Why do most sobriety programs seem to be structured around religion? Any good resources for those who are not specifically religious?
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Sorry, but I believe you are misinformed. I’m big on NA and never is there “religion” mentioned in meetings. Now some AA do say the Lord’s Prayer which is kind of a religiousy thing. Yet, all in all, no religions are in meetings. It’s about finding a power greater than you that can have your back in times of need. Our power lets us use. Something or someone that can have your back when needed is what the rooms are about. This religion thing you talk about doesn’t exist. Just an excuse used to not go to meetings.
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Thank you for this post! I’m newly sober and was hesitant to go to meeting because my understanding was that AA was big on religion. I’m looking forward to seeking out a local meeting now!
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I think the idea is that an alcoholic's willpower is usually not sufficient to stop drinking. Submitting to a higher power of some sort, a program in which you follow rules and accountability practices and work on the underlying issues that lead to the drinking seem effective by comparison. Religion is kind of handy in that it already has these components, but I'll say it's helped me a lot
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Brittany, tried to like your comment ( error message pops up )-anyway! Hope you make it to a meeting soon. K. brings up solid points. All te best to you look for meetings and as you find out which groups, tools work best for you! ( Pardon my typo:)…
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To Thomas, yes-this, also:).
SMART Recovery is also a great program that uses a lot of science-based methods and doesn’t include religion or “higher power” on the reg. If you’re atheist or Catholic it absolutely doesn’t matter.
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The Satanic Temple Sober Faction
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AA and NA are spiritual in nature, not religious. NA perhaps even more so - referring to “the God of your understanding”, and your “Higher Power”. The Lord’s Prayer is never used. Everyone has the right to believe whatever they want. However it is suggested that there is a power greater than you that you can rely on. The only requirements is that this power be greater than you and have loving kindness. For some addicts it’s the universe, or the group itself. I think the simplest way to look at it is that addiction is from the dark; recovery is from the light. I think people develop their own spirituality as they progress in recovery. And it’s all good.
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I regularly attend AA meetings with Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Pagans & agnostics. The program isn't religious but it is spiritual. You make your own path.
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To agree with Andrea, Self Management And Recovery Therapy or SMART, takes the psychological approach to recovery using CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy tools.
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Not religion.. it’s spiritual
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Good question 
Science keeps proving time and again that this thing, this space we occupy was designed. There are billions of questions regarding who, when, why and how it was designed, but none questioning if it were. It was designed and then built by something with distinct and independent existence.....an entity. This is science 
.
For me and many much more brilliant than I could ever imagine being, it just requires too much faith or too much naïveté to believe otherwise.
How you personally connect to this entity is up to you.....choose wisely, ask it, humble yourself and realize that it's much bigger than you. Understand that your comparatively tiny mind can't possibly understand it fully, but we can connect to the degree that it allows us to.
As we say around here, "My ego is not my amigo". Let it go, accept truth and connect to this higher powerđź‘Ś
Yeah meetings aren't religious at all. They discuss a higher power, which many call God, but it's used more as a catch all term instead of a specific entity. In these meetings we all define our concept of a higher power differently- nobody's is exactly the same as anothers. Religion defines what and who God and spirituality looks like in a uniform fashion. In these meetings it's a "to each his own" kind of thing. It's also not mandatory to have God specifically- just something that has more power than you.
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Meetings I go to are not religious. Topics shared often reference a higher power or God. It is important for the groups I attend to have tolerance for individuality. Half of my friends in recovery are atheists. The other half are not atheistic. I’ll spare you all from my personal belief structure but I can say it continues to evolve and I’m open to anyones opinions as long as it is based on personal experience, strength and hope. Jesus freaks turned me off in certain meetings. AA isn’t a church or religion. Some call it a cult… no funny haircuts or dreams of alien abductions- just men and women sharing focused on a common problem.
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For many, their higher power is the meeting a people in it. You're higher power should always be what keeps you clean. Stay strong and stay connected.
I am reading a book on habits and it makes an argument for spirituality and community helping to stay connected
SMART Recovery is a really good secular option!
None are religious.. It is a spiritual program about putting your faith in a higher power of your understanding.. Something greater than yourself.. Also recovery and treatment is so much more than just spirituality. It's also about learning why you started using in the first place. For me I had to find the root or source of the problem.. Drugs or alcohol wasn't the problem, they were the solution to the problem.. I wish you the best and hope the platform helps you to understand more about treatment and the answers you seek...
I was in a christ centered program by choice and they offered Celebrate Recovery which is also Christ centered. I am now interning at a spiritual recovery program which offers many secular programs such as NA or AA. Like other said both NA and AA are based on spiritual principles however they do not force anything upon you. The BB prefer that you find yourself as an agnostic. Which simply means you believe in a higher power/power greater than yourself. With that being said it could be the fellowship as a whole that is your HP since you get to choose a HP of your understanding. Smart Recovery is an excellent secular resource.