Non-Religious Alternatives to AA

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsReasons to Look for Non-Religious Alternatives to AATreatment FacilitiesNon-Religious Recovery Support GroupsDetoxificationPharmaceutical Treatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Reasons to Look for Non-Religious Alternatives to AA

Treatment Facilities

Non-Religious Recovery Support Groups

Detoxification

Pharmaceutical Treatment

Some alcohol and drug treatment programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous take a faith-based approach. Fortunately, there are also non-religious alternatives to AA that can support you as you work toward sobriety.

At a Glance

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), arguably the most well-known alcohol recovery program, is based on a set of spiritual principles that provide tools for living sober. While 12-step programs such as AA offer hope and recovery to many who are willing to embrace the higher power of their understanding, for agnostics or atheists seeking sobriety, faith-based systems of recovery are often a turn-off.

For any alcohol or drug rehabilitation program to work, the person seeking sobriety must not feel alienated or uncomfortable with the beliefs or practices it puts forth.

For example, prayer or overt religious messages may be enough to dissuade an atheist from returning to a treatment program—and because seeking sobriety is hard enough, that experience may be enough to make that person give up.

The 12 Traditions of A.A.

Luckily, there are many different treatment options available to help you quit drinking or using drugs, and most of them have nothing at all to do with spirituality. In fact, there are many self-help and mutual support groups available that do not use the 12-step method or any spiritual approach to recovery.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Non-Religious Alcohol and Drug Treatment Facilities

There are thousands of alcohol and drug treatment centers and clinics in the United States that offer both outpatient orresidential treatmentfor alcoholism and addiction.

Many facilities base their treatment on spiritual 12-step programs or incorporate the 12 steps into their programs, but there are also facilities that specificallydo notuse the 12-step approach or faith-based methods.

Instead, these facilities and programs usecognitive behavioral therapyand other secular, evidence-based methods of addiction treatment.

For more information and resources on how to find quality alcohol treatment, visit theNIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator.

Components of Effective Treatment Programs and Where to Find Them

Research has shown that people trying to quit have better results if they participate in a mutual support orself-help groupin theirrecovery program.

Alcoholics Anonymousis the most popular and readily-available of these groups, but there are secular support groups that do not use the 12 steps or any religious or spiritual forms of support.

Non-Religious AA AlternativesThese groups may not be active in all parts of the country, but most have online meetings and forums in which you can participate for support.LifeRing: Secular RecoverySMART RecoveryRational RecoveryWomen For SobrietySecular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)

Non-Religious AA Alternatives

These groups may not be active in all parts of the country, but most have online meetings and forums in which you can participate for support.LifeRing: Secular RecoverySMART RecoveryRational RecoveryWomen For SobrietySecular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)

These groups may not be active in all parts of the country, but most have online meetings and forums in which you can participate for support.

It is important to note that just because many atheists and agnostics won’t be interested in the Alcoholics Anonymous program doesn’t mean plenty haven’t found recovery there despite the spiritual underpinnings.

There is a chapter in the bookAlcoholics Anonymouscalled “We Agnostics” that explains how to approach the 12 steps without having a belief in a higher power. Many agnostics and atheists have found lasting recovery through the fellowship and accountability aspects of AA without embracing a spiritual higher power.

When chronic or heavy drinkers or those addicted to drugs try to quit, most experience withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol or drugs can be severe.

Detoxification treatment is aimed at reducing or eliminating symptoms while your body is getting used to not having alcohol or drugs in your system during the “drying out” period.

Detox treatment usually involves taking tranquilizers to calm the shakes and using diet and vitamins to help get your body back on a more healthy path. This can be done on an outpatient basis or in an inpatient setting in the case of severewithdrawal symptoms.

Usually, there is no counseling or other treatment, spiritual or otherwise, involved in the detoxification phase of recovery.

What Helps With Alcohol Withdrawal?

You might be able to quitusing drugsor drinking alcohol with pharmaceutical treatment, such as medications that are designed to help someone remain abstinent. Medications may reduce cravings, reduce the effects of drugs and alcohol, or simply make you sick if you try to drink.

Using these treatment methods is a matter of getting a prescription for one of the FDA-approved medications from your doctor or healthcare provider.

No counseling or other support is involved unless you choose to seek it. There is research, however, that indicates that participating in a mutual support group along with other treatment approaches, produces better outcomes.

