Is the AA only for religious people

LegacyUser

Ok I have a drink problem that I need to sort out I am thinking of going to AA but while I dont not believe in God I am not a very religious person either so I was wondering if AA would work for me and if not what are my other options?

sceptre

I've no experience of AA. But from what I've hear, while you will get some religious people there, it's no more religious than anything else you'll come across.

One of the 12 steps has you placing your faith in a higher power but they're very easy-going about what that higher power is. For some it may be a God or gods, for others it might be almost anything else. A friend of mine told me that when her father went he regarded the group itself as his higher power.

So if you want to go there to get yourself sorted I wouldn't worry about the religious possibility, at least based on what other people have told me. They're there to help people with alcohol problems, not to convert you.

AARRRGH

From what I've heard about AA unless you believe in God you will have quite a few problems following their steps. Also, it's supposed to be a bit cliquee.

No harm in going along and seeing if it's for you...

northern lights

AARRRGH wrote: »

From what I've heard about AA unless you believe in God you will have quite a few problems following their steps. Also, it's supposed to be a bit cliquee.

No harm in going along and seeing if it's for you...

Sorry but that's total nonsense, the higher power that they speak of can be whatever you want it to be. It's individual to yourself and is certainly not just about god.

My OH has been attending for 3 years and he's the least religious person you could meet. It has without a shadow of a doubt changed both his, and as a result 'our' lives, beyond recognition.

As for it being a bit of a cliquee, I would say that would depend on what meetings you go to. The smaller meetings in more rural areas tend to be the ones where everyone else knows each other so my OH tries to get to meetings in the city also, as they can be more the 'real mccoy' as he puts it. No matter what meeting he has attended though, he is always amazed at how welcoming the members are to a new faces.

At the end of the day,you have nothing to lose in giving them a go...

All the very best

AARRRGH

northern lights wrote: »

Sorry but that's total nonsense, the higher power that they speak of can be whatever you want it to be. It's individual to yourself and is certainly not just about god.

OK, well your boyfriend's experience is different that what I've heard.

iguana

There are quite a lot of alternatives to AA, like Rational Recovery, Smart Recovery and individual counselors and psychologists who deal specifically with addiction issues. The thing is that ultimately it is you who will decide to take control of your problem, so if you go along to AA feeling "it won't help me" then it is less likely to help you. If you feel you can keep an open mind with regards to the higher power and the other methods which come with AA and take the advice which works for you, then there is no harm in going to a number of meetings. But if you feel deep down that you won't be able to ignore the parts you don't believe in, then you may be best to try a different method.

It's really good that you can admit to having a problem. That in itself is a huge step. It also makes a lot of sense to seek help in dealing with your problem. If you feel AA might not be for you, or even if you do, I'd advise going to your GP first. If you have been drinking a lot and want to stop you may need medication to help you while you withdraw, so it's best to see a doctor for advice about that.

Good luck.

Queen-Mise

Unregistered wrote: »

Ok I have a drink problem that I need to sort out I am thinking of going to AA but while I dont not believe in God I am not a very religious person either so I was wondering if AA would work for me and if not what are my other options?

Being religious is in no way a pre-requisite for attending AA, as another poster already said - you pick your own Higher Power, be it God, the program of AA, a dead family member.

Don't take too much notice of hearsay about AA, go in and check it out yourself. You will hear as much good and bad about it. The good from people involved and the bad generally from hearsay ;)

I wouldn't take to much notice of the cliques in AA either, they are different types of people everywhere, and people will always form friendships.

It is a very powerful (personal not monetary:)) organisation and has done a lot of good for a lot of people worldwide.

LegacyUser

No its not.

Its for people who want to stop drinking and need the help of others to do it.

All addiction programs require lifestyle changes of one sort or another and thats what this does too.

It uses a generic program to do this with.

prinz

Again no it is not.It isn't one of the most popular methods of combatting alcoholism the world over in many countries of many religions, cultures, etc because it is only for people of a religious inclination. It's for everybody, of all religions and of none.Good luck with it.

Kooli

As an atheist I would find it hard to come up with something that I could substitute as the 'Higher Power' to be honest.

