This is probably the preferred starting point for anyone who is really struggling to get sober. Because it is one of the most concentrated forms of help that you can get. You are pretty much isolated from the alcohol and the stresses of the outside world. Furthermore, people staying in rehab have access to a lot of additional resources, such as peer support, professional counselors, and group therapy.

Some alcoholics choose to simply see a therapist or a counselor on a regular basis, and this may be enough for some people to stay sober. For most, however, it will take additional resources such as 12 step meetings or professional treatment in order to really produce good results in recovery. Counseling is not always enough to overcome a full blown addiction all by itself. If this is the case, then you might want to supplement counseling with other forms of treatment as well.

There are some people who do particularly well with group therapy as a means of staying clean and sober, and obviously they will want to focus on groups as a method of recovery. Technically, AA and NA meetings are not really group therapy, and there are other avenues to find groups to help find support for alcoholism outside of AA. An AA meeting is not supposed to work like group therapy at all, actually. But, both can be beneficial.

AA and NA meetings are the cornerstone of some people’s recovery, though this can create problems and dependencies all on its own. Nevertheless, many people base much of their recovery strategy in 12 step meetings, and they would not be sober without them. The added bonus is that meetings are technically free.

You could take pills that are designed to reduce cravings for alcohol (Campral), or another pill that is designed to make you sick if you drink (Antabuse). But these, again, are really only supplemental strategies.

You could incorporate many therapies, and also push for personal growth and continuous improvement of your health. Not a bad strategy at all for long term success in recovery.