I went this route and it changed my life, although I no longer do anonymous meetings, I wouldn't tell you they are a bad idea if you're really struggling to stop. Depending on where you live, you may want to try AA for a better quality meeting even if your substance of choice isn't booze. Yes, some pure boozers may balk at you, but most won't and most people in AA now aren't pure boozers. They say the key is to go every day for 90 days. If you think about it, this is a technique to continue reinforcing the reasons not to use and supporting your non-use... anyways I do agree that early on attending as frequently as possible while working on building a new friend base early on is a great idea.

Everyone relapses, but the ones that are successful just never give up trying. I tried to quit smoking something like 30 times before it stuck. I've quit (and re-started) several addictions, this might seem weird and it might just be stupid on my part, but I really feel like when you're coming off something, being physically active like doing a really long hike and sweating and drinking lots of water, and even going into a steam room or a sauna or swimming in a pool can help you "get it out" quicker. Anyways, it might just be in my mind, LOL, but I swear I feel like that really helps and also helps you to sleep that night when you're really craving if you exhaust yourself enough. Just my little trick . Most things will clear your system physically in a few days, then its the psychological addiction.