Last Updated: February 16, 2023

When you are looking for addiction treatment options and Ohio support groups, you will encounter many different types of groups, from the therapies offered at your treatment center to AA groups to LifeRing groups. What is LifeRing, and how does it differ from other kinds of support groups? Can it help you in your ongoing recovery?

What is LifeRing?

For ongoing support in your recovery, you can turn to friends and family, but you will likely also want to share support and experiences with one of many support groups for addiction.

LifeRing started in 1999 in Northern California as an offshoot of the Secular Organizations for Sobriety, or SOS. It considers addiction as a struggle between an addicted self and a sober self, and the organization strives to help people give more power to their sober self.

According to Mental Help, the motto of LifeRing is “we do not drink or use, no matter what.” It states that there are many different ways to get sober and offers up many ideas and techniques for recovery. Since each person is different, each person will be attracted to different techniques. Those techniques include improving your self-image, adding exercise and dietary changes to your life, changing your social network, creating new hobbies, and thinking about the negative consequences of addiction.

LifeRing focuses on the “Three-S” approach, which involves secularity, sobriety, and self-help.

What Happens in a LifeRing Meeting?

At a LifeRing meeting, the conversation is informal and focuses on supporting people in their unique recovery journeys. The meeting starts with the question “How was your week?” In the meeting, you can expect to hear people discussing the challenges of their week and preparing for the coming week and what it could bring. Self-direction is a big part of the LifeRing concept, and meetings focus on personal growth, learning, and refining and sharing strategies for abstinence.

If you cannot make it to a meeting, there are many other options. According to LifeRing, “LifeRing has a vibrant online community with online meetings, email lists, Ning, Delphi Forum, an ePals – a service for one-to-one communication by email or personal letter.”

How Does LifeRing Differ from Other Support Groups?

While addiction is a serious problem in Ohio, luckily there are also many Ohio addiction treatment resources to pursue on your journey to recovery. While AA has a spiritual dimension and references a higher power, LifeRing is a secular organization that sees addiction recovery as the work that needs to be done to empower the sober self. Everyone is welcome, and religious beliefs and spiritual beliefs are not a part of the program. Instead, people support each other for working to empower their sober selves. LifeRing is not against other recovery programs, and you can attend both AA and LifeRing meetings if you wish.

Are you looking for Ohio support groups and addiction therapies? No matter what stage of the journey you are on, the Recovery Village Columbus can help. Contact us today and learn about admission.