Mutual aid is the process of giving and receiving non-clinical help for long-term addiction recovery. It emphasizes sharing help rather than self-help. Examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery. Mutual aid can use a 12-step approach promoting abstinence and acknowledging one cannot recover alone. While some find 12-step references to God difficult, SMART emphasizes self-reliance and collaboration with services. Evidence shows mutual aid works best combined with professional services, reducing relapse rates.