What a mutual-help group is
A mutual-help group is a meeting of people who share a problem and support each other in changing it. Meetings are usually free, open-ended and held in person or online. There is no clinician running the session, no assessment and no treatment plan.
NIDA's treatment overview makes the distinction directly: because these groups are not led by health professionals, they are not the same as treatment. It also says they are free, not time-limited, and that many people find them useful on their own or together with professional care.
NIDA names Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous alongside groups such as SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety and LifeRing. Their methods differ, including how much spiritual language they use, and some are explicitly secular. Look at a group's own description before you go.
How groups and treatment work together
NIDA's Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment says self-help groups can complement and extend the effects of professional treatment, and that most programs encourage people to take part during and after formal treatment.
NIAAA's treatment booklet describes groups combined with treatment as a valuable added layer of support. It notes that their free and flexible help can assist people in making and keeping changes.
In practice, treatment and groups do different jobs. A clinician can assess risks, prescribe medication and adjust the plan. A group can offer company on a Saturday night, people who have faced the same situation and a place to go long after a program has ended. One does not replace the other.
What the research says
NIDA says studies show these programs can be very effective at supporting long-term recovery. It also notes that most of that research has been on twelve-step programs, particularly Alcoholics Anonymous.
Some counselors use an approach called twelve-step facilitation, which helps people become actively involved in twelve-step groups. NIDA's page on treatment and recovery is careful to note that twelve-step programs themselves are not medical treatment but provide social and complementary support.
A NIAAA resource written for health professionals reports that SMART Recovery, LifeRing and Women for Sobriety appear comparable in effectiveness to twelve-step programs for people aiming not to drink at all, and that people tend to do better when they are actively involved in whichever group they choose.
If a program expects you to attend meetings
Many programs build meetings into their schedule or ask people to attend outside it. Before you agree to a program, ask what is expected. Find out whether meetings are required, how many and which kind. Ask whether they are held on site or you would travel to them, and whether other approaches are accepted.
If a group's religious or spiritual language concerns you, say so. Ask whether a secular alternative would meet the program's expectations. Programs differ, and it is better to know before you start than to find out halfway through.
If you take a prescribed medication for alcohol or opioid problems, you may worry about how a group will view it. Groups and individual members hold different opinions. A member's view about medication is not medical advice. Keep decisions about medicine with your prescriber.
Finding a group that fits
NIAAA notes that meetings are available in most communities at low or no cost, at many times, and increasingly online. NIAAA's page on telehealth options says online groups vary widely, so it is worth trying different ones to find a good fit, and that some issues need a professional rather than a group.
Trying more than one meeting is reasonable. A meeting where you do not connect with anyone is information about that meeting, not proof that groups cannot help you. You can also ask a counselor what they have seen work for people with goals like yours.
What groups cannot do
A group cannot manage withdrawal, prescribe or adjust medication, assess a mental health condition or respond to a medical emergency. If you are unwell, in withdrawal or thinking about harming yourself, contact a clinician, call 911 for an emergency or contact 988.
A group also cannot decide for you whether you need treatment. If you are attending meetings and still struggling, that is a reason to talk to a doctor or treatment service, not a sign that you have failed at the group.
Groups for the people around you
There are also groups for family members and friends, such as Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics and SMART Recovery Family & Friends, which NIAAA lists among its mutual-support resources. They focus on the supporter's own wellbeing and choices. You can go whether or not the person you are worried about is in treatment or attending anything.
Activities from this guide
Your checklist
Read the steps now. A free account lets you save your own checklist.
- 1. Ask whether meetings are required
- 2. Read a group's own description before going
- 3. Try more than one meeting
About this guide
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