This is my own personal list — not a recommendation or medical advice. What worked for me may not work for you. Every person in recovery is different. These are the specific things that have helped my sobriety over 9+ years.
Quick Strategies
Practical things I kept in mind day to day:
- Sugar
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Keep some candy in pocket
- Avoid hand sanitizer
- Reach out to your sponsor every day
- Go to meetings every day
- Take a different path home
- Never go to your old bar
- Take an Uber if unable to drive
- Go to a meeting immediately when a burning desire hits
- Call sponsor immediately when a burning desire hits
- Get help ASAP for burning desires
Activities and Approaches
A broader set of activities I incorporated into my program:
- Attending AA Meetings
- Discussion
- Speaker
- Big Book
- Home Group
- Service Work
- Upon Awakening
- Took notes and did research when I got home
- Audio Sobriety Recordings
- Speaker Recordings
- Podcasts
- Sobriety Videos
- Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Talk Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Bible Study
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Reading
- Audio Reading
- 12 Steps
- Upon Awakening
- Handing our flaws over to God
- Traditional AA sponsorship
- Meditation
- Solo Meditation
- Solo Prayer
- Group Meditation and Prayer
- Devotion
- Church
- Bible Studies
- Christian Support Groups
- Church Services
- Church Service Projects
- Volunteer Work
- Medical
- Prescriptions
- Psychiatrist
- Vitamins
- B Complex
- Electrolytes
- A few other options
- Medications
- Antabuse
- A few newer options
- Community
- Support Groups
- Community Service Projects
- Volunteer Work
- Professional Facilities
- Detox Center
- In-Patient Rehab Treatment
- Out-Patient Rehab Treatment
- Sober Living
- Respite
- Recovery Groups
- Celebrate Recovery
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- SMART Recovery
- Sponsorship and Peer Support
- Continue to call and leave message or talk to sponsor every day
- Started having sponsees calling every day and talk to sponsor when help is needed
- Peer Support (See CPS-AD)
- Personal Health
- Exercise
- Healthy Food
- Hydration
- Consistent Sleep
- Alternatives
- Sugar
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Keep some candy in pocket
- New Friends
- Find in AA
- Find in Support Groups
- New Hobby or Skill
- Sugar
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Keep some candy in pocket
- Animals
- Therapy Cats
- Service Dogs
Situation-Specific Strategies
My list of 100+. Not advice.
- Ask AI
- List of excuses
- Chocolate
- Attending AA Meetings
- Avoid hand sanitizer
- Reach out to your sponsor every day
- Go to meetings every day
- Do Not Go to Work Outings with Alcohol
- Sugar
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Keep some candy in pocket
- Driving
- Take a different path home
- Food
- Never go to your old bar
- Burning Desire
- Take an Uber if unable to drive
- Go to a meeting immediately
- Call sponsor immediately
- Get help ASAP