You Don't Need God to get Sober

For obvious reasons, people post about God on this page. That is fine. The people who know me will second the fact, that I respect and appreciate everyone's beliefs.

Here's the thing, you don't need God to be in recovery. 12 step programs are the most God oriented, but people can get sober without the 12 steps. I myself attend 12 step meetings, and through the steps, I have found a Higher Power in the Universe. I simply choose to call it God. This does not mean it is a necessity for everyone. If you are an addict, the only thing you MUST do is stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Whatever Works for You

If you don't believe in God, then who am I to say you are wrong? There are thousands of cases of people improving their lives without spiritual means. In fact, I have had conversations with people on my page that say they DID stop through their own willpower. I've talked to people who realized they had a problem, and just stopped. It is possible, anything is possible.

I feel that open-mindedness goes both ways. If I am to be open minded about issues of the spirit, then I must be open minded to all of them. I believe that finding yourself, discovering who you are and what you love, is just as much a spiritual process and prayer and meditation. It is perfectly okay to believe what you want to believe. For me, a real tragedy occurs when people bow down to a belief system that does align with what they feel in their hearts. If you chose to be Buddhist, or Hindu, or atheist, or Christian or

It is perfectly okay to believe what you want to believe. For me, a real tragedy occurs when people bow down to a belief system that does not align with what they feel in their hearts. If you chose to be Buddhist, or Hindu, or atheist, or Christian or Wickin than have at it. Open-mindedness means accepting other people for their beliefs as well.

Your Beliefs are Your Own and No One Else's

Don't let anyone tell you what to believe. Discover for yourself what makes you tick, and what your passions are. While you are busy doing that, don't use. Your new found freedom from addiction will put you in touch with your true self. You will find your place in the Universe.

When it's all said and done, religion and love and spirituality are all the same thing. They are all mechanisms that bring us together into a realm of interconnectedness. In the end, that's what all of this is about. We all look for something or somewhere to belong. So I invite everyone to find something to belong to. Find a meeting, find a gym with workout partners. Find yoga or find a support group. Find a therapist. Find nature, find love. It is irrelevant. What is important is that you find a purpose. This purpose is bigger than you and therefore, is a Higher Power. It can really be that simple.

When I see people speaking in what they believe in, I applaud. When I see people preaching that their way is the best and only way, I cringe. It seems common sense, that defining God, is arrogance at its highest form. I find that acceptance of people for who they are is love in its purest form.

I am forever grateful for the 12 steps and for my conception of a Higher Power. It saved my life, but the Big Book says that we have no Monopoly on recovery. I fear that when some people come into a fellowship, God and peoples forthcoming attitude towards God is a deterrent. When people feel pressured to believe in something they don't want to, that will turn them off from recovery as a whole. This is when people feel hopeless, and that there is nothing that can get them sober. That person really is in trouble.

What we try to do with Sober Nation is celebrate recovery. We celebrate forward-thinking and happiness and love and tolerance. We celebrate helping each other and selflessness. We celebrate living healthy, happy lives.

However you live your life and find your recovery, is none of my business. Find what makes you happy, find what you're passionate about and do that. Find a way to stay sober and live your life the way you want to.

The purpose for my writing this article isn't to create controversy, although I am sure it will. The purpose is to give hope to someone that doesn't believe in God. Regardless of what you believe, you can get sober. You can change your life. You can find beauty in the world and feel good about your place in it.

Feel free to leave comments, and let us know what worked for you.