When you are going through a 12 step recovery, you will often find that a lot of the materials focus on prayer as well as praying to a higher power, whether it be God or someone else. However, if you are an atheist or agnostic, how do you begin?

What is AA Agnostica?

You can take an alternative 12 step recovery that uses a secular view. This is for atheists, agnostics, and freethinkers. This allows you to focus on addiction recovery without having to accept beliefs that are not your own. If you don’t want to pray in the traditional sense, there is still a way for you to work towards sober living – and having access to the materials and groups that don’t have a religious reflection can be best for your belief system.

Finding a Higher Power

As you go through the addiction recovery process, it can be advantageous to find a higher power. Most people take this to mean God. However, it is not always the case. You don’t have to believe in God in order to have a higher power to look towards. Many atheists use the program as their higher power. They concentrate on the road to recovery and the value of others – as well as being a value towards others who are working on sober living.

A supernatural deity doesn’t have to be in the picture. Some people have beliefs that there is a higher power and others don’t. If you want to start praying, it doesn’t have to be to a deity.

Non-Religious Prayer

Your prayer can simply focus on reading materials that are mantras for the road to recovery. You can also enjoy a 12 step movement that uses prayer in a non-religious form. You should take some time to reflect on your life and your future, and this can be your time for prayer, even if it is not in the traditional sense.

It can be alarming to walk into AA and see that God is everywhere, including in the opening prayer. The good news is that you can still go through the program, even if you are agnostic or an atheist. Many have successfully completed the program before you and many will after you. It’s just important to know how to take God out of the equation and look for your own higher power, even if it is the program itself.

Addiction recovery is an emotional and physical journey, and it can be a spiritual one, too. You may want to explore prayer for purposes of sober living, but have some questions as to when you should pray and for how long.

Taking Advantage of Prayer

You can find prayer books and other items to help you with prayer. There is no set time as to when you should pray. Often, you should turn to prayer when you are struggling the most. For example, there is the serenity prayer that can help you to ask for God’s help in the hard times that you face.

During the 12 step recovery process, you can take advantage of prayer to help you complete each of the steps. You may want to turn to your Higher Power to help restore your mind and let go of what you cannot control.

Prayer Heals

No matter what you go through during your addiction recovery, it’s important to remember that prayer heals. Throughout your days of sober living, some days are going to be harder than others. You can choose to pray every morning, every evening before going to bed, or in moments throughout the day.

It doesn’t matter when you pray as long as you are praying. You are never alone in the battles that you deal with during the 12 step recovery, and prayer can remind you of this. You can balance your mind, body and spirit throughout your time of prayer.

Some people are able to experience joy and balance faster than others. If you are experiencing fear and anxiety, reciting a few prayers or reading from an inspirational text can help to calm you down. You may spend a few minutes praying, or you may want to dedicate an entire day. Everyone is different, and everyone’s path to healing looks a little different.

To achieve sober living, you need to ask for forgiveness, ask for strength, and trust your Higher Power. When you develop the trust that God is going to help you overcome your obstacles, it can be easier to spend less time in prayer because you know what to say and the simple words from your favorite inspirational text can help you to achieve your balance every time. Do what is right for you to ensure you are able to get the strength you need to lead a clean, healthy, and happy life.

Overcoming addiction can be challenging, and it’s important to find ways to reduce stress and keep a clear mind. As you go through a 12 step recovery process, consider adding meditation to your daily routine. Meditation has been shown to improve physical, mental and emotional well-being, making it a valuable part of addiction recovery.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation involves focusing your mind in order to center yourself, achieve a sense of inner peace, calm your brain, relieve anxiety or get in touch with your spiritual side. When you meditate on a regular basis, it can change the way your brain is wired. The parts of your brain that control memory, self-awareness and other important aspects of cognitive and mental function become more active, while the parts of your brain that are associated with stress and anxiety become less active. When you’re working toward overcoming addiction and adapting to sober living, meditation can lower your risk of relapse by relieving stress and helping you become calmer and more focused.

