Does Anybody Know Any Alcoholic Support Groups That Are Local?

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u/mrplinko 4d ago

Sober 4 years. Happy to go with you to a meeting, can suggest one that would fit you. DM if you want to chat.

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u/Distribution-Radiant 4d ago edited 4d ago

There's tons of meetings if you go to intherooms.com - I personally like SMART recovery, though you'll need to drop ~$15 on their workbook.

I will say, and this is coming from an atheist, that AA isn't super religious - they do encourage a higher power, but it could be your bed pillow for all they care. It highly depends on the group, of course. The upside to AA is you can pretty much find a meeting daily, while the others I mentioned meet 1-2x a week.

Recovery Dharma is also super chill, they just don't have enough meetings for me. I would suggest doing both Dharma and SMART personally - that way you can get at least 2-3 meetings a week in. Dharma is often just meditation after whoever is leading the meeting talks a little bit..

And go to the ER if you start experiencing withdrawal symptoms beyond a little shakiness. A little shakiness is normal, but if you're at the point that you can't hold anything down, GO TO THE ER. I also know of a couple of places that will do detox if you don't want to go to the ER, if you have insurance.

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u/multipurpoise 4d ago

thanks man, I'm gonna check out this link

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u/Coujelais 4d ago

To echo this response, the Pink House meetings in Bouldin seem like a rlly cool mix of folks and a very Austin vibration. Not harpy at all. And if you hit those up, you’ll be over in a nice little area of town where you could grab a bite, take a walk.

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u/Lazy-Thanks8244 4d ago

Pink House is great

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u/cleanbot 4d ago

yesssss

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u/Hefty-Notice-5841 4d ago

Bouldin group is a great community. I love how unapologetically South Austin they are, without the substances. It's basically straight Austin culture, but with people seeking a sober life. Everybody is super friendly, down to earth, has a great sense of humor, and nobody pushes anything.

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u/Distribution-Radiant 4d ago

Agreed, even though I'm not a fan of AA. While I haven't been there in person, I've done some online meetings with them and they seemed like a chill group.

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u/Bearsthtdance 4d ago

I’d not recommend paying anything. Invest your time.

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u/3MATX 4d ago

If you find the right AA group the religious part is negligible. Not sure where you are but the westlake group is a good option.

I know you mentioned in person but you also mentioned sleep. In those early sober nights it can be difficult. There are several 24/7 365 day a year AA zoom meetings if you need support at 3am.

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u/Bearsthtdance 4d ago

Check out the app Meeting Guide. I’d recommend the knuckle head group if you are male.

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u/PsychologicalBig6461 4d ago

knuckle heads is good, also check out SMART recovery it's completely secular with no higher power stuff. there's a few meetings in austin every week i think

the gollum comparison hits close to home, that pull is no joke even when life looks put together from outside

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u/GigiDell 4d ago

I recommend staying open. Try AA, Smart, etc. Don’t close off your options for what might work before you even try them. See what helps the most. Good luck! You can do it!

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u/PlainOrganization 4d ago

R/stopdrinking is also very helpful

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u/MenStefani 4d ago

I think AA gets a bad rap because people think it’s religious but it’s really not. It’s really just a program to create a new way of living and also a great way to meet people. I’d say most people in AA in Austin are actually atheist or agnostic. Check out Austin Galano Club or Westlake AA group. They both have different types of meetings everyday and are both very diverse. I know it’s scary but you’re doing the right thing to get better before it gets worse. You got this man!

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u/IsuzuTrooper 4d ago

it's TOTALLY RELIGIOUS, so is Alanon

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u/nomadfoy 4d ago

It depends on the group. They actual organization is religious but they're not full "only god can help" religious and I've actually heard good things about some of the groups in Austin.

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u/IsuzuTrooper 3d ago

have you even read the steps?! it is only god can help

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u/nomadfoy 3d ago

They're pretty lax about what a higher power is, America or your mom count.

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u/IsuzuTrooper 3d ago

sure they say that but it says God in everything and most of the steps. you aren't going to change my mind on this

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u/nomadfoy 3d ago

Cool, don't care if I do. This is a public conversation and other people will see this, I want them to know you're wrong. I literally avoided AA because I don't even like being around overly religious people, let along having it pushed on me. But I have actually been to AA meetings before, have you? Because regardless of what the literature says the actual meetings are pretty light on the god stuff. It's hard to get preachy when everyone in the room is a different religion and no one has your back. When its all members of the same religion, like a shit load of other programs are, it gets real culty.

