Full Answer
How do atheists and agnostics recover from addiction?
You might go to rehab, for example. Rehab is not necessarily spiritual in nature. While some are faith-based, others are secular. You might attend inpatient rehab, in which you’d live at the facility for a period of 1 to 3 months. You might choose outpatient rehab, which doesn’t require you to live at the facility.
Is there an AA for atheists and agnostics?
Jun 02, 2017 · If you’ve attended AA, NA or gone through the 12 Steps, God is the traditional higher power that people talk and pray to through recovery. If you’re an atheist in addiction recovery, you’ll need something else to express your higher power. Science or Reason are both great examples of higher power you can use for recovery.
Does religion improve recovery from addiction?
Oct 07, 2018 · If you are an atheist or if religion isn’t a significant part of your life, you might think that drug or alcohol rehab can’t work for you. You may have heard that 12-step recovery has a strong focus on religious and spiritual ideas, and as a non-religious person you know that that’s the last thing that will help you overcome your compulsion to use substances.
Does 12-step recovery have anything to do with God?
Oct 09, 2020 · Atheists will work on developing the personal attributes and skills to help them overcome their addiction without needing to blame a higher being or themselves for failing to believe in a higher power. Many successful rehabilitation treatments are not based on any religion or faith but on psychological and scientific advancements.
Can I go to AA if I don't believe in God?
Yes, although you may have to do some internal mental gymnastics to be cool with it.
Do you have to be religious to do the 12 steps?
Are 12-step programs religious? No. While the 12 Steps were inspired by spiritual ideals, a 12-step program itself is not religious at all.
What does secular recovery mean?
The themes of most secular recovery groups are illustrated in LifeRing's “Three-S” philosophy: sobriety (“We do not drink or use, no matter what.”), secularity (the inclusion of people of all faiths and no faith within a mutual support process that emphasizes achieving recovery through human rather than divine ...
Does AA believe in God?
AA does believe that alcoholism/addiction is too powerful to overcome by self-will alone. The “higher power” or God referred to in the steps is benevolent, caring, loving, and wants to help men and women defeat their addictions.
Can you go to AA if you're not religious?
Is it religious? Alcoholics Anonymous has only one requirement for membership and that is the desire to stop drinking. There is room in AA for people of all shades of belief and non-belief.
Can you do AA if you're not religious?
The biggest support groups out there in recovery are AA and NA. You should know that regardless of your religious affiliations or no affiliations or god belief, you are welcome in AA and NA. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop drinking or using.Jan 27, 2020
What is a SOS meeting?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), also known as Save Our Selves, is a non-profit network of autonomous addiction recovery groups. The program stresses the need to place the highest priority on sobriety and uses mutual support to assist members in achieving this goal.
What are secular AA meetings?
Secular AA is a movement within Alcoholics Anonymous that seeks to widen our gateway so that all who suffer may pass through and find long-term sobriety in AA regardless of their belief or lack of belief in a god.
What do u mean by secular?
"In contemporary English, secular is primarily used to distinguish something (such as an attitude, belief, or position) that is not specifically religious or sectarian in nature (for example, music with no religious connection or affiliation might be described as ""secular"").
Is AA based on the Bible?
Historians have traced the genesis of the 12 step programs in Alcoholics Anonymous back to the Oxford Group, an evangelistic movement from the early 1900s. Dr. Frank Buchman, a Lutheran minister from Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, was the founder of the Oxford Group.
What do you call someone who believes in a higher power but not God?
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable.
Does a higher power have to be God?
A lot of people think that a higher power means God. And that's what it is for many people, but it doesn't have to be. At its core, a higher power is something that you believe is controlling the universe. It could be nature, the sun or moon, or you can even say the universe, itself.Jan 31, 2020
What is non 12 step rehab?
Like spiritual addiction treatment centers, these facilities provide people with experienced, dedicated staff and a variety of support systems and tools to assist in overcoming addiction.
Why is AA important?
Because peer support and programs like AA, which was originally faith-based, can be so useful, it is important for all people struggling with addiction to have these same resources. Atheist rehab programs and facilities that offer non-religious treatment services are out there, and they are a great resource.
Do You Need a Higher Power?
In the mid-1930s, the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous wrote the 12 Steps, a series of actions that they believed would help alcoholics achieve sobriety. The steps include admitting that one has a problem with alcohol, making amends for past mistakes, and seeking to help other alcoholics.
Your Path to Sobriety
Joining a 12 Step group is not the only way to achieve sobriety. You might go to rehab, for example. Rehab is not necessarily spiritual in nature. While some are faith-based, others are secular. You might attend inpatient rehab, in which you’d live at the facility for a period of 1 to 3 months.
What Atheists and Religious People Have in Common
No matter your religion or lack thereof, some things will ring true for everybody who struggles with a drug or alcohol addiction.
Need Help?
Rehab Info is here to serve people of all religious beliefs, even if you have no religious beliefs at all. You may feel that you don’t have enough options as an atheist, or you may feel that you have so many options you couldn’t possibly know where to start.
Alternatives to 12-Step Programs
There are programs outside of the 12-step programs of AA and NA that offer hope to people who object to religious overtones. One of the most well-known of these is SMART recovery, which is science-based and uses concepts of self-help to empower the individual to learn to abstain without reliance on religious concepts.
Atheism in AA and NA
While 12-step programs do use the phrase “higher power,” this concept doesn’t mean God or any other kind of deity to everyone. When you go to AA or NA for support, you will find that when you visit different meetings, each one has a different feel or emphasis.
