A middle-aged woman sitting quietly at home with a mug looking out of a window

The Sinclair Method and AA: can you do both?

It depends on one thing: whether you are still drinking. Here is how the Sinclair Method and AA fit together, and when they do not.

SR
Dr Seth Rankin
19 April 2026 5 min read

Can you do the Sinclair Method and AA together? It turns on one thing: whether you are still drinking. The honest answer is different depending on where you are.

If you are still drinking

The Sinclair Method usually means you keep drinking, at least at first, while the tablet does its work. AA is built on complete abstinence, total sobriety, one day at a time. Those two do not really sit together. Being in a meeting as someone who is still drinking, even at sensible levels, is uncomfortable for you and can be unsettling for the people around you who are working hard to stay sober. So while you are drinking, AA is probably not your place, and that is no reflection on AA or on you. They are simply built for different stages.

If you have stopped, and want to stay stopped

Some people reach a point on the Sinclair Method where alcohol has lost its pull, and they decide to stop altogether. If that is you, and you keep taking naltrexone to keep cravings quiet, AA can absolutely be part of your life. You are sober, which is what AA is for, and the medicine simply supports it. Plenty of people combine the two this way.

Naltrexone is not a 'mood-altering substance'

You may hear that AA frowns on medication. AA World Services' own 2011 pamphlet, 'The A.A. Member, Medications and Other Drugs', is clear that properly prescribed medical treatment is consistent with membership. Naltrexone is not addictive, does not make you feel anything, and is not a substitute for alcohol; it quietly blocks alcohol's reward. If you are sober and taking it, that is medical treatment, not a break in your sobriety.

How to talk about it at AA

If you are sober and taking naltrexone, be open with your sponsor that you are on a prescribed medicine for alcohol. You do not owe anyone the pharmacology. Most experienced sponsors treat it like any other prescription. If a particular group is uncomfortable, try another meeting, or SMART Recovery, which is medication-friendly by design.

Not sure which path is yours?

Plenty of people start the Sinclair Method to cut down, and only later decide whether they want to stop completely. Both are valid, and you do not have to know now. If abstinence becomes your goal, AA may suit; while you are still drinking, the method and a coach are the better company. Tell us where you are and we will help you think it through.

SR
Clinically reviewed
Dr Seth Rankin
MBChB MRCGP, Founder, LoveMyLife
Reviewed by the LoveMyLife clinical team

Read next

More from our Sinclair Method articles.

A woman in her 40s walking outdoors looking calm and hopeful, soft daylight What is the Sinclair Method? How is the Sinclair Method different from Antabuse? How is the Sinclair Method different from Antabuse? South Asian couple at a small London cafe by a window. The Sinclair Method on the NHS: what's available?

Explore everything about the Sinclair Method

A young adult in their late 20s enjoying a social evening with a soft drink in hand, relaxed not isolated Does TSM work for binge drinkers? South Asian couple at a small London cafe by a window. How much does naltrexone cost? Mixed-heritage couple at a small London cafe by a window. How to get naltrexone prescribed in the UK A middle-aged man walking along a coastal path in soft evening light How long does TSM take? A South Asian woman sitting at a kitchen table reading treatment information Your first 14 days on TSM A South Asian man sitting quietly at home looking out of a window Naltrexone vs nalmefene A middle-aged man sitting at a train station looking at his phone Common side effects Mixed-heritage couple at a small London cafe by a window. Missing a dose Couple at a small London cafe in the morning. Liver function tests on TSM

Ready to start?

The online assessment is quick. A doctor reviews it and, if naltrexone is right for you, prescribes it, dispensed and delivered to your door.

Begin your assessment →