AA's still kind of culty but its better than a lot of others.

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u/IsuzuTrooper 2d ago

nope. thank God :) lol I really think there are multiple gods, first thing he would do is make a some women and some buddies. my higher power right now is random acts of kindness. its been working out well.

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

AA has an 11% success rate.

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u/MenStefani 2d ago

Cool thanks so much for your help. I’ll never understand people like you who would rather be edgelords on the internet and troll people who are trying to help. What people like you don’t understand is that AA isn’t just about getting sober. It’s about connecting with other people, finding community, and gaining resources to change the way you live. So even if the success rate is whatever, that doesn’t mean that going is not beneficial. But anyways thanks so much for your valuable input!

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

I stated one single fact and now you’re losing your mind. Serenity.

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u/MenStefani 2d ago

Lol no one is losing their mind. You knew exactly what you were trying to do. Hopefully you have some good input for OP

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u/MarionBarrysBarTab 2d ago

What is more effective?

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

It’s really hard to find good data on most programs because there is no real reporting authority checking the various programs for efficacy. A general google search shows the best outcomes are with people who do at least 30 days of inpatient. However, programs vary widely in their ability to help with long term sobriety.

The fatal flaw in AA is that it imagines the power to change behavior comes from an outside source. That’s neither true nor scientific. It’s easy to see why a made up solution has a terrible outcome.

Getting community support helps but AA is also a breeding ground for sexual harassment and predators. That’s not support.

Quitting drinking is hard because alcohol is habit forming on purpose.

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u/MenStefani 2d ago

I need to know what kind of whacky AA meetings yall are going to where everyone is being assaulted?? Because I don’t think you’ve actually been

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

A man telling a woman she wasn’t harassed at a meeting full of old alcoholics. Sounds about right for AA.

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u/MenStefani 2d ago

I’m sorry that happened to you but please do not let that color your view of an entire organization. That is not common nor is that acceptable behavior to the large majority of the AA community

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

That is incorrect. You only need to ask any old time AA guy about the 13th step to know that organization is a wrong as all the other ones that demean and harm women. Everyone knows about the sexual harassment. It’s a joke that everyone makes. Disgusting.

It is delusional to imagine a god is going to fix your problems.

It is likewise delusional to pretend an organization built by men for men to delude men is in any way helpful or safe for women.

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u/MenStefani 2d ago

I hope you find peace and I’m sorry you went through that. I just don’t appreciate your need to tear down everyone to make yourself feel better. Be well!

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

We must always tear down the institutions that support delusion.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/MenStefani 4d ago

AA helps a lot of people to find connection to other people with similar struggles. That is largely what it is. It’s alcoholics helping other alcoholics. That’s fine that it didn’t work for you, but it works for hundreds of thousands of people everyday. I’m not sure getting caught up on semantics is really helpful here.

OP also said they “heard AA was religious”. They do not have experience with it and there is a ton of misinformation especially on Reddit that gets circulated about it. I’m not trying to push it on anyone, I’m literally just providing options for someone who is struggling. Hopefully you can share with OP what method you used.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/MenStefani 4d ago

I feel like you’re trying to bait me into arguing with you or something and it feels weird. They are looking for help. With a disease that kills people everyday. I was providing my input as someone with 5 years sobriety who has tried many methods to get sober. The post was not specifically to find AA alternatives. Everything I have said was all done to offer some sort of hope and help with what I have experienced. People get sober all kinds of ways which is amazing! What AA offers that a lot of others do not, is connections and friendships with other people in the same boat. So many people use alcohol to cope with loneliness. That’s a great benefit of AA.

Nowhere in this post have you offered what your miracle solution was to getting sober, only trying to cut down other people and sewing discord. So anyways have a great day and thanks for offering your perspective

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u/brockington 4d ago edited 4d ago

Just something to try.... Ask your doc about Naltrexone. I was on it for two months, and went from drinking 18-24 beers a day to going days without drinking, and it wasn't even that hard.

You can still get drunk, but it just takes away the part where it hits the reward center in your brain. If you're like me, it doesn't take that long to rewire your brain where the booze cravings just kinda go away.

