My name is Eric, I’m an alcoholic, and my community is Secular Alcoholics Anonymous. Almost two years ago, this community saved my life, and I’m engaged in efforts to help it save the lives of others who suffer from alcohol use disorder.

AA as a whole is shrinking because it remains stuck in the past, fearful or unwilling to change, and unable to adapt to a changing world. Some factions within AA would choose to protect itself against change rather than admit its shortcomings and do whatever is necessary to change with the times.

This is where Secular AA comes in. The word ‘secular’ is defined as “not religious”; in this context, it means neither religious nor anti-religious. Secular AA attracts all types of people: agnostics, atheists, nonbelievers of various shades, and even religious people who want to focus on recovery and leave their religion outside the door.

Relative to AA as a whole, Secular AA is kind of like the part of the drunk’s brain that has a moment of clarity and realizes “the end is nigh”. We’re trying to save the good ship of AA from taking on too much water by shedding the baggage of all the God-stuff and focusing on actions rather than beliefs: avoid the first drink, connect with others, find your core values and live by them, make amends for harms done, and help others to maintain sobriety.

I and others like me work hard to grow Secular AA and change mainstream AA from within. We get some push-back from those who are threatened by change. But for the most part, the fellowship of AA tolerates us and our rebel ways, as they know we’re reaching suffering alcoholics that may balk at the God stuff and just give up entirely.

We’re raising awareness, growing community, and constantly pushing at the outer limits of AA to expand it. We tend to meet in community centres instead of church basements. We also have hundreds of online meetings around the world, around the clock. We hold regular gatherings from local meet-ups to national and global conferences. Secular AA is arguably the fastest growing segment of AA.

If you or anyone you know has a problem with alcohol and needs help to stop drinking, here are some resources:

https://aaagnostica.org/ A repository of all things to do with secular recovery. Here you’ll find articles, essays, a reading list, a links to organizations and meeting schedules.

https://www.aasecular.org/ The main hub of Secular AA online around the world.

https://www.worldwidesecularmeetings.com/meetings A schedule of online secular AA meetings taking place around the world 24/7.