Other Pathways to Recovery
Recovery isn't one size fits all. Some women in our community use Women for Sobriety, either on its own or alongside other support, and we want you to know it's an option.
Women for Sobriety (WFS) is a free, secular peer support program made specifically for women dealing with alcohol or other substance use. Its approach is called the New Life Program, which is built around 13 Acceptance Statements.
The program focuses on self esteem, emotional and spiritual growth, and a healthy lifestyle, with the idea that how we think shapes how we act. You don't need to believe in a higher power for it to work for you.
The New Life Program grew out of one woman's own recovery, but it draws on ideas that go back much further. Here are the people and ideas that shaped it, plus one we think fits right alongside them.
Self-Reliance · 1841
Emerson was an American essayist and philosopher, and WFS names him as an influence on its founder, especially his essay "Self-Reliance." The essay is about trusting yourself and your own judgment instead of living by other people's expectations. In his words: "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string."
About "Self-Reliance" →Late 1800s to early 1900s
New Thought was an American movement built around the idea that the way we think has real power over our lives. Unity was one branch of it. Its influence shows up in WFS's emphasis on positive thinking and on letting go of negative thoughts that wear down self esteem.
About New Thought →WFS founder · 1975
Kirkpatrick was a sociologist who struggled with alcohol for years, including time in programs that didn't work for her. She worked out the ideas that became the New Life Program through her own recovery, founded Women for Sobriety in 1975, and wrote several books, including Turnabout: Help for a New Life.
WFS on its founder →Relational Cultural Theory · related reading
Miller wasn't involved with WFS, but researchers studying it saw her ideas in it. She was a psychiatrist whose work led to Relational Cultural Theory, which says women grow through connection with others. That fits WFS's focus on building new, healthy relationships as part of recovery.
About Relational Cultural Theory →Studies on WFS
WFS has been studied for decades. Researcher Lee Ann Kaskutas surveyed WFS members in the early 1990s, and a 2018 study led by Sarah Zemore found that WFS, SMART Recovery, and LifeRing were about as effective as 12 Step groups once differences between members were taken into account.
The 2018 study →These links go to outside sites. They're here for learning, not as endorsements.
We don't host Women for Sobriety meetings right now. Some of our members are involved with WFS and are happy to talk about it. If you have questions or just want to talk with someone who uses it, contact a moderator or meeting chair.
They're peers sharing their own experience, not WFS Certified Facilitators. For official meetings, the online community, and New Life Program literature, go straight to Women for Sobriety.
Find a WFS Meeting Visit Women for SobrietyWhatever path you're on, our Discord chat is open 24/7 so there's always someone to talk to.
Join Our Discord ServerDisclaimer: Recovery Underground is an independent, peer led online recovery community and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Women for Sobriety, Inc. No Women for Sobriety meetings are currently hosted in our space. Women for Sobriety is separate from Narcotics Anonymous and from the New Way to Live NA Group. We provide nonclinical peer support and are not a treatment provider. In an emergency, contact local emergency services. In the US, call or text 988.
