Here is an experience many people—including you, perhaps—can relate to. 

You find yourself in a meeting with a whole bunch of people. For the first few minutes, it might seem like any other meeting—maybe a little boring but relevant to you and your work.

But then the meeting takes a turn. Suddenly, the topic under discussion is not related to your work at all. You might find yourself wondering if you have stumbled into the wrong meeting.

Something similar might happen to you if you are a person in recovery from a substance use disorder. You might attend a recovery meeting and start out feeling comfortable. But maybe there is something about it that does not appeal to you for one reason or another. You might even try attending this particular meeting a few more times to see if maybe you misjudged it at first. Maybe you will get into the groove and decide to keep coming.

Or you might draw another conclusion: I think I’m in the wrong meeting.

The good news is that there are a number of options when it comes to recovery meetings and programs. We will consider a few of them below.

The ‘Anonymous’ Meetings Might Be For You

Organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are well-known due to their frequent appearance in popular culture. There is a good chance you are aware that AA and NA are built around what are known as the “12 Steps.” For many people, following the 12 Steps is a wonderful way to support their ongoing recovery. For others, however, these meetings and their underlying philosophy might not be a perfect fit. 

One reason for this is that the language of the 12 Steps includes quite a lot of talk about God. If you are a religious person—or open to this sort of spirituality—that might work just fine for you. But if you are not, talk of “improv[ing] our conscious contact with God,” for example, might not sit quite right with you. It might also be the case that you don’t object to religion as part of your recovery journey, but you would like it focused a bit differently. 

You Can Get SMART Recovery

If you want a more secular approach to recovery meetings, you might like SMART Recovery, which is built around Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). This form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be a useful approach to helping people move past destructive behaviors like those related to a substance use disorder. The central idea is that an individual’s thoughts create their feelings and lead to their actions. With that in mind, those in SMART Recovery work to make positive changes in the present that will help them avoid the missteps of the past.

You can learn more about SMART Recovery meetings here.

A Christian Approach Might Be a Reason to Celebrate

As we noted above, you might feel like religious belief is helpful to your recovery—and if you are a practicing Christian, you might appreciate and benefit from a recovery program grounded in your faith. Celebrate Recovery does use a variation on the 12 Steps; the program links each step to a Bible verse, making it clear what perspective underlies the approach. 

Celebrate Recovery meetings tend to take place in churches, but you do not have to be a member of the church where the meetings take place in order to attend. And if there isn’t a Celebrate Recovery group in your area, you can participate online.

Take Refuge in Buddhist Principles for Recovery

Maybe you are not looking for a Christian approach to your recovery journey, but rather a Buddhist orientation. Refuge Recovery is built on four truths:

  1. Addiction is suffering
  2. The cause of addiction is repetitive craving
  3. Recovery is possible
  4. The path to recovery is available

The underlying idea of Refuge Recovery is that the Dharma—which you might think of as the nature of reality itself—can potentially relieve suffering, including the suffering that is addiction. If you have an interest in Buddhism or have an existing connection to Buddhist practices (perhaps via meditation or mindfulness), Refuge Recovery might serve you well.

Two More Options to Consider

LifeRing Secular Recovery, like SMART Recovery, offers a non-religious approach to recovery and is built around the idea that your first priority must always be your sobriety.

Meanwhile, Women For Sobriety provides an intentional recovery space for women. The program encourages a commitment to spiritual and emotional growth, physical well-being, personal responsibility, and active problem-solving.

Come Meet With Us to Get the Help You Need

At The Aviary Recovery Center, located near St. Louis, Missouri, we help individuals put drug or alcohol use behind them so they can start their recovery journey with confidence. For the third year running, The Aviary has been included in Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers, which means you can be assured that you will receive care and treatment that meets the highest standards.

When you are ready to make a change, we are here to get to work. We look forward to meeting—and to serving—you as you build a life free from substance use.