How to Quit Drinking Without AA

You can try other free meetings, and a doctor can help you stop safely. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. Here is a next step you can take tonight.

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Key takeaway

You do not have to go to A.A. to get help with drinking. Other free mutual-aid meetings exist, and a doctor can talk with you about safer ways to stop. NIAAA warns that withdrawal after heavy drinking can be life-threatening, so talk to a clinician before a sudden stop. Tonight, tell one clinician or sit in one meeting and listen.

Last updated: Sat Oct 10 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

You can get help with drinking without ever walking into an A.A. meeting. If you have been drinking heavily, talk to a doctor before you stop, because withdrawal can be dangerous.

A lot of people stay stuck because the only door they have heard of is A.A., and something about that door does not fit. Maybe it is the God language. Maybe it is a bad first meeting. Maybe you are just not ready to say the word alcoholic out loud in a church basement. That does not mean you have to keep drinking until you change your mind. There are other rooms, and there is medical help. Neither one asks you to have your life sorted out first.

Get the medical part right first

NIAAA says that when someone who has been drinking heavily for a long time suddenly stops, the body can go into a painful or even life-threatening withdrawal. Symptoms can include nausea, a rapid heart rate, seizures, or other problems. Doctors can prescribe medicine to make that safer. If you are already shaking, vomiting, confused, or you have had a seizure when you stopped before, do not wait for a meeting to fix that. Call a clinician, urgent care, or 911.

The same NIAAA brochure says three medications are approved in the United States to help people stop or reduce drinking and to help prevent a return to drinking. Naltrexone, as a pill or an injection, helps reduce the urge to drink. Acamprosate is a pill that eases some of the hard feelings that can come with not drinking. Disulfiram is a pill that causes unpleasant symptoms if you drink on it. A primary care clinician can prescribe them. They can be used with counseling. This is not a shopping list and it is not a dose. It is a reason to make an appointment and ask, in plain words, what is safe for you.

FindTreatment.gov is the federal locator for treatment programs. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential, and open all day. If you want this site to help you look for a program, call or text (800) 653-9376.

There is a closer look at the scary symptoms on alcohol withdrawal and on quitting cold turkey. Read those if your body is already in trouble. Then call someone medical. Do not try to out-plan a seizure.

Meetings that are not A.A.

A.A. is a real option, and plenty of people get free of alcohol there. It is not a requirement. NIAAA's treatment brochure also points to SMART Recovery, LifeRing, and Women for Sobriety as mutual-support contacts. Those are free peer rooms, not clinics.

SMART Recovery is a nonprofit mutual-support program. SMART means Self-Management and Recovery Training. Meetings are free. The tools follow four points: motivation, urges, thoughts and feelings, and a balanced life. SMART says its approach differs in some ways from A.A. and N.A., and that it does not exclude them. Some people go to both. A fair comparison is on SMART Recovery vs A.A.. SmarterRecovery, this website, is not SMART Recovery. Our meeting finder searches public A.A. and N.A. listings. For a SMART meeting, use SMART Recovery's own finder.

If drugs are mixed in with the drinking, N.A.'s newcomer pamphlet says there are no dues or fees, the only requirement is a desire to stop using, and you do not have to be clean to walk into the first meeting. It also says that for N.A., staying clean includes alcohol. You can look up a local N.A. site from na.org's finder. N.A. World Services does not keep the in-person list itself. The local site does.

If the person hurting tonight is you because of someone else's drinking, that is a different room. Al-Anon is for families and friends. Their meeting search lists in-person, hybrid, and electronic meetings. You can sit with the camera off. Our online Al-Anon guide walks through that.

What to do before morning

Pick one thing you can finish tonight, not five.

If your body is in withdrawal, the thing is a clinician or 911. If you are steady and you want people in the room, pick one meeting and listen. You do not have to share. You do not have to believe anyone's slogans. You can leave.

For an A.A. or N.A. meeting, start at /meetings/. For what the first hour actually feels like, read your first recovery meeting.

If you might hurt yourself, call or text 988. If you are in physical danger, call 911.

This is general information from the sources above. It is not a diagnosis, a prescription, or a promise about what will happen if you stop.

Additional Resources

Sources cited on this page:

Common Questions

Can I quit drinking if I will not go to A.A.?

Yes. A.A. is one mutual-aid fellowship, not the only help there is. NIAAA lists other free groups, including SMART Recovery, LifeRing, and Women for Sobriety, and it describes medication and counseling a clinician can offer. You still need a plan for tonight, and if you have been drinking heavily you should talk with a doctor before you stop.

Is it dangerous to stop on my own?

It can be. NIAAA says that when someone who has been drinking heavily for a long time suddenly stops, withdrawal can be painful or life-threatening. Symptoms can include nausea, a rapid heart rate, seizures, or other problems. Seek medical help to plan a safe stop. Call 911 for a seizure, severe confusion, or trouble breathing. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis.

Are there medicines that help people drink less?

NIAAA says three medications are approved in the United States to help people stop or reduce drinking and to help prevent a return to drinking: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. A primary care clinician can prescribe them. They are not a do-it-yourself kit, and this page is not a dosing guide. Ask your own clinician what is safe for you.

What if I want a meeting that is not A.A.?

SMART Recovery runs free mutual-support meetings and says you can also attend A.A. if you want. Our meeting finder at /meetings/ searches public A.A. and N.A. listings, not SMART. Use SMART Recovery's own finder for those rooms. N.A. is for people who want to stop using drugs, and N.A.'s newcomer pamphlet counts alcohol as a drug. Family members who are hurting can look for Al-Anon.

What should I do tonight if I am scared to quit?

If you are shaky, vomiting, confused, or have had a withdrawal seizure before, contact a doctor or urgent care before you stop, or call 911 if it is already an emergency. If you are medically steady and you want people, pick one meeting and just listen. If you want help finding a treatment program, call or text (800) 653-9376.