Tips on Meditation

If you don’t have any prior experience with meditation, use the following tips to help you get started:

• Set aside time for it. Make meditation part of your daily routine by dedicating a certain amount of time to it. Include it in your daily schedule so you won’t forget to do it or run into problems finding time for it while you’re in 12 step recovery. 
• Start out slowly. Meditation takes time to get used to, so don’t expect to sit quietly for 30 minutes or more at the beginning. Instead, focus on meditation for about ten minutes at a time, then gradually increase this time once you’re more comfortable with this practice. 
• Begin by breathing. Start off your meditation routine by taking slow, deep breaths. This helps you concentrate better and relaxes your muscles, so you won’t feel tense while trying to meditate.
• Choose one thing to focus on. Meditation is all about focusing all of your attention on one thing at a time and not letting anything else interfere. You can start by focusing on a certain saying or mantra, a candle flame or a vivid image in your mind. 
• Pick a quiet place. Meditate in an area where you will not be distracted or disturbed by others. 

Keep in mind that it could take a while to get used to meditation, but practicing it each day during addiction recovery can help you achieve your goal of sober living.

When you struggle with alcohol or drug addiction, you might go to great lengths to hide your problem. This can include drinking or doing drugs on the sly or lying to loved ones about taking these substances. While it’s understandable that you don’t want to worry your loved ones, it’s important to realize that being secretive about your addiction is preventing you from getting the help you need from a 12-step recovery program or another form of addiction recovery.

Why Do People Keep Secrets?

Those who struggle with addiction often keep this a secret for different reasons. Hiding this kind of problem allows them to continue drinking or taking drugs without anyone interfering or trying to stop them. Others are worried that admitting they have a problem will cause their loved ones to reject them or put friends and family members under a lot of stress. Some might not believe they truly have an addiction, although they’re aware enough to realize that loved ones might frown on their behavior. This causes them to drink or do drugs in secret and hide any evidence that they have a problem.

Do These Secrets Cause Harm?

Alcoholics Anonymous has a saying that “you’re only as sick as your secrets,” which calls attention to the importance of being honest about addiction. When it comes to drug or alcohol addiction, keeping secrets can be harmful. When you hide your problem from loved ones or even from yourself through self-deception, you’re making it harder for you to move toward sober living. In order to get help, you’ll need to admit you have a problem and be willing to turn to friends and family members for support. When you keep secrets about your addiction, your loved ones can’t provide you with the social support you need. You’ll also be much less likely to seek treatment through an addiction recovery program.

How Can I Stop Keeping Secrets?

The best way to stop being secretive about your addiction is to make a commitment to being honest. When you’re honest with yourself and with loved ones about your struggles, your chances of achieving sober living become much higher. You and your loved ones can work together to get you into a 12-step recovery program or another type of addiction recovery program, so you can get the help you need to lead a happy, healthy life.

Staying clean and sober is a choice. It is a decision made every hour of every day and can be supported by the environment, habits, and people one invites into one’s life. Implement these 15 tips to stay motivated on your path to addiction recovery and beyond.

1. When in the initial months of addiction recovery, your objective is to make it to the end of the day without using an addictive substance.
2. There is no “I can handle just one drink.” Practice abstaining from all alcohol or drugs.
3. Take care of your physical body with exercise and healthy eating.
4. Create new relationships with positive, supportive people who want the best for you. Eliminate bad influences from your life.
5. Reconnect with those that have become distant due to substance abuse.
6. Be accountable and responsible for your actions.
7. Join a support group and take advice and give support to others in the 12-step recovery process.
8. Practice forgiveness. Resentfulness and grudges are hard crosses to bear. Forgiveness is part of the 12-step recovery process and allows love back in and makes those who practice it feel unburdened.
9. Stop the self-pity act. Create actionable steps to get you towards your goals. Self-pity creates a sense that one is not responsible for actions today because of mitigating circumstances. Stay in control and go forward.
10. Use tools to manage stress. Meditation, walking, and journaling can all help reduce the feeling of stress on the body and create more self-awareness. Turn to hobbies such as crafting or playing an instrument to take a break.
11. Create a schedule and regular events to stay busy. Enjoy the company of friends and family. Accomplish goals. Take on extra projects. This is important in the first few months of sober living.
12. Develop a network of people that you can talk with and turn to when you need an ear or need some motivation to stay sober.
13. Meet other people. Take on a social hobby, such as a cooking or dancing class. Learn new skills and engage productively with others.
14. Write down 5 things that you are grateful for daily. A gratitude journal is a way to be aware of the gifts around us and appreciate our journey.
    

    Sober living is easier when you remember what you’re grateful for. Write down what you’re thankful for each day in a journal.

15. Use extra time to update job skills or go back to school. Enable yourself to gain confidence, and possibly a promotion, with attention to your education.