I was required to sit in on basically ads for over priced living spaces in rehab, in multiple locations. It is especially bad in the free state sponsored rehabs here. Regarding the religious stuff, Christianity is literally all over the AA Big Book. AA is religious. Court cases repeatedly find that Alcoholics Anonymous is religious in nature. As a result, no agent of government may legally require anyone to attend AA. AA, and by inheritance, NA is entirely religious in nature. If you are not religious, most of it will fall flat.
If it winds up working for you, that’s great, seriously. People should at least try it, especially since the sense of community can really be what’s needed to help you.
It should also be said that experiences will vary by region and program wildly. I just can’t say that I personally ever gained anything positive from it other than encouragement (which has really helped).
I agree AA, and NA should not be govt mandated. Id just say its spiritual instead of religious. I know thats a worn thin sentence, but I think it highlights the above mentioned difficulty of developing the desire to stay stopped. If you’ve spent years in the street, a whole different approach to life is required, but completely foreign. You gotta trust someone else’s suggestions on a sort of blind faith at first until you see results. Unfortunately, like you say, its the Bible stuff the programs were originally rooted in that is most common. I decided to be the change I wanted to see in my area, and its well received every time.
When I stay sober for years without saying the lord’s prayer or even appealing to sky daddy, and have grounded real experience as both an active addict and a recovering addict, you cant argue. I have always had a desire to help others and I was taught “each one teach one.” My sponsor said, if youre the first athiest here, teach the second, and save a life. I stay partly because I want an atheist to be able to find me. I dont even have to be at the meeting they show up to because people know about me now, and can just be like “yeah I know a guy thats an atheist, dont sweat it.”
I was required to sit in on basically ads for over priced living spaces in rehab, in multiple locations. It is especially bad in the free state sponsored rehabs here. Regarding the religious stuff, Christianity is literally all over the AA Big Book. AA is religious. Court cases repeatedly find that Alcoholics Anonymous is religious in nature. As a result, no agent of government may legally require anyone to attend AA. AA, and by inheritance, NA is entirely religious in nature. If you are not religious, most of it will fall flat.
If it winds up working for you, that’s great, seriously. People should at least try it, especially since the sense of community can really be what’s needed to help you.
It should also be said that experiences will vary by region and program wildly. I just can’t say that I personally ever gained anything positive from it other than encouragement (which has really helped).
Thats a shame about the rehab.
I agree AA, and NA should not be govt mandated. Id just say its spiritual instead of religious. I know thats a worn thin sentence, but I think it highlights the above mentioned difficulty of developing the desire to stay stopped. If you’ve spent years in the street, a whole different approach to life is required, but completely foreign. You gotta trust someone else’s suggestions on a sort of blind faith at first until you see results. Unfortunately, like you say, its the Bible stuff the programs were originally rooted in that is most common. I decided to be the change I wanted to see in my area, and its well received every time.
When I stay sober for years without saying the lord’s prayer or even appealing to sky daddy, and have grounded real experience as both an active addict and a recovering addict, you cant argue. I have always had a desire to help others and I was taught “each one teach one.” My sponsor said, if youre the first athiest here, teach the second, and save a life. I stay partly because I want an atheist to be able to find me. I dont even have to be at the meeting they show up to because people know about me now, and can just be like “yeah I know a guy thats an atheist, dont sweat it.”
Great chat. Hope you’re in a great place today.