The 13th Step
TRIGGER WARNING. This article contains content about sexual assault and/or violence which may be triggering for some readers. By Erin J. By the time I was 21, I had already completed two failed stints in...
Tagged: recovery
Another Atheist In Recovery
Reviewed by Christopher G. If you are new or old in recovery and you have old ideas that aren’t working anymore, you may find, like me, that when you get rid of an old...
AA as “stealth Buddhism”
By Thom L I’ve sometime heard at meetings in western Massachusetts that AA is “stealth Buddhism”. I like to think of the historical Buddha as one of the first addictions counselors. He observed that...
AA Without the God?
Is believing in a higher power an essential component of the recovery process? By David Sack, M.D. Published on December 10, 2014 in Where Science Meets the Steps (Psychology Today) It’s a comment I’ve heard...
Practising Virtue and 12 Step Recovery
By Steve K. Introduction My goal in writing this essay is to demonstrate how practising virtue – defined as a trait or quality of character considered to be morally good or desirable – is...
No Human Power
“No matter how outlandish the proposition, if it is supported by impeccable evidence and logic, it is most likely true, at least until even more impeccable evidence and logic refutes it and progress is...
Recovery: Climbing out of Plato’s Cave
By Peg O’Connor Originally published on January 8, 2012 in the New York Times. Reposted with Permission. Philosophy is one of the oldest areas of inquiry. Out of control behavior fueled by alcohol and...
Letting Go of God
We atheists and agnostics in AA have faced a long struggle for acceptance. But newer 12-step fellowships are leading the way to a more tolerant form of recovery – despite a “Back to Basics”...
Sober & Out
Reviewed by John L. The new book, Sober & Out: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender AA Members Share Their Experience, Strength and Hope, contains stories published in Grapevine from 1975 to 2011, of AA...
Steps 8 and 9
This is a chapter from the pioneering book: The Alternative Twelve Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery. It was originally written by two women, Martha Cleveland and Arlys G., and published in 1991. As valuable today as...
Common Sense Recovery: An Atheist’s Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous
Reviewed by Chris G. Common Sense Recovery: An Atheist’s Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous is a series of essays by Adam N. It was never meant to be published. Written over time as a personal project...
Sylvia K. – First Lady of Chicago AA
By bob k AA’s earliest efforts to rehabilitate women had not gone well. The ink was barely dry on the newly printed “Big Book,” when Florence Rankin, author of A Feminine Victory (BB, 1st Edition), returned...
Step 7
This is a chapter from the pioneering book: The Alternative Twelve Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery. It was originally written by two women, Martha Cleveland and Arlys G., and published in 1991. As valuable today as...
Sophrosune: A Higher Power for Freethinkers
By John L. Introducing Sophrosune [So-fro-SU-nay], a goddess of Ancient Greece, who personifies virtues germane to us in recovery. She is the spirit of moderation, self-control, temperance, restraint, and discretion. Sophrosune was one of...