I think that whether AA works for you will depend on your own beliefs about your alcohol issues. AA requires you to accept that you have NO POWER over your addiction, and you must give up power to this 'higher power', whatever it is. If this fits with your experience, then it might suit you.

If however, you would prefer a programme that emphasises your own personal power and agency in the process, and encourages independence from the recovery programme itself (rather than AA which encourages you to attend for life), then a different programme might suit you better.

Best of luck with it!

iguana

prinz wrote: »

Again no it is not.It isn't one of the most popular methods of combatting alcoholism the world over in many countries of many religions, cultures, etc because it is only for people of a religious inclination. It's for everybody, of all religions and of none.Good luck with it.

The AA has a less than 5% success rate. While it works for lots of people it is incredibly flawed and studies show that alcoholics who see personal counselors trained in addiction treatment have a much higher success rate. The NHS, for example, offers a large range of treatments for alcoholics and they don't recommend 12 step programmes as anything more than one in a range of options.

prinz

iguana wrote: »

The AA has a less than 5% success rate. While it works for lots of people it is incredibly flawed and studies show that alcoholics who see personal counselors trained in addiction treatment have a much higher success rate. The NHS, for example, offers a large range of treatments for alcoholics and they don't recommend 12 step programmes as anything more than one in a range of options.

Like I said popular.I did not mention success or failure. And the OP was asking about the religious aspect of it, not anything else.

Kooli

prinz wrote: »

Like I said popular.I did not mention success or failure. And the OP was asking about the religious aspect of it, not anything else.

I think success rate is a pretty important and relevant consideration if the OP wants to deal with an alcohol problem!! The OP specifically stated that he/she was interested in what other options are available.

antiskeptic

Unregistered wrote: »

Ok I have a drink problem that I need to sort out I am thinking of going to AA but while I dont not believe in God I am not a very religious person either so I was wondering if AA would work for me and if not what are my other options?

I've one mate who quit via AA and another who quit via Allen Carr's book: "The easy way to control your drinking".

Having quit smoking (and knowing a shed load more who've done the same) by using his book "The easy way to stop smoking" I'd suggest giving the drink book a whirl first.

God (or higher power) bless.

Phoenix_Rising

AA isnt only for religious people - i know plenty of people who have no religious beliefs at all and are sober through AA.

PM me if you have any questions that you dont want to put on a public board.

username123

iguana wrote: »

The AA has a less than 5% success rate. While it works for lots of people it is incredibly flawed and studies show that alcoholics who see personal counselors trained in addiction treatment have a much higher success rate. The NHS, for example, offers a large range of treatments for alcoholics and they don't recommend 12 step programmes as anything more than one in a range of options.

Id be interested to know where the stats for AAs success rate come from, upon a google I find many different 'claimed' success rates. (off topic I realise but I am genuinely interested to know the answer - if you could provide a link to the studies mentioned that would be great).

I am involved in a different 12 step program (Alanon), based on AAs 12 steps. The Higher Power concept is also used. I myself am an atheist, completely anti-religion. I use the notion of the group itself as the higher power. AA operates on a similar principle. What tends to happen is that in a predominantly catholic country like Ireland peoples 'notion' of a higher power often reflects their upbringing - so they use a Catholic God, many others do not. It makes no difference, religion is not a pre-requisite.

Gadfly

AA is best described as a spiritual programme rather than a religious one.

Bill W (the co founder of AA) was an agnostic prior to his religious experience, so don't let being atheist or agnostic stop you from looking into going to meetings. Find out yourself does it work for you.

As the quote goes: "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
- HERBERT SPENCER

aare

Do you know, I have heard a every single thing said so far on this thread, and a few more besides, about AA...and, no doubt, all were true.

Mostly because AA is made up of people, and I would say that, as a result, nearly every meeting, let alone every group, is different.

I know AA really works for a lot of people, I know it would not work for me but that is because I am not a "group" person, not because I am an atheist (though I am).

I think you should go to three or four meetings and see how YOU feel about it.

