community support groups

---

   Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the original 12-step program for recovery.

AA was developed as a method to help people recover from addiction to alcohol and to maintain abstinence, with the only requirement for membership being a desire to stop drinking.

Since its inception, AA has grown into a global fellowship with more than 123,000 groups in approximately 180 countries around the world. 

AA membership is currently estimated to be over two million, and its literature has been translated into more than 100 different languages.

https://sober.com/aa-meetings/florida

   Narcotics Anonymous was established in response to the success of Alcoholics Anonymous. NA is a support group for those attempting to recover from drugs other than just alcohol. NA was officially founded in Los Angeles in 1953, and has spread to thousands of locations in 129 countries.

The only requirement to become a member of NA is a desire to overcome your addiction. NA groups do not make a distinction between any type of drug, including alcohol. They also recognize that polysubstance dependence is common. Any person struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD) who wants to recover is welcome.

http://na.org

http://narcotics.com

 Medication-Assisted Recovery Anonymous is a support group of people who believe in the value of medication as a means to recovery. We understand that our individual needs may not be the same; our backgrounds may not be the same; our futures may not be the same. However, our desire to live a safe lifestyle joins us together. 

Non-judgement is our code. 

http://mara-international.org

  Celebrate Recovery is a supportive environment for anyone with hurts, hang-ups, and habits that they wish to absolve themselves of. This would include people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, abuse victims, and those struggling with hurts such as eating disorders, codependency, and depression.

http://celebraterecovery.com

 SMART Recovery is a type of support group that focuses on self-empowerment.

SMART uses a four-point system for motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Through their online community and resources, participants develop the skills necessary to overcome their addiction.  

http://smartrecovery.org    

 SOS, also known as Save Our Selves, takes a self-empowerment approach to addiction recovery. Although the group is for any addicted person, many choose SOS for its secular treatment approach to sobriety.

SOS support groups guide people to overcome denial and addictive tendencies through honest communication. The founders of SOS maintain that recovery through self-reliance and personal responsibility is possible.

http://sossobriety.org

   ACOA is the acronym for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families, an organization that supports adults who grew up in a volatile home with parents or caregivers who suffered from addiction.  Founded circa 1973, ACOA is a fellowship of people who desire to recover from the effects of growing up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional family. 

Addiction is a cruel and unique disease. Not only does it have the power to destroy the life of the individual, but the lives of the family and loved ones closest to that individual, too. Children and adolescents are of particular concern considering the vital importance of not only the relationship between caretaker and child, but also the surrounding environment in which one is raised. Thus, for those who had parents that struggled with substance abuse, they often experience their own set of difficulties, born from the need to adapt to a dysfunctional household.

http://adultchildren.org

  Al-Anon is an organization self-supported through member donations. Meetings are available to help family members and friends of those with an addiction to cope and better serve their loved ones, even if their loved ones haven’t recovered. The key focus of Al-Anon is to support members by letting them know they aren’t alone in their struggle.

Al-Anon treats the disease of alcoholism as a family illness, because it has a negative impact on both the drinker and those around them. The friend and family support system is integral to recovery. Some family members blame themselves for their loved one’s drinking or may not understand why recovery isn’t their loved one’s priority. Meetings tackle these issues and help members understand alcoholism as a family illness.

http://al-anon.org

  Nar-Anon is a 12-step program to help people with a friend or relative who is struggling with an addiction. Nar-Anon is not a religious program but does focus on a spiritual way of life and the help of a Higher Power as each person interprets it.

Nar-Anon offers 12 steps, 12 traditions, and 12 concepts of service. The 12 steps are almost identical to the Narcotics Anonymous 12 steps, except for slight phrasing changes when applicable, such as changing “We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable” to “We admitted we were powerless over the addict — that our lives had become unmanageable.” Members can offer support and advice to each other and try to offer real solutions to problems that friends and relatives of drug users face.

http://nar-anon.org