There is no rule about how long you have to attend your Alcoholic’s Anonymous meetings. It is completely up to you and how you feel. However, in most cases, the longer the better.
Attending A.A. Meetings Longer Increases Your Chance of Sobriety
Studies show that individuals who commit to attending A.A. meetings have better sobriety success rates than those who do not. In other words, the longer you attend, the higher your chance of enjoying a long and successful life in recovery.
Addiction is a chronic disease, and we need to be continually refocusing and reassessing our lives in recovery. Like any other disease, regular checkups are necessary to make sure we are staying healthy and successful. We have to be actively working on our recovery because relapse is the default.
Regular A.A. meetings help us to stay accountable and focused.
3 Tips on “How to Get the Most Out of A.A.”
- Attend at least once a week. The American Journal of Alcohol Abuse show that at least 1 meeting a week is required for positive results.
- Join one as soon as possible after treatment. A.A. meetings are important to continue the positive reinforcement and supportive atmosphere of rehab. Studies from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that individuals who participate in A.A. during the first 2 to 3 years after treatment had better outcomes than those who attended A.A. after the fourth year.
- Commit to attending A.A. long-term. Studies consistently emphasize the benefits of long-term participation in a community-based self help program such as A.A.
“When you make the decision to attend N.A. or A.A. meetings, you are putting yourself with a supportive group of people that can even become life long friends.” ~ TreatmentUSA
Recovery isn’t easy. The more support you have, the easier, more successful, and more enjoyable the journey becomes. As a well-tried aftercare program with a long-standing legacy, A.A. or other Twelve Step Meetings may be the difference between relapse and living successfully in long-term recovery.
A.A. Meetings at Duffy’s
Duffy’s hosts open A.A. meetings on our grounds every week, and we also have aftercare meetings available for our former guests to provide continuing support during recovery.