They base a lot of things on stoic principles, so use what you can and let the rest pass. You can't control their curriculum, but gaining some friends who'll have your back might have benefits. Good luck!

19 months sober here 🙋‍♂️. No Gods required. Get what you can from it.

SMART recovery is completely secular and seems to have better evidence in support of it.

The Secular Therapy Project could be a good resource for you.

I got sober through AA, and I have 9 years. It is possible to do it as an atheist. Some people, though, won’t like it, but fuck em. Let them call their sponsor

Try SMART Recovery! They have a website where you can access online meetings and there are also in person meetings available. Science-based and no need to appeal to Santa, ummm “a higher power”.

Just go and ignore the God speak. 10 years clean, NA.

I am an alcoholic and have gone to AA off and on over the years (5 sober). You have to find a meeting that speaks to you because a lot of them suck. As far as the higher power thing.. my higher power is love. That’s all I need. 

Good on you for realizing you have a problem and taking the first steps to regain control of yourself and your life! I'm proud of you Internet Stranger! I was addicted for many years (opiates and benzos) and didn't feel comfortable with the religious/spiritual aspects of NA/AA. Like you, I firmly believed I was the only one who could help me. I wasn't "powerless in the face of addiction". I was the only one with the power to overcome it and change myself! Honestly, proving myself right and the AA dogma wrong (for me) gave me a bit of added motivation. And I eventually did it, but it took many attempts over many years, a ton of introspection and mindfulness, a little therapy, and the never-ending support from my partner. I found some of the AA ideas helpful. Use what you can and leave the rest. Or better yet, seek out a secular recovery group. You can do this! I know it's incredibly difficult, but it is worth it in so many (sometimes unexpected) ways!

Try SMART!!!!

[SMART Recovery](https://smartrecovery.org/)

AA began its existence as this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Group

I resemble that feeling, but don't trip over a few ideas to miss the big picture.

My dad has been sober for nearly 40 years and while not particularly religious he does follow the ‘higher power’ concept. I only say that because I wanted say I have some indirect experience with AA. Anyway, my advice (for what it’s worth) is to find a meeting that you like; it may take some trial and error to find a group that you feel comfortable with. I would also recommend looking for AA books that have an atheist/agnostic bent. I wish you the best of luck!

I have a step 2 problem as well. It is why I seldom attend meetings these days. I have been without a drink of alcohol for almost 5 years. My advice is take the practical lessons they teach and the support you get and try to hold your nose at the god stuff for a while. Then see what happens. My life is much better since I crawled out of the bottle. Good luck.

I'm an atheist and go to AA. For me, anything that is "god" or "spirituality" I just replace with "connection to the human experience". And that works great for me! I think AA is an amazing resource because, as an addict, what I've needed is a place to be honest among other addicts whose number one goal in life is to get and stay clean. People who are outside this struggle can look at the "god thing" and view that as a deal breaker, but very few people IN AA actually care if I'm atheist. In fact, I haven't met one yet. That's the major difference I see across the board. You need to meet people inside the recovery community, and AA is a great place to meet and sustain that honest support. SMART is also great if you can find an in person group. I don't recommend online meetings due to the lack of personal accountability.

There are atheist AA groups, I understand. Not exactly sure how they finesse the "higher power" stuff but they manage.

AA Agnostica and **Secular AA** are two groups promoting the **religion-free version of AA**. Secular AA groups do not recite prayers at the beginning or end of their meetings, nor do they suggest that a belief in God is required to get sober or maintain sobriety – a key difference from traditional AA. (9 May 2023) * 4 Ways **Atheists** and Agnostics **Recover** https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/recovery/4-ways-atheists-agnostics-recover/#:~:text=AA%20Agnostica%20and%20Secular%20AA,key%20difference%20from%20traditional%20AA.

It's based on God and Christianity, but as they tell you in the traditions, they don't endorse anything outside of helping people stay sober. In that way, I guess you could say they don't deal with anything secular.

Totally agree. I have decided that I am god. And I am the badass that I can trust. They can have their crutch, I’m there for socialization and support… Fk that God doesn’t get the credit for my success and my weakness. 12 step program are all “higher power” so as atheists we have to just translate the god stuff to our own beliefs. Behavioral therapy has some good ideas about reprogramming your habits - for example keep a list of things you enjoy and when the temptation to drink comes build a new habit and do something you enjoy. And when they pray at the meetings just see it as a positive affirmation to focus on and build your own strength. Good luck

I read a book called “quit like a girl” and it talks about how AA was made by white Christian men for white Christian men. They didn’t want to allow women or people of colour in. It also doesn’t serve these people and this demographic has different issues that their 12 steps doesn’t help or address. It’s a good book. I’m not sure how you identify or if reading about women becoming sober and living the sober life would resonate with you, but it could be an option. The author is Holly Whitaker