Outreach Ministries: Sobriety Support Group

A sobriety support group is designed to help people recovering from alcohol or substance abuse adjust to their new lifestyle. The most famous support group is Alcoholics Anonymous. You can start your own support group by following these guidelines.

Types of Support Groups- There are a variety of models to choose from.

• 12-step: This is the most well known type of format. It is what Alcoholics Anonymous follows. Twelve step programs take place over the course of a year and cover the following steps: (1) Honesty (2) Faith (3) Surrender (4) Soul Searching (5) Integrity (6) Acceptance (7) Humility (8) Willingness (9) Forgiveness (10) Maintenance (11) Making Contact (12) Service
• Moderation Management: This program is intended for problem drinkers who have experienced mild to moderate levels of alcohol-related problems. It promotes early self-recognition of risky drinking behavior, when moderation is an achievable recovery goal. It is not for alcoholics, chronic drinkers, or those who experience significant withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking. These individuals should consider an abstinence based support group.
• Self-Empowerment: This type of program focuses on positive social reinforcement of sober lifestyle choices. People in this type of program have moved beyond admitting their addiction and are instead working on strengthening themselves against relapse. Meetings are much more informal than the traditional AA type. Each person reports on the highlights and heartaches of their past week and plans ahead for the decisions of the coming week. Conversation is encouraged. Personal drinking/drugging histories are discouraged. The meeting ends with a round of applause to one another for staying clean and sober.
• Sponsors: Sponsors work in conjunction with a support group. They guide new members though the process and provide encouragement between meetings. Sponsors are very often former alcohol and substance abusers that have been living clean for an extended period of time. Sponsors should be responsible, enthusiastic, and friendly. A sponsor may work with more than one person at a time, but it is recommended that no more than three people be assigned to the same sponsor. A feeling of personal attention is important in cultivating a healthy member/sponsor relationship.
• Family Support: Alcoholism is a disease that affects every member of the family, weather they realize it or not. An alcoholic parent is especially hard for children to cope with. Many times the effects of alcoholism build up so gradually that family members may not even notice. Instead, lying, fighting, and hurt feelings have become the norm. For a recovering abuser to be truly successful, the whole family must undergo a lifestyle change. A family support group teaches family members how their behavior affects a substance abuser’s recovery. Families learn how to communicate with and support each other again instead of feeding off each other’s negativity.

Helpful Links:

Drug Free.Org- The premiere online source for drug and substance abuse information.

Online Certification- Become a certified in drug and alcohol counseling.

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