I Am Not Religious, How Do I Remove “God” From The 12 Steps?

It is not uncommon for non-religious addiction sufferers to go to the AA. Nowadays, small adjustments can be made in the wording of the twelve steps, making them more applicable to your personal situation. Of course, there are also some alternatives to the AA if you feel like the twelve-step program is not right for you. Let’s address the issues non-religious AA members can experience as well as the alternatives for these members.

This post is part of a 15 part look into the 12 Step Program and how it can be used to help in alcohol addiction and recovery. The full 15 part book can be downloaded for free by Clicking Here

What Is The History Of The 12 Steps As It Pertains To “God”?

The history of the twelve steps can be traced back to evangelist movements from the early 1900s. Bill Wilson, one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, found his sobriety within the Oxford Group. Evidently, this influence has had an effect on the wording of the twelve steps and their apparent connection to god. 

Can Non-Religious Addiction Sufferers Join The AA?

Yes. While the wording of the original twelve-step plan does include the word “god”, it does not mean that non-religious members are excluded completely. Depending on the group you go too, some changes can be made to the wording of each of the steps to make them more applicable to you. 

There are lots of alternatives to the traditional twelve steps. The following alternative sentences were created by Gabe S (A Higher Power of my Understanding). Here are a couple of examples of how the wording of the steps can be changed to meet your personal beliefs:

1. We admitted we could not control our drinking, nor do without it, that our lives had become unmanageable. 
2. We came to believe that others who had had or understood our problem could help us return to and maintain sanity.
3. We decided to accept what they said and act on their suggestions. 
4. We made a searching inventory of our bad feelings, of those aspects of our own character that had contributed to these and of the harms we had done. We noted occasions where we had done well and were glad of these. 
5. We showed the inventory to at least one other person and discussed it with them. 
6. We accepted our moral and personal weaknesses and accepted that they needed to change.
7. We became willing to admit those weaknesses to others, where appropriate, and to heed any advice that they might offer. 
8. We became willing to make amends to those we had harmed. 
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
10. We continued to take personal inventory, when we were wrong promptly admitted it and when we had done well, recognized this. 
11. We adopted a practice of meditation and one of reflection upon our place in the world and how we could contribute to it. 
12. Having experienced a psychic change as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

What Are The Alternatives To The AA?

There are many potential avenues you can take to seek help and support. Below, we will explain each one in more detail.

SMART Recovery: SMART Recovery is one of the better-known alternatives to the AA. It is a charity that focuses on choice,  which means a large element of this organisation is self-help guided. However, this charity also works with treatment programs and other charities across the globe to provide the most suitable care to members. 

CBT: When people talk about CBT, they are pretty much talking about conventional talking therapy. This type of therapy can be obtained from private psychologists or one of the many recovery charities. Common charities that provide CBT to local residents include Mind and Steps 2 Change – you should perform a search for your local area to see what is available..

Medical Establishment (i.e your GP/Primary Care Physician): In some cases, additional treatment with medication can be required for some addiction sufferers. For examples, those withdrawing from persistent heavy alcohol usage often need specialist medication to help reduce the severe side-effects of detox. The first port of call to get access to this kind of treatment is your GP or primary care physician. This kind of help is often combined with talking therapy such as CBT. 

NA: Those who suffer from a drug addiction are welcome in the AA, but there are some alternatives for drug addicts specifically. One of those alternatives is the NA or Narcotics Anonymous. This group holds meetings across the world and is quite similar to the AA where methods are concerned. 

Rational Recovery: Interestingly, this group used to be a part of SMART Recovery. However, there were some issues surrounding the recovery meetings, as this group believes that some fellowship meetings promote addict identity. It also needs to be said that this particular group has been extremely critical of the twelve steps. Nevertheless, this option has worked for people, so it is worth mentioning here.

Do The Alternatives Actually Work?

Addiction is most certainly within the framework of mental health problems. As you probably know already, mental health problem recovery is not a one-size fits all. Certain people respond to specific treatments better than others. This is why it is important to choose something that fits you as a person.

Doing some research into the various options available can help you narrow down your choices. We also recommend finding a group or a charity that is easy to get to in terms of meetings, as you do not want to be discouraged when you have a difficult day. Fortunately, these organisations tend to be represented well, so you should be able to find a local organisation that fits you.

We understand that making first contact is the hardest step. If you feel a little hesitant about going to a meeting or even contacting an organisation, why not try an email first and write down how you are feeling? Once you make this step, the rest will follow.