Explaining the "higher power" in the 12-steps for atheists in recovery from addictions.

I wrote this in answer to a question elsewhere in discussions. I sincerely hope someone finds it helpful.

OK. I am an atheist, and never have never been addicted, but I did get an AA in Addiction Studies, and we covered the "higher power" delima in the 12-steps for those who did nto believe in god or the supernatural.

One of my instructors gave the three examples of "alternate" higher powers. In once case the higher power was a daughter, in another it was a kitten, and in a third it was a motorcycle. Now, at first glance this may all seem weird and crazy. Most people can understand a person using their daughter, and with a bit of a stretch, they can understand the kitten, but the motorcycle really throws people.

That is until you realize that all three have one thing in common.
Each on evokes feelings of love and caring in the individual, and in each case that love and caring they feel was strong enough for them to stop drinking or using.

For believers, a belief in god can provide tht feeling of living and caring with varyign results.

However, I think that to find something or someone you care about that evokes feelings of lovign and caring that are strogn enough to help you stop works better than just a general belief in god. The rick is to find somethign in your life that you care about that avokes those strong enough feelings.

For some people it is just a simple desire to be a better person tomorrow than they re today. Tht desire comes mos toften when a person has "hit bottom" and simply can't stand for their life to get any worse.

Your higher power is just finding somethig that evokes emotions or a desire to change that is stronger than your desire to drink or use

This may seem very simple if you never had an addiction. I am assured by those who do have an addiction that it is very complicated, especially when a prson encounters "triggers" which make them desire to drin or use.

Anyway, that is the bsics of how you find a "higher power" for recovery when you are atheist.