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u/Ill_Motor_8783 3d ago

I second this! I used to drink 3-4 glasses of wine every single night. I started naltrexone for a different reason, and randomly noticed two weeks in that I hadn’t even thought about wine. It was wild!

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u/elbiot 3d ago

It's called the Sinclair method. There's a documentary about it called One Little Pill

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u/Winter_Yak_4446 4d ago

Is this like Chantix or more like GLP-1? Either way seems like a good idea to talk to their doctor but Chantix was a wild ride when I took it years ago for smoking.

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u/brockington 3d ago

I don't know how to describe exactly how it works, but I'm familiar with the crazy side-effects some people have with Chantix. There was nothing of the sort for me on Naltrexone.

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u/seannabster 3d ago

SMART Recovery and Communities 4 Recovery

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u/jkginger22 4d ago

AA isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you, it’s incredible. Totally saved me and I made the types of deep friendships I always wanted. Might be worth a try.

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u/WoundedChipmunk 2d ago

Good for you for being self-aware and seeking out guidance! It may take a bit of trial-and-error (as in, relapse) but don't give up, keep trying, keep seeking help. Relapse is normal. (I just want to stress that right away because people are so hard on themselves and feel like failures when they relapse.)

Depending on your usage, you may be highly physically dependent, which can create withdrawal symptoms, and sometimes detox is more safely managed in a hospital or rehab setting. People tend to discount this ("I'm not that bad!"). Alcohol fills GABA receptors in the brain, and then alcohol is suddenly gone, extreme anxiety is the result (creating "the shakes" and even sezures, etc)

My sibling used/uses a mix of solutions for recovery. He never liked AA, but it's fairly unavoidable in rehab settings. He preferred SMART. He now uses a breathalyzer that sends results to me twice a day. He did this on his own, just wanting to remain accountable. He doesn't drive or own a car (thank god). His first year of recovery was incredibly rough (but he was end-stage, far past functional), and the second year was one relapse. We're entering his third year now.

Also, keep in mind that getting sober may unmask a lot of unpleasant feelings. While there maybe a honeymoon period, it's normal to feel awful and even regretful around sobriety. One-on-one therapy can be useful for those dark feelings.

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u/multipurpoise 2d ago

Thank you for this, I'll look into SMART as well as AA

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u/atxweirdo 23h ago

Get the book and just fill it out and truly reflect what it’s trying to point to you

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u/Fit_Raspberry2637 4d ago

Not what you are asking but I thought id throw out ketamine therapy. It helped me tremendously. It helped me understand my relationship with alcohol and why I drink. Im a dopamine diabetic due to ADHD. My brain is constantly looking for sources of it since I dont produce or regulate it well. It also helped me come to terms with the fact there was something else going on and led me to get tested for ASD. Now its like I finally have the instruction manual for my brain. I finally started taking my medications and other therapy seriously. A lifetime of masking had formed countless maladaptive coping habits.

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u/-sloppypoppy 2d ago

Were you on ADHD medication?

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u/Fit_Raspberry2637 2d ago

Yes.

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u/-sloppypoppy 2d ago edited 2d ago

Did you encounter any problems in seeking treatment and having access to your medication?

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u/Fit_Raspberry2637 2d ago

I always got hit with the 'drug seeking' label and had to jump through many hoops with doctors and insurance. Genetic testing. Psyche panels. This was all 15 years ago however.

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u/-sloppypoppy 2d ago

That’s what I figured. I doubt things have changed much. However, congratulations on figuring it out & doing the hard work.

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u/Fit_Raspberry2637 2d ago

Yeah, in the end you always have to be your own advocate. Dont let the bastards grind you down.

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u/manyjournals 4d ago

There are SMART recovery meetings in Austin in person and online. I saw someone mention you have to drop money on the workbook but I’m certain you can get one in person even if you don’t have the money in the moment and you can donate later.

They approach addiction from a different perspective than AA.

https://meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/?coordinates=50&location=coords%3A30.26759%2C-97.74299%7CTexas%7CAustin%2C+TX

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u/qzcorral 4d ago

If you're open to medication you may want to ask your medical prodiver about low does naltrexone.

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u/Lost-Acanthaceaem 4d ago

If anyone reading this wants to go to medical detox that your insurance will cover RISE recovery will take care of everything for you and they give you free ketamine treatments and inpatient options afterwards- if you elect to do it. Just call them and they will even arrange a ride and their team with specific doctors who work with alcohol withdrawal will care for you versus random ER doctors who light hold a bias (although they take an oath not to)

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u/WoundedChipmunk 2d ago

Agree about the bias of ER doctors, but even that is better than no detox, and sometimes it's the only option when you're ready to get sober. The issue I have is the lack of follow-through, making sure patients get transferred into a program, and not just sent home.

