Sentinel Alcohol DetoxSupport When Detox Ends
The days after detox are often when cravings and old routines return. Regular contact with a support group is one way people get through them.
Meetings work alongside further treatment, not in place of it.
- Talk to your detox team about outpatient, residential or medication follow-up.
- Try different meeting formats in the first weeks: in person, online or by phone.
- Tell one person you trust which meeting you plan to attend.
- Call 911 or go to an emergency room if withdrawal becomes severe.
Your First Meeting
Open meetings welcome anyone, including family, friends and people who are simply curious. Closed meetings are only for people who share the group's purpose, such as wanting to stop drinking or using.
At a speaker meeting, one or two people tell their own story. At a discussion meeting, members take turns talking about a topic or a reading. Some meetings study the program's book or steps.
Many groups also meet online or by phone, which can help if you live far from a meeting, work unusual hours or want to try a meeting from home first.
- You do not have to speak. You can say you would rather listen, or simply pass.
- You do not have to give your full name.
- Meetings are free to attend. Many pass a basket for voluntary contributions, and you do not have to give.
- Arriving a few minutes early is fine, and so is leaving early.
How the Groups Differ
For many people in Colorado, support meetings are part of staying sober after detox. This page starts with the groups many people try after detox (A.A., SMART Recovery and, for families, Al-Anon) and then covers the others that meet in person and online.
Groups differ in style as well as approach, so trying more than one is common.
- Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is a twelve-step fellowship for anyone who wants to stop drinking. It is spiritual rather than religious, and members define a higher power in their own way.
- SMART Recovery is a secular program for any addiction. Meetings teach practical tools for managing urges and changing habits, and it also runs Family & Friends meetings.
- Al-Anon Family Groups are for people affected by someone else's drinking, such as partners, parents and adult children. Alateen serves teenagers.
- Recovery Dharma uses meditation and Buddhist principles in peer-led meetings, and members do not need to hold any belief in a god.
- Refuge Recovery is a mindfulness-based program rooted in Buddhist practice, for any addiction.
- Celebrate Recovery is a Christian program hosted by churches, open to people dealing with addiction and other life problems.
- Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) is a twelve-step fellowship for people who want to stop using any drug, alcohol included. Like A.A., it has a spiritual basis.
- Nar-Anon Family Groups support people whose relative or friend uses drugs, in a twelve-step format.
Official Meeting Finders for Colorado
Peer support groups and mutual-aid programs run their own meetings. The links below go to each organization's official pages for Colorado, where you can search for meetings. We do not list, copy or vouch for individual meetings.
Alcoholics Anonymous
A peer fellowship for people who want to stop drinking.
Narcotics Anonymous
A peer fellowship for people who want to stop using drugs.
SMART Recovery
A science-informed, self-empowering program with in-person and online meetings.
Al-Anon Family Groups
A peer fellowship for relatives and friends of people with a drinking problem.
Nar-Anon Family Groups
A peer fellowship for relatives and friends of people with a drug problem.
Recovery Dharma
A peer-led program that draws on Buddhist practices and principles.
Refuge Recovery
A mindfulness-based recovery community that draws on Buddhist practices.
Celebrate Recovery
A Christ-centered recovery program run through local churches.
Sentinel Alcohol Detox is an independent directory. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Narcotics Anonymous World Services, SMART Recovery, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Nar-Anon Family Groups, Recovery Dharma, Refuge Recovery World Services, Celebrate Recovery, or any other fellowship or support organisation named on this page, and none of them has reviewed or approved this page. Each link goes to the organisation's own official page, which controls its meeting information. Meetings move, close and change, so confirm the time and place with the source before you go. Links in this section are editorial. They are not paid, sponsored or referral placements, and no treatment provider can pay to be added to or reordered within this section. Support meetings are not a substitute for professional treatment.
If you or someone else is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). For treatment referral and information, SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357, free, confidential and open 24 hours a day.
Attendance Slips and Court Requirements
Some people come to meetings because a judge or probation officer requires it. That is common, and open meetings welcome them like anyone else.
Signing an attendance slip is up to each group and whoever leads the meeting. Twelve-step groups have no link to the court system.
- Find out exactly what your order or program asks for.
- Check whether online meetings count and how they can be verified.
- Keep your own log of dates, times and meeting names.
- Raise any problem with proof of attendance with your officer early.
Your Requirements
This page cannot give legal advice. Follow the instructions of your court or probation officer.
Medication and Support Meetings
Some people take a medication for alcohol use disorder, such as naltrexone or acamprosate, or methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. You can go to support meetings while you take a medication as prescribed.
SMART Recovery states that it supports legally prescribed addiction medication and welcomes people who use it at its meetings.
Twelve-step groups such as A.A. and N.A. are run by their own members, and each group sets its own customs, so how a meeting talks about medication can differ from one group to the next.
- Before you go, ask the local intergroup, service office or group contact how the meeting views medication.
- Look for meetings described as medication-friendly or MAT-friendly. Some areas and online meeting lists use these labels.
- Try a few different meetings. If one does not feel right, another may.
- You do not have to tell anyone at a meeting about your medication.
Talk to Your Prescriber
Never stop, lower or change a medication because of something said at a meeting. Talk to your prescriber first. This is general information, not medical advice.
Meetings Are Not Treatment
Peer groups offer support and shared experience. They do not diagnose, prescribe or supervise withdrawal.
Someone who needs medical detox, medication or a full program should speak with a treatment provider; meetings can continue alongside that care.
Our listings cover alcohol treatment programs in Colorado; the map and city pages are just below, or call the number on this page to talk it through.
This number connects to our central helpline, not directly to a listed facility.
Search and Map Facilities in Colorado
Press Search to list facilities in Colorado, or type a city or ZIP code.
Alcohol Treatment Programs in Colorado
Only the facilities this site lists in Colorado are shown. Choose a city to see them.
Support Meetings in Colorado: Questions
Should I go to meetings right after detox?
Many people start going to meetings in the first days after detox, alongside the next step in care that their treatment team suggests.
Do I have to believe in God to go to a support meeting?
No. Twelve-step groups such as A.A. and N.A. talk about a higher power that each member defines for themselves. SMART Recovery is secular, and Recovery Dharma and Refuge Recovery draw on Buddhist practice without asking members to believe in a god.
Can family members go to a meeting?
Yes. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are for relatives and friends, SMART Recovery runs family and friends meetings, and anyone can attend an open A.A. or N.A. meeting.
What is the difference between an open and a closed meeting?
Anyone can attend an open meeting, including family and friends. A closed meeting is only for people who share the group's purpose, such as wanting to stop drinking or using.
Will a meeting sign my court attendance slip?
Some groups will and some will not; each group decides. Ask your court or probation officer what proof of attendance they accept before you go.
Are support meetings the same as treatment?
No. Meetings are peer support and do not provide medical care. Many people use both, going to meetings during and after treatment.