This page provides links to the home pages of a number of key peer support groups, e.g. AA, SMART Recovery. Learn why peer support is important.
Getting support from other people plays a key role in recovery. You should be able to find out about support groups that may exist in your area (if you live in Australia, the UK or US) by checking out the links below. If you live in other countries, try a Google search (e.g. AA South Africa).
You should also be able to get information about online support groups from the links below.
Al-Anon Family Groups UK & Eire: Is there for anyone whose life is or has been affected by someone else’s drinking.
Al-Anon Family Groups: Al-Anon members are people, just like you, who are worried about someone with a drinking problem.
Al-Anon Family Groups Australia: To help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with someone whose drinking is a problem.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Great Britain: A fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Alcoholic Anonymous (AA): This is the official web site of the General Service Office (G.S.O.) of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Alcoholic Anonymous Australia: See if the AA program of recovery is what you need.
Cocaine Anonymous (CA) UK: A fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction.
Cocaine Anonymous (CA): Is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual drug addicts who turn to our Fellowship for help.
Cocaine Anonymous of Australia: Is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual drug addicts who turn to our Fellowship for help.
UK Narcotic Anonymous (UKNA): A nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.
Narcotic Anonymous (NA) World Services: Every addict in the world has the chance to experience our message in his or her own language and culture and find the opportunity for a new way of life.
Narcotics Anonymous Australia: It is possible to stop using drugs.
SMART Recovery: A self-empowering addiction recovery support group, which provides tools for recovery based on the latest scientific research and participation in a world-wide community of mutual help groups.
SMART Recovery UK: Our purpose is to help individuals seeking abstinence from addictive behaviours to gain independence, achieve recovery and lead meaningful and satisfying lives. The approach is secular and science based; using motivational, behavioral and cognitive methods.
SMART Recovery Australia: SMART Recovery teaches practical skills to help you deal with problems enabling you to abstain and achieve a healthy lifestyle balance.
Bill White argues that there are core benefits to being a member of a peer support (or recovery) group.
- Emotional support—involving empathy, care, consideration, concern and encouragement.
- Informational support—providing knowledge about recovery and the recovery support services and groups available.
- Instrumental support—support in linking into supportive housing and childcare services, and to recovery groups, development of leisure and sporting activities.
- Companionship.
- Validation—sharing and supporting recovery experiences.
Bill also points out the following benefits:
- experience of acceptance and belonging;
- build esteem through identification with a large organisation;
- provide a belief system through which shame and defeat can be transformed into victory;
- provide a vehicle for the safe discharge of powerful emotions;
- provide a consistent set of rituals that facilitate emotional release and value-focusing;
- provide a forum for consultation on daily problem-solving;
- provide rituals that allow the group to celebrate success.
Taken from Addiction Recovery: A Handbook by David Best
