You most certainly don't need to believe in a god, a higher power or substitute either of those for a door knob to get sober. You CAN get sober using your own inner strength.

If you ever struggled with AA as a nonreligious person, you’re not alone! It seems to be the norm for almost all nonreligious folks who walk into AA. To help you understand, have a look at Struggling in AA is a Rite of Passage!.

My rock bottom was horrific and resulted in an attempt at suicide. Back then, I hated my life, I hated myself and I wanted to die but as it turns out, I was very afraid of death. The paradox of my recovery is that I now love life, I love living and I have learned to love myself and treat myself with kindness.

In 1957, in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Bill Wilson wrote: “The A.A.’s Steps are SUGGESTIONS [emphasis added] only. A belief in them as they stand is not at all a requirement for membership.” Russel gives his interpretation of the AA program.