Finding Help if You are an Atheist or Agnostic
You might think the fact that you are an atheist means there isn’t a way to get help by going to rehab for drug or alcohol abuse. Just like not all AA and NA groups emphasize the religious angle, not all rehabs do, either. Talk to people at more than one recovery facility and let them know your concerns.
What is the definition of atheism?
Atheism Defined. Atheism is the rejection of deities or Gods and denies, including in some cases spirits and the supernatural. Often, atheists are considered to be people who place their faith in science, reason and facts that are supported with substantial, proven evidence. Many people believe that atheists do not represent or involve themselves ...
What is the best treatment for substance abuse?
Cognitive behavior therapy is one of the most popular treatments that is available for substance abusers. This therapy works two-fold by firstly analyzing the individuals approach to life, behaviors, thoughts and environment and identifying the triggers and issues that have contributed to the addiction.
Why is spirituality important?
Spirituality can play an important role in guiding people and bringing inner peace, self awareness and a purpose in life. When a person has a sense of spirituality, they can be less selfish, experience life satisfaction, peace and become more altruistic.
What is motivational enhancement therapy?
Motivational enhancement therapy is one such treatment that has been found to have a life changing affect on some people. Motivational enhancement therapy works on motivating an individuals opinion on themselves, on their skills and their abilities to enable them to work on recovering from substance abuse.
What is secular organization?
The Secular Organizations for Sobriety is a group of organizations that works to empower individuals to overcome addiction without religion.
Do atheists believe in spirituality?
Many people believe that atheists do not represent or involve themselves in spirituality however this is not always the truth. Spirituality and belief in a specified religion are considered to be two separate things. Atheists face the challenge of substance abuse as often as those who do have a faith in a religion.
What is the difference between religion and spirituality?
The major difference between the notion of spirituality and a religion is that religion concentrates on faith in a supreme being, whereas spirituality is more the belief that there is a higher part of the self and divine experiences emanate from everyone. Spirituality does not assume that there is a supreme being that dictates how individuals ...
How effective is substance abuse treatment?
Effective treatment for substance abuse addresses the multiple needs of the person and not just their use of drugs or alcohol. A crucial component to a successful treatment outcome is to remain in treatment for a sufficient length of time.
What is medical detox?
Medically assisted detoxification (medical detox) is only the first step in recovery. If individuals only receive medical detox services, there is little change in their substance abuse behavior. Individuals require long-term treatment programs after medical detox.
Is addiction a treatable disease?
There must be recognition that addiction is a treatable disease that alters the functioning of the brain. There is no one approach to treatment that will work for everybody. Treatment interventions need to be available when the individual needs them.
What is a smart recovery?
Some of the major organizations that offer nonreligious environments that are appropriate for atheist or agnostic individuals include the following: Smart Management and Recovery Training ( SMART recovery) is a nonspiritual, nonreligious approach to empowering people to achieve successful recovery from substance abuse.
Is cognitive behavioral therapy effective?
The use of medications will be just as effective whether or not a person has a commitment to a divine supreme being or spiritual beliefs. The use of behavioral therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is not affected by any specific commitment to spirituality.
What is a secular organization?
Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) is a nonprofit network of secular recovery programs. Life Ring is a secular group that focuses on abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Moderation Management ( MM) is a secular program that focuses on the controlled use of alcohol in recovering individuals.
Why don't atheists join Alcoholics Anonymous?
Many atheists have no interest in joining Alcoholics Anonymous because of the emphasis on spirituality. There are now plenty of other recovery options that they can choose from such as: * Rational Recovery is a program where there is no requirement to adopt any spiritual philosophy.
What is the belief of the AA?
The theist idea of such a higher power is God. The belief of many AA members is that their God is giving them the power to beat their addiction. Atheists are not able to share this idea of a god who is saving them from addiction. This makes it difficult for them to move onto step three which states:
Why is AA important?
This is because AA encourages the member to believe in a higher power as they understand it. This means that the individual is free to interpret this as they wish. Some will view nature as their higher power while others will see it as the power of the group.
Is Alcoholics Anonymous a non-denominational organization?
Alcoholics Anonymous is Non-Denominational. Alcoholics Anonymous is not affiliated with any particular religion. However, the program does contain spiritual ideas that may make many atheists feel uncomfortable; in particular the concept of a higher power. It is also true that while the organization as a whole might not be affiliated ...
Is Alcoholics Anonymous a cult?
Some people view Alcoholics Anonymous as a type of cult. By attending the meetings the members are pressured into accepting certain ideas about addiction and how it should be cured. They are taught to believe that alcoholism is a disease, and that the only cure for this is god.
Atheist Options
- Thankfully, most centers are willing to treat your addiction without focusing on religious ideas. There is nothing wrong with expecting a drug treatment center to be considerate of your individual needs. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “the best treatment addresses a p…
An Atmosphere of Success
- Rehabilitation requires an acute level of vulnerability. And as you move forward, it is essential that you feel as if you can let your guard down in order to rid yourself of the burden of addiction. The last thing you want to do is feel as if you are fighting to be understood during a program that is to be a welcoming and healing environment. Atheist drug or alcohol rehabilitation centers offer ma…
Recovery
- Atheists are able to utilize the enhanced personal skills learned in drug rehab to adhere to sobriety. This is done in one’s own power, and without reverence to a higher being for the hard work that has been put into such a life-changing process. Many atheists appreciate the ability of the human brain to re-direct itself after a period of sobriety. This process, along with other form…
Finding An Atheist Rehab
- Jumping into the rehabilitation process might not be the first thing on your mind. After all, the journey to recovery can seem like a daunting process. The truth is that rehabilitation is a lot of hard work. Contact us at RehabCenter.netto learn more information about atheist rehab facilities near you.