How does AA help you recover from addiction? Specifically, AA, an acronym for Alcoholics Anonymous, is an organization created to help people heal from alcohol use disorder. Since its inception in 1935, millions of people have found help and hope through participation in a local AA chapter — even those who suffer other forms of addiction. If you’re struggling with an addiction of any type, then finding a drug and alcohol treatment program that uses AA’s 12-step Model of Recovery may be just what you need for healing to begin. Recovery Ranch in Tennessee offers a 12-step program to help launch you on your way.
How Does AA Help Me Overcome Addiction?
AA offers a variety of resources to those who struggle with substance use disorder. The most popular of these is the 12-Step Model of Recovery. The 12 steps begin by helping you admit that you’re powerless over your addiction and that you need help to stop using. Through a 12-step program, clients learn to lean on help from their version of a higher power, from peers, and from designated helpers such as mentors or sponsors. When you begin a 12-step program, you learn to attack addiction step-by-step. Stages happen in a workable form, and recovery becomes more transparent. Instead of trying to recover all at once, you achieve sobriety through working a series of individual goals. Many people find this an easier path to take than other forms of drug and alcohol treatment in Tennessee. Consequently, a 12-step program is also a useful tool to complement other therapeutic approaches.
Does AA Offer Other Addiction Resources?
Yes, Alcoholics Anonymous provides more resources than the 12-step program. These include meetings, sponsorship, accountability, and more. In like manner, the more involved you become with AA and the longer you participate, the better your chances become for recovery. Resources provided by AA include:
Meetings
If you’re wondering how does AA help me overcome addiction in other ways, you’ll want to attend your first AA meeting. The meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous are free to attend, and they’re open to everyone in the community. You can attend if you’re the one who battles addiction, or if you’re the parent, friend, or spouse of someone who’s addicted. Meetings carry the message that it’s possible to achieve and maintain lifelong sobriety from alcohol use disorder. Possibly the best way to anticipate what will happen at your first meeting is to review the checklist of things that WON’T happen. These include:
- You won’t need to sign in. AA does not track or follow-up with attendees
- Recruitment won’t take place
- No one receives a diagnosis or medication
- You won’t receive religious services
- You won’t receive letters of reference for parole boards or other government agencies
These rules exist to create a safe, anonymous place for those struggling with addiction to meet with others who are fighting the same battles. Meetings provide inspiration, socialization, and information on alcoholism.
Sponsors
There are no formal guidelines for becoming a sponsor with Alcoholics Anonymous, other than having a shared problem with alcohol. As a result, people who want sponsors simply approach someone at a meeting with whom they have an easy rapport and ask. In fact, everyone is free to turn down the task of sponsorship, but few do so because the role is mutually beneficial. At the very least, it gives both parties someone to talk with during crises and between meetings. Indeed, sponsorship is an important way that AA helps someone who’s struggling with addiction.
Accountability
Through the attendance of meetings and the 12 steps, AA helps in other ways, too. Accountability plays a big role. Alcoholics Anonymous teaches members to accept accountability for their addiction while giving leave to ask for help to manage it. AA also encourages you to make amends to those whom your addiction has harmed in the past. This occurs in the later steps once you’ve become familiar with the goals and have achieved a certain level of mastery. When you’re ready to tackle alcohol use disorder head-on, contact Recovery Ranch in Nunnelly, Tennessee. We provide a range of therapeutic approaches, including AA’s 12 steps, to help you heal from most types of addiction. Call us today at 1.844.876.7680 for more information.
