Dual Recovery Anonymous (UK & Ireland)

Dual Recovery Anonymous™ is an independent, non-professional, Twelve Step, self-help membership organisation for people with a dual diagnosis. Our goal is to help men and women who experience a dual illness. We are chemically dependent and we are also affected by an emotional or psychiatric illness. Both illnesses affect us in all areas of our lives; physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually.

What is a Dual Diagnosis? | What is Chemical Dependency? | Who are DRA Members? | Questions & Answers

Dual Recovery Anonymous™ is a Fellowship of men and women who meet to support each other in our common recovery from two no-fault illnesses: an emotional or psychiatric illness and chemical dependency.

No-Fault Illnesses

Dual Recovery Anonymous™ is a 12-step self-help programme that is based on the principals of the Twelve Steps and the experiences of men and women in recovery with a dual diagnosis. The DRA programme helps us recover from both our chemical dependency and our emotional or psychiatric illness by focusing on relapse prevention and actively improving the quality of our lives. In a community of mutual support, we learn to avoid the risks that lead back to alcohol and drug use as well as reducing the symptoms of our emotional or psychiatric illness.

There are only two requirements for membership:

1. A desire to stop using alcohol or other intoxicating drugs.
2. A desire to manage our emotional or psychiatric illness in a healthy and constructive way.

DRA members are encouraged to build a strong personal support network. That network may include support from chemical dependency or mental health treatment facilities, medical or social service professionals, and spiritual or religious assistance in addition to other 12 step or self-help groups.

DRA has no opinion on the way the other groups address dual disorders or dual recovery. We do not offer advice regarding specific forms of treatment for the various types of emotional or psychiatric illnesses.

However, we do share our personal experiences regarding the ways that we have learned to cope with our symptoms by applying the 12 steps in our daily lives.

The Twelve Steps

DRA is a non-professional self-help programme. There must always be a clear boundary separating the work of DRA from the work of chemical dependency and mental health professionals.

The DRA Preamble and our Twelve Traditions are designed to help guide our Meetings, Groups, Intergroups, and Service Boards to operate in ways that best nurture the recovery of all members of our Fellowship.

Our Traditions are a set of suggestions that help DRA as a whole keep on track to best fulfil our Primary Purpose and maintain our Founding Vision.

The Twelve Traditions

The Dual Recovery Anonymous™ approach to dual recovery is based on a simple set of ideas and steps. They are suggestions for recovery rather than a set of rules. They encourage us to find our own personal recovery, the one that is most meaningful. They are meant to support those of us who wish to bring a spiritual dimension to our dual recovery.

The DRA programme is worked on a day-by-day basis.

Here are the suggestions for dual recovery:

• Today, I will be free of alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.
• Today, I will follow a healthy plan to manage my emotional or psychiatric illness.
• Today, I will practice the Twelve Steps to the best of my ability.

A Spiritual Dimension

The primary purpose of DRA is to help one another achieve dual recovery, to prevent relapse, and to carry the message of recovery to others who experience dual disorders.