Are there any recovery options for alcoholic drug addicts for an atheist/somone unwilling to accept

tarverten

I am by no means a doctor or an expert, but I was a big drinker...and I have done some research on alcoholism, also. You have a good point, and I think I understand what you mean. Besides the fact that not everyone wants to become a Christian, I think the use of religion is just one addiction being used to treat another. While religion, for the most part, may be better than drinking, as far as your physical health is concerned, no addiction can be mentally healthy, and not curing the addictive personality is probably the biggest cause of "falling off the bandwagon". Maybe it is a good thing to use the religion in the beginning of quitting drinking, because it would be the lesser of the two evils, and possibly used as a temporary crutch...but I think the important treatment here, once you have stopped drinking...would be to get some cognitive therapy...find ways to change your mental processes that lead you to drink in the first place. The religion, and drugs such as antabuse, may be a quick fix...but, if you can't control the drinking unless you are using one of these crutches...you really have'nt treated the problem. And, I don't mean to make it sound so easy, the hard part is the work done by you without any crutch. I'm not an atheist, but I also do not wish to become a crutch Christian, I also suggest that while you find other ways to spend your drinking time that you don't just focus on any one thing in particular, but try to find many different things you like in place (if the question even pertains to you).

blastguardgear

Check around - there may be atheist groups similar to AA, but without the prayer. Try a search, too.

You can go to a mental health clinic for treatment and therapy. Many people do this rather than 12-step programs.

If you feel that both AA/NA and therapy - you should make some suggestions - if you come up with a good one, you could even start your own group. You could also aid the mental health clinics in doing more for recovering alcoholics and/or drug users.

shadowsupernature

"Drink Too Much?" Practical tips on quitting or cutting back:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/DrinkTooMuch.html

"What Work?" Various recovery methods listed by effectiveness:
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm


SOS, SMART, and WFS (Women For Sobriety) are all sobriety groups that do not require faith.

I got involved with several online groups that share my concerns about 12step recovery. Blowing off steam about "The Program" and finding others who have stayed sober without AA kept me busy while I went from someone in "early recovery" to someone who just doesn't drink.

Some of these groups are listed here:
http://www.dangerthinice.org/aa.htm

Parts of my story can be found here:
http://www.dangerthinice.org/true stories of struggles.htm

thepieeatingjay

Check this out. This site should have plenty to fit what you're looking for

http://www.rational.org/

Totalarmordestine

My only question is why you associate drug addicts/alcoholics with being atheists. Religious people have their fair share of personal problems like that too.

Beatrice

Totalarmordestine I think the issue is that most programs want you to turn to religion to heal. but if you aren't religious where are you supposed to go.