By Michel D. Chair, 2025 This year’s Secular Ontario Alcoholics Anonymous Roundup (SOAAR) in Ottawa was the fourth biennial event in a series that began in Toronto, followed by Hamilton and Kingston. The event...
By Eddie Cohen It was the best of times that inevitably would become the worst of times. By now, the Hippie movement of tuning in, turning on and dropping out was pretty much behind...
By Andy F. A meeting in a rehab Every Friday, at 11 am, I would make the journey with a couple of buddies to a nearby drug and alcohol rehab. As a 12-step facility,...
By Alcohol-Free Margarita, The following are my own versions of the 12 Steps. I consciously wrote my Steps in the present tense because my disease is chronic and needs daily treatment and my Steps...
By Rady A. I registered in February for the quinquennial International Convention of AA held in Vancouver, British Columbia in July. Three omens bode well for atheists and agnostics in AA: Secular AA was...
By Roger C. This is a truly remarkable book. The first edition of The Alternative 12 Steps – A Secular Guide to Recovery was originally published almost 35 years ago, in 1991. And, to...
Is It Time to Expand Our Definition? Why limiting spirituality to religion leaves out millions of people having profound experiences. By John Aher A few years ago, my friend Sarah—a self-described atheist and data...
Bob K. died on August 12th. He had been my friend for many, many years. He was also a recovered alcoholic who had quit drinking 34 years ago, on October 28th, 1991. He was...
By Mikey B. I thought that having to go to AA was a bad thing; it turned out to be the best thing to happen in my life. It was an important turning point....
By Roger C. The very first book I published was The Little Book: A Collection of Alternative 12 Steps. It was published in 2012, some thirteen years ago. And a second edition was published...
By MJ Gottlieb CEO/co-Founder of Loosid Introduction: Owning Our Journeys For many, the idea of sobriety starts quietly. We enter the rooms of recovery unsure of ourselves, cloaked in secrecy and fear of judgment....
By Ryan R. Recovery is not just about avoiding the old patterns. It is about building a life that feels worth staying for. When someone chooses to step into recovery, they are choosing to...
Line-by-Line Reflections on the 1955 Edition Basic Text. For Believers, Non Believers, and Everyone in Between By Jude Barnes, “I Needed the Big Book — But I Couldn’t Pretend to Believe”: A New Guide...
By John M. If a story is in you, it has to come out. William Faulkner What is addiction, really? It is a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress. It is a language...
By Ryan R. When addiction loosens its grip and the process of recovery begins, the journey to wellness doesn’t stop at abstaining from substances—it evolves into a complete reimagining of one’s health and habits....
