Are There Any Groups Against Alcoholics Anonymous?
You joined AA. You went to meetings regularly, working your way through the 12 Steps. And at first, it seemed to be helping. But ultimately, you found yourself hitting a brick wall with the AA approach. You’re not alone: so many others have found themselves in the same boat.
Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t work for everybody. More groups are yearning to try alternative approaches to addiction treatment that don’t necessarily follow the 12-Step paradigm. They feel that AA stops short of getting to them to the next phase of their recovery journey – one where they no longer have to accept the label of “addict.”
What Common Obstacles do People Run Into With AA?
AA members follow a 12-Step plan with sobriety being the final goal. Holding each other accountable through each stage, they discuss their addiction and recovery plan in a group setting.
Support networks are important in the addiction recovery journey, and AA provides a valuable community for many. But some people find that other aspects of the 12-Step philosophy ultimately limit their ability to fully recover, such as:
Limiting Beliefs
Step one of the 12 Steps is admitting your powerlessness over addiction. Some people find this standpoint too limiting. To believe that you’ll always be tied down by the chains of addiction makes it difficult to envision and create a life that’s free from it.
Lack of Depth or Completeness
AA follows the disease-model paradigm of treating symptoms. If treatment doesn’t go beyond the symptom level, it falls short of reaching the deeper causes of addiction. Some people get a nagging feeling that there’s something left unearthed. A deeper connection to the self is still unexplored.
Many clients who come to The Sanctuary have felt that tug. In our holistic non-12-Step approach, we guide you to identify the root of your addiction issues, heal from past traumas, and rekindle your relationship with your genuine self.
Neglects Some Aspects of Addiction and Recovery
Addiction impacts more than just the mind. It poisons the body. It creates imbalances in our energy system, weakening the immune system. And parts of our soul become lost along the way. Some feel that because AA doesn’t take these into account, they can’t ever seem to fully overcome addiction.
As a result, we’re seeing an increasing number of people seeking out alternative ways of healing from addiction and its consequences.
A New Approach: Holistic, Non-12-Step Treatment at The Sanctuary
It’s important to note that The Sanctuary isn’t anti-12-Step. We support whatever helps your journey to recovery.
Many people have come to us because they felt that AA wasn’t enough. They weren’t able to reach a place where they were truly free from their addiction. Because of that, they yearned for something different.
At The Sanctuary, we hold a different standpoint from conventional rehab programs. We believe you can be free from addiction. And this belief is the basis of everything we do.
Imagine having clarity, and feeling in touch with yourself and the world around you. Picture a life in which you know your true purpose, and are excited to wake up each day and pursue it.
That life is entirely possible.
Our holistic, non-12-Step addiction recovery program leads you on a journey to real, lasting transformation. Contact us today to take the first step.
He is the Founder, Administrator, Counselor at the Sanctuary at Sedona. He has a BA in Political Science and is currently Senior teaching staff at Four Winds Society, an international school of energy medicine. His credentials also include being an Ordained Minister; a Certified Shamanic Breathwork® Facilitator; a Founding Member Society for Shamanic Practitioners; a Member of Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology; a Member of the National Institute for Holistic Addiction Studies. [email protected]