Takeaway

AA can be a helpful program for many people who are trying to quit alcohol and other substances, but it is not the only option. If you would prefer a non-religious alternative to AA, you might consider detoxification, residential treatment, medications, and non-spiritual support groups. Whether you are religious or not, incorporating a multifaceted approach to recovery may help improve your changes for achieving long-term sobriety.

4 Stages of Alcohol and Drug Rehab Recovery

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ponce martinez C, Vakkalanka P, Ait-daoud N.Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorders: physicians' perceptions and practices.Front Psychiatry. 2016;7:182. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00182Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: a distillation of a 2020 Cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050Sudhir PM.Cognitive behavioural interventions in addictive disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S479-S484. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_15_18Tracy K, Wallace SP.Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction.Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2016;7:143-154. doi:10.2147/SAR.S81535Jesse S, Bråthen G, Ferrara M, et al.Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: mechanisms, manifestations, and management.Acta Neurol Scand. 2017;135(1):4-16. doi:10.1111/ane.12671Stern TA, Gross AF, Stern TW, Nejad SH, Maldonado JR.Current approaches to the recognition and treatment of alcohol withdrawal and delirium tremens: “old wine in new bottles” or “new wine in old bottles”.Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;12(3). doi:10.4088/PCC.10r00991ecrKelly JF, Yeterian JD.The role of mutual-help groups in extending the framework of treatment.Alcohol Res Health. 2011;33(4):350-5.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ponce martinez C, Vakkalanka P, Ait-daoud N.Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorders: physicians' perceptions and practices.Front Psychiatry. 2016;7:182. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00182Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: a distillation of a 2020 Cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050Sudhir PM.Cognitive behavioural interventions in addictive disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S479-S484. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_15_18Tracy K, Wallace SP.Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction.Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2016;7:143-154. doi:10.2147/SAR.S81535Jesse S, Bråthen G, Ferrara M, et al.Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: mechanisms, manifestations, and management.Acta Neurol Scand. 2017;135(1):4-16. doi:10.1111/ane.12671Stern TA, Gross AF, Stern TW, Nejad SH, Maldonado JR.Current approaches to the recognition and treatment of alcohol withdrawal and delirium tremens: “old wine in new bottles” or “new wine in old bottles”.Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;12(3). doi:10.4088/PCC.10r00991ecrKelly JF, Yeterian JD.The role of mutual-help groups in extending the framework of treatment.Alcohol Res Health. 2011;33(4):350-5.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Ponce martinez C, Vakkalanka P, Ait-daoud N.Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorders: physicians' perceptions and practices.Front Psychiatry. 2016;7:182. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00182Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: a distillation of a 2020 Cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050Sudhir PM.Cognitive behavioural interventions in addictive disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S479-S484. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_15_18Tracy K, Wallace SP.Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction.Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2016;7:143-154. doi:10.2147/SAR.S81535Jesse S, Bråthen G, Ferrara M, et al.Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: mechanisms, manifestations, and management.Acta Neurol Scand. 2017;135(1):4-16. doi:10.1111/ane.12671Stern TA, Gross AF, Stern TW, Nejad SH, Maldonado JR.Current approaches to the recognition and treatment of alcohol withdrawal and delirium tremens: “old wine in new bottles” or “new wine in old bottles”.Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;12(3). doi:10.4088/PCC.10r00991ecrKelly JF, Yeterian JD.The role of mutual-help groups in extending the framework of treatment.Alcohol Res Health. 2011;33(4):350-5.

Ponce martinez C, Vakkalanka P, Ait-daoud N.Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorders: physicians' perceptions and practices.Front Psychiatry. 2016;7:182. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00182

Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K.Alcoholics anonymous and 12-step facilitation treatments for alcohol use disorder: a distillation of a 2020 Cochrane review for clinicians and policy makers.Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2020;55(6):641-651. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa050

Sudhir PM.Cognitive behavioural interventions in addictive disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S479-S484. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_15_18

Tracy K, Wallace SP.Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction.Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2016;7:143-154. doi:10.2147/SAR.S81535

Jesse S, Bråthen G, Ferrara M, et al.Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: mechanisms, manifestations, and management.Acta Neurol Scand. 2017;135(1):4-16. doi:10.1111/ane.12671

Stern TA, Gross AF, Stern TW, Nejad SH, Maldonado JR.Current approaches to the recognition and treatment of alcohol withdrawal and delirium tremens: “old wine in new bottles” or “new wine in old bottles”.Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;12(3). doi:10.4088/PCC.10r00991ecr

Kelly JF, Yeterian JD.The role of mutual-help groups in extending the framework of treatment.Alcohol Res Health. 2011;33(4):350-5.

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