Good Luck

iguana

username123 wrote: »

Id be interested to know where the stats for AAs success rate come from, upon a google I find many different 'claimed' success rates.

I was told that figure by 3 separate doctors, but even the AA themselves admit to discovering that 95% of members drop out and relapse within the first year. And of those who complete the first year quite a high number don't have "recovery."

I go to al-anon myself on occasion, I'm just back from a meeting tonight in fact, and I find it can be quite helpful to me. I have no difficulty taking what I need from it, and ignoring the parts I disbelieve. All I want is an occasional outlet where I can talk to others about things in my life that they have experience of. I often go late on purpose so I can miss the steps. I can see why it could be very, very hard for someone who has a substance abuse problem to do that. Someone who can't get through day-to-day life without chemical help will find it harder to "take what they need and leave the rest." When you need a lifeline it's tough to pick and choose the advice of your chosen helper.

There are alternatives, so somebody who really fears that they won't be able to work with a programme, where 6 of the 12 steps include a higher power, may very well be better off seeking an alternative.

mazcon

iguana wrote: »

I was told that figure by 3 separate doctors, but even the AA themselves admit to discovering that 95% of members drop out and relapse within the first year. And of those who complete the first year quite a high number don't have "recovery."

I go to al-anon myself on occasion, I'm just back from a meeting tonight in fact, and I find it can be quite helpful to me. I have no difficulty taking what I need from it, and ignoring the parts I disbelieve. All I want is an occasional outlet where I can talk to others about things in my life that they have experience of. I often go late on purpose so I can miss the steps. I can see why it could be very, very hard for someone who has a substance abuse problem to do that. Someone who can't get through day-to-day life without chemical help will find it harder to "take what they need and leave the rest." When you need a lifeline it's tough to pick and choose the advice of your chosen helper.

There are alternatives, so somebody who really fears that they won't be able to work with a programme, where 6 of the 12 steps include a higher power, may very well be better off seeking an alternative.

My own experience with doctors is that unless they are actually addiction specialists they don't always have a total understanding of it's nature. The problem with getting statistics for AA is that there are no studies of membership with regard to relapse etc. It is an anonymous fellowship so there is no tracking of members and no official followup if members stop attending meetings. Any estimates of success rates are just that...estimates. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence promoting and disputing it's success rates but they are by no means definitive.
With regards to the Higher power all that is needed is a willingness to accept that maybe you are not the highest power and work from there. I know atheists who have got recovery from AA.

iguana

mazcon wrote: »

My own experience with doctors is that unless they are actually addiction specialists they don't always have a total understanding of it's nature. The problem with getting statistics for AA is that there are no studies of membership with regard to relapse etc. It is an anonymous fellowship so there is no tracking of members and no official followup if members stop attending meetings. Any estimates of success rates are just that...estimates. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence promoting and disputing it's success rates but they are by no means definitive.
With regards to the Higher power all that is needed is a willingness to accept that maybe you are not the highest power and work from there. I know atheists who have got recovery from AA.

There are surveys done by the AA but they don't publish them. There was one from 20 years ago which was leaked, where their own figures show the 5% success rate. Many studies conducted by the many doctors, psychologists and universities show that the AA has the same success rate as those who seek no help. I was specifically talking to doctors with regard to addiction, and who specialise in it, so I'm going to take their advice as informed advice. I've also been in contact with addiction specialist psychologists and counselors who all quote the less than 5% figure.

While I don't doubt that the AA can and does help people, the fact is that all they are is one of many, many options that are there to help people. There are lots of treatment methods available to help addicts and many have higher, far higher, success rates than the AA. I strongly believe that the first port of call for anyone who wants to deal with a drink problem, is to see their doctor. Withdrawal from a chemical substance can be extremely physically dangerous (to the point that people have died from it) and there is medication to help with that.

LegacyUser

ive been attending aa for over a year now and it is most definitly a religiously based programe, no matter what its members say to the contrary. Most of the 12 steps mention god and at the end of every meeting the our father and the serenity prayer are said. As for it being very clique, i agree. It has not been of much help to me and as far as i can see the relapse rate in the rooms is hudge