Life in recovery can feel overwhelmingly difficult at times. We live in a stressful era and often don’t notice stress building up until it’s too late. The temptation to isolate can be hard to resist, and this allows many people to pursue their addiction in private. Support groups can be a key part of any successful relapse prevention effort. Humans are social creatures, and addiction often takes away some of that humanity. It can fill the addicted person with shame and self-loathing.  It can isolate people from their loved ones and keep them from doing things they enjoy. In recovery, activities with other recovering people can be the glue that holds your new life together. Support groups—especially 12-step meetings—are a powerful way to manage stress and maintain emotional balance. The sense of fellowship, support, and camaraderie at meetings can lend stability to your life, even when everything else feels uncertain. Even studies show that “people power” - the kind you discover when you’re at a 12-step meeting or recovery-related event - actually contributes to better outcomes for people in sobriety.  Long-term research has shown that people who attend 12-step meetings regularly - up to three times a week or more - stay sober for much longer than those who don’t, often up to 16 years or more without a relapse. (more…)