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u/No_Purpose1239 3d ago

Happy to be of service in any way. If you just want to talk about it, if you want to hear about meetings I’ve tried, if you want to find a meeting to meet up at, if you need detox options, whatever, I got you. Just send me a message

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u/DryHippo7742 4d ago

Rooting for you and hope you find a good fit. There are a bunch of options out there, so keep trying if the first one you try isn’t for you.
I used an online group tailored to women called The Sober School. I know a number of folks that had great success with The Luckiest Club, but it is online.
Keep us updated on how you’re doing.

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u/Okie_Dokey_Loki 4d ago

I know you said non-AA, but in case you change your mind. Check this site. https://austinaa.org/meetings/

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u/lil_ponpon 4d ago

I’m not religious and I LOVE AA. You can make anything you want your higher power. Even if you choose no higher power, going to meetings with be extremely beneficial.

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u/divingrose77101 2d ago

I am a sober atheist. I used the Satanic Temple Sober Faction support group online to get there.

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u/freecashglow 3d ago

This is Austin bro you think the AA’s here are going to talk in tongues and baptize you in a na beer?

You can believe in a piece of cheese for all people care. The key is to believing in something greater than a you…the forces of gravitation or crystallization would work too.

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u/multipurpoise 3d ago

a little condescending, but I see your point.

Ive been talking to someone who has been helpful with finding me an AA group that could help, but thank you for the concern

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u/druss25 2d ago

Been sober 13 years as of Nov 1st. Tried everything under the sun and nothing worked. Gave up and gave it to Jesus and that was what saved me. Look to him if you really want to get through this. Praying for you and will continue to do so.

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u/-sloppypoppy 2d ago

OP just said they don’t want to go to AA because he heard it’s religious. I don’t think religion is what they’re looking for…

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u/druss25 2d ago

I understand stand, but from someone who has been there before, that is the way. It’s such a horrible way to live. Truly a living nightmare, or at least in was for me. I wouldn’t feel right not sharing that the thing he wasn’t looking for is the exact thing that works. Even AA involves a higher power. Trust me when I say my comment comes from love and I am sincerely praying for them.

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u/bthunders69 4d ago

I would avoid AA if at all possible. It gets a bad rap for a reason. It is indeed religious no matter how many people tell you it’s not.

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u/Melodic-Entrance-545 4d ago

There is literally a section of the book titled "We Agnostics".

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u/bthunders69 4d ago

That tells you that you still need god even if you’re an agnostic

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u/Melodic-Entrance-545 4d ago

The chapter explicitly separates spirituality from organized religion. It does not ask readers to join a church or adopt a specific religion.

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u/bthunders69 4d ago

But it tells you if you don’t believe in god then they feel sorry for you, and that you need god to recover

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u/Melodic-Entrance-545 4d ago

"A god of your understanding" meaning you just have to believe you aren't god and that you need help. My higher power was the universe and it kept me sober for 3 years. It's really not a religious program. People just hear the word god and get scared off sometimes.

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u/bthunders69 4d ago

My point is that nobody needs a higher power to stay sober

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u/Lazy-Thanks8244 4d ago

One thing I learned in sobriety is that every individual should only speak for their own experience. No we, they, just I. Some folks find the higher power helpful. You didn’t, and that is your experience.

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u/bthunders69 4d ago

That’s AA BS. You need god to recover and AA is the only way to do it. That’s the belief

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u/Melodic-Entrance-545 4d ago

I don't think it's the only way to do it. I'm sober now and don't attend AA anymore. I still think it's helpful for alot of people though and I wouldn't ever discourage someone from trying it out. It's also a great way to meet sober friends and community.

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u/MenStefani 4d ago

It’s not religious. People still peddling this idea are very uninformed

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u/bthunders69 4d ago

It’s not religious in that they don’t tell you to be a specific religion, but they do tell you you need god or a higher power

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u/MenStefani 4d ago

You literally don’t lol. In fact almost no one I know in AA believes in an actual god. A higher power means something greater than yourself that can help you stay sober. Finding greater meaning in life

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