 One of the biggest reasons that people stay out of 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous is because of the whole religious overtone of things. But can you be an atheist in AANNA? What is up everybody? This is Chris from the Rewired Soul where we talk about the problem but focus on the solution and welcome back to another video where we're talking about addiction recovery but focusing more on 12 step programs. Please do me a favor and share this video because there are so many people who don't go into 12 step programs because of the whole God thing and there's this huge myth that these programs are religious. I am saving this for another video about spirituality but today I want to talk about atheists and agnostics in 12 step programs. So please share this video because you might know somebody who is struggling with alcoholism or addiction and not going to a 12 step program because they think that it requires some kind of religion or belief in God. Also real quick disclaimer that I always have to toss in. I am not affiliated with AA or NA or any other 12 step program. I'm not a spokesperson. I am merely sharing my experience. So much like everybody else coming into the program I thought it was very religious. I didn't think this was something that I was going to be into. It's something that I couldn't do. Like I mentioned in my last video about why I decided to work a 12 step program. My first instinct when the meeting was at a church was like this is religious they're gonna try to shove God down my throat. Now real quick just so you all know the reason why meetings are in churches most of the time is because churches rent out meeting spaces for dirt cheap. I used to secretary of meeting and I think we're paying like 30 or 40 dollars a month. That's why they're there. It has nothing to do with the actual church most of the time. So anyways this is like the biggest hurdle I thought I was gonna have to get over like even though I was sitting around in these meetings and stuff like that and like wondering like how am I gonna make this work for me? I don't even think I believe in God. Like what's going on like but I knew I had to do something or I was gonna die. So the one of the first people I met in the program he had about five or six years clean and he was an atheist. Like I met this guy and I just felt like this sigh of relief. I'm like oh wow like you're an atheist and he worked this program. Like this is a guy who worked the steps multiple times but he was an atheist. Not only was an atheist but he actually went and spoke at different conferences about being an atheist in the program. Meeting this guy it was like okay cool so even if I don't believe in some kind of higher power I can still work this program and it might work for me. And this was great great great news. So yes you actually can be an atheist and work a 12-step program. I often tell my clients something that Gary Vaynerchuk says all the time. I'm here to suffocate excuses just suffocate them. So when people like oh I don't do the whole God thing I'm an atheist it's like okay that's cool. You can still work the program. Now some of you out there you're wondering like well how do you do it? Well let me tell you about this little group called the Free Thinkers Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. I will say that there are less of them so like usually they're in major cities. So here in Las Vegas I think we have three or four meetings a week that are for the Free Thinkers Group. And what the Free Thinkers Group is is Atheists and Agnostics in AA. And typically the people I've met who work that program they they go into it they go to whatever meetings they can and then they go to regular meetings but they just don't do the whole God thing. It's not that hard. Like some of you are thinking like but Chris but Chris they pray. They pray. They pray. Who cares. Like like I've mentioned I grew up in Las Vegas around a ton of Mormons and I wasn't religious at all. But when I went over to their house for dinner and they prayed like I didn't just storm out of there. I just sat there bowed my head and let them do their thing. It's not a big deal. People make huge issues out of the stuff. And like the reason I'm so passionate about this is like addiction is a life or death situation. And for you to say oh my god they pray in there and you're about to die get over it. Okay. So if you're an atheist or agnostic and you want to save your life and work a free program go into a 12 step meeting and I'm also going to link down below a great speaker from the Free Thinkers Group. So please if you're somebody struggling with the spirituality aspect of it please listen to this speaker and get a better understanding of how you can work this 12 step program without the whole God thing. Okay. Now that's the end of my rant. I am going to do some other videos about my own personal spirituality and how that developed. Like just so you all know I'm a very spiritual person not religious at all. I'm going to link up in the info card a book by Sam Harris called Waking Up. If any of you have heard of Sam Harris he is one of the most popular atheists out there but he's extremely spiritual. Now am I an atheist or agnostic? I'm not going to tell you yet so you better be subscribed and stay tuned for that video. Again again please do me a favor and share this video. There's such a misconception and a myth about 12 step programs that can potentially save people's lives. So by sharing this video out there on social media you might actually help somebody who desperately needs to get clean and sober. Okay. But if you like this video please give it a thumbs up and if you are new here not only do I make videos about addiction but I always make videos about mental health click that little round subscribe button and be sure to check out my entire Ask an Attic playlist right there. Okay. So thanks so so much for watching. Get educated about 12 step programs and I will see you next time.