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I have learned a little about the 12-step program used in groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous recently.
A large part of this process involves surrendering to a higher power and accepting that such a power exists. I.E. God.
I have heard people attest to the efficacy of that system and wonder if anyone has any insight into the subject, or any alternative suggestions as to a higher power than the self.

GilbertusAlbans 4 Feb 9
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My Humanist friend suggest SMART Recovery. It does not use the higher power concept.
[smartrecovery.org]

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There are a lot of references to god in AA. Trying to avoid god in AA is like trying to stay away from the wet part of water. And there are many ardent beleivers in the rooms. But the only requirement for membership in AA is the desire to stop drinking. The 12 steps in and of themselves do try to incorporate god as you understand him. I understand him to be non existant. My Higher Power is the energy of all the other people in the rooms. After all ,I can see them and I know they exist. And one of them and me is a power greater than myself. Working through the steps is an important part of the program. One of the steps ask you to" turn your will and life over to the care of god as you understand him". Obviously there is no invisible man in the sky, so your concious and morals will have to take that place. You can reason your way around all the references in this way. They say a prayer at the beginnng of the meetings. While I don't talk to my imaginary friends anymore, I have been known to talk to myself from time to time. So of course I say the prayer to me. "god" grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The references to god are all around us all the time. We can't get all bent out of shape over it, man has the need for god because he fears his own mortality. Thats why man created god in his own image, to set himself above all the other ceatures on the planet. So use the 12 steps to cleanse your mind and don't let god get in the way of your sobriety.

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I am a member of AA and have been sober for 50 years. My higher power is Nature. If you take the superstition out of the 12 steps, what it really is about is to stop looking at others with blame for your problems and start looking at yourself for what you need to do or stop doing to solve your problems. It is a low stress way of life so you don't need alcohol to cope.

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28 years sober. God is a convenient 3 letter word that denotes an idea ( higher power is too many syllables ). Most non-believers have an easier time getting sober than believers do, only because the non-believer isn't wedded to any one idea. The basic idea of god in A.A. is "something greater than one's self that will help solve all of your problems" ( a sponsee once used the United states Marine Corps, they controlled his life, there were more of them, and they were better armed than he was). In practice it is the process of becoming open minded, not believing in everything you are told, but the idea that everything you think, feel, believe could possibly be complete and utter Bullshit. Followed by the adoption of the idea that you are willing to look for or experience reality/ god/ the universe etc..... Not too hard, but as an alcoholic I like to " Pole vault over mouse turds"

Thank you Dave. I hadn't heard that one in a while -- pole vault over mouse turds

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Didn’t really understand it until I started going to meetings. Was a very eye opening experience, but it was the “ as I understood “ my higher power that kept me coming back. Very different from the seemingly high walls to climb for acceptance that I had always known. Very open ended, it keeps the goal insight.

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I believe the only "higher power" is yourself. This, to me, is another example of saying that people cannot help themselves and need a higher power to do it for them. It's an abdication of responsibility in that sense. But, hey, whatever works.

marga Level 7 Feb 9, 2018

The As I Understand is the saving grace of AA. I would disagree with your charicterization of cannot help themselves. It is rather saying that if what you have been doing isn't working, maybe you need to try something different. As I said earlier; " If you take the superstition out of it, it's pretty simple".

@Stevil -- I do love Bugs Bunny, but my higher power is Nature and the laws thereof, which is actually a power greater than myself and does actually exist.

Our taste in cartoons are very similar. I actually know a woman who started with Mr. Potato Head as her higher power. It worked. I have another good friend that worked the steps to prove that they wouldn't work. They worked. You can start from any where. My original higher power was A Design For Living That Really Worked, whatever that might have turned out to be.

I couldn't agree more. If one recognizes their problem and seek AA or NA to solve that problem no higher power but that in oneself will help. It is a process of self healing along with any medical healing. I wish I had a dollar for every convict or inmate that had god as a higher power only to get out and 'relapse' committing additional crime. Return to prison or jail and all of a sudden find god once again. The addicts I know who have been successful have recognized their defects and changed behaviors.

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Regardless of whether you accept the premise that a higher power, i.e. god exists or not, it is YOU who are doing the work necessary to achieve your success.

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