for personal stories about how to stay clean and sober.
This may be the greatest benefit AA offers the recovery community. AA is a place where people who have found a better way can share their experiences. Imagine how frightening, if you were asked to find your way along a dangerous journey, but no one told you how to get where you needed to be, or what kind of pitfalls might trip you up along the way?
In AA, you don’t have to make the journey alone. People in AA use their experience to guide each other. You can follow in the footsteps of those who have followed in the footsteps of others before them. The stories of experience, strength and hope can offer a kind of road map for recovery; a tremendous benefit of the AA fellowship.
Support
For those who have some clean and sober time, it’s easy to appreciate how vital a positive support system can be in recovery. A support system can be all that stands between you and a relapse. A kind ear to discuss a troubling problem can be refreshing.
A compassionate person, maybe someone from AA who shares who’s been there before, can provide indispensable suggestions on how to stay on the right path. AA members don’t profess to be marriage counselors or financial advisors.
However, forming a relationship with various people in a group can help you build your all-important recovery support group. Many times, an AA friend will accept your phone calls even when friends and family are not available. A huge benefit to the AA fellowship is the unwavering support you will find.
Fellowship
When someone becomes part of an AA group, they will have an opportunity for fellowship. For alcoholics and drug addicts of all persuasions, this can be both critical and refreshing. Many people who suffer from a substance abuse disorder fall into a couple of distinct categories.
One group is the extroverts who have found solace in bars and drinking with groups of people. While much of the comfort has come with an enormous price, these situations still offered some sense of fellowship.
However, hanging around the old haunts and establishments can produce devastating consequences. As you walk your own journey in recovery, you will invariably have to step away from old friendships and make new ones. AA gives you a place to begin.
On the other end of the addiction spectrum are the reclusive drinkers. These are poor souls who drank and drugged, often in lonely solitude. This world may have been devoid of any fellowship, or limited, empty human relationships at best.
When someone walks in the doors of an AA fellowship for the first time, the outpouring of love and kindred ship is amazing. You may not suddenly make a host of new friends, but you will begin to see people who have something you fashion as beneficial.
Alcoholics Anonymous has been around for a long time. AA groups around the world have helped a lot of people stay sober. You will benefit from the wealth of experience, strength and hope flowing through the rooms. AA is a place to find support, especially in challenging times. It is also a wonderful place to find fellowship and make new sober friends.
If you feel that you may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, please reach out for help today. There is hope. Many have found recovery by walking through the doors of an AA fellowship. You may need more than a meeting to stay clean and sober, but it’s a helpful place to start. No matter how or where you choose to begin, reach out for help today. Call us at 954-523-1167.