When I found this app I have been looking for the same. There is “Atheist Alcoholics” thread here I started if you want to check it out. I have to tell you though, this forum has been my number one support group. I respect everyone and I found the same , so I stuck around. It is great.
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I’m not 100% but I believe LifeRing and SOS are both secular. SMART is as well. Good luck to you
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Smart recovery meetings are available in the day, depending on your area if they run or not but also do online meetings too, just take a look, there are plenty of other options available apart from these meetings
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Food for thought. The woman that sets next to me is an athiest, non spiritual person. To her, her higher power is what she calls, “that intrinsic quality in every human to make yourself and everything around you better.” However, lots of great programs out there…
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In my small town in the bible belt of the southern U.S. we’ve got AA and one other that is literally held in a church so it looks like my options are online.
This app has been quite helpful so far though.
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Yikes…i am sure AA in the southern bible belt has a different tone. But this place has been great for me.
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Definitely not trying to sell you on AA - but food for thought …
I also live in the Bible Belt. I go to many different AA meetings here. One is specifically for athiests/agnostics. One is a group of Wharf Rats who see Jerry Garcia as their higher power. My sponsor’s higher power is the collective wisdom of a group of recovering drunks. You define your higher power. No one is going to sell you on Jesus if you go to AA. And yes, @Bill_Phillips - my home group pays $100 a month to meet at an Episcopal Church! Best rates in town…
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Most of the meetings in my area are in churches. Some are held in state funded recovery centers, hospitals, jails. The churches charge rent about $10 per week, or sometimes half the basket. Churches are places that have the room and the inclination to allow AA meetings. These meetings are no more church related than, say, a girl scout troop meeting held in the same place.
Around here, the big G god, and especially Jesus is the higher power for some folks and for some who are vocal. But there are just as many Buddhists and Sikhs and Nature believers and Wiccans and doubters. AA is very liberal with a large spiritual tent in my experience. The lifesaving line in our literature, for me, is in step two in the 12 and 12 "AA does not demand that you believe anything ". And I interpret that strictly. I dare not presume to know all the faces and voices that bring an understanding of a higher power to anyone, including myself. I can tolerate surprises now that I’m sober 
.
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The actual AA meetings are held in a building on the fairgrounds, the only other local program is a church sponsored program. My problem isn’t with who a program rents their space from, it’s with the faith-based program itself. Kinda hard to believe in a program when I can’t believe in it’s founding premise. And yes, there’s a chapter to the agnostic but it doesn’t actually teach you how to work as an agnostic within the program but instead asks you to drop your agnosticism and accept a higher power. The AA program doesn’t really cater to atheists, that’s why I ask about alternatives. So far personal counseling and online forums seem to be my best choice.
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I live in the Northeast where we aren’t all that religious. I would say at least 25% of AAers here are athiest or agnostic and stay sober in AA. Their “higher power” is the fellowship, or people in the room.
Look at it this way. If you drank and used like I did then you have no business being alive. I should be dead 10x over, but something kept me alive. It doesn’t matter what I call it, it’s there. I don’t understand how people can be so set in their ways that they will pass up a chance at recovery over something as silly as the existence of a higher power. Ego is the curse of the alcoholic, and this is a prime example of that.
If you don’t want what we have that’s cool. But if you find that you continue to seek answers then maybe, juuuust maybe, you might want to reconsider your position.
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Atheist and AA enthusiast here. Going to attempt to link to what I’ve said about this in another post - not sure if it works.
I appreciate that AA is not for everyone. For many years, I did not think it was for me. The point at which I decided to commit to my sobriety is when that changed for me and I found a way to make the program work for me. I didn’t and couldn’t wait for others to provide the answers for me, but realised I needed to find a way to make it work in a way that was valuable and meaningful for me.
I’ve learned to be respectful of others’ belief in “God” and others are respectful of my HP being based in nature, the universe, science, and the group conscience.
We all need to find things that work and are meaningful for us. I hope you find an approach to sobriety that works for you, whatever that may be.
Best wishes 
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I think the word “higher power” puts people off, but what does that word really mean? To me, and I could be way off, but to me it’s the realization and reminder that we are not as in control of our lives as much we think we are, and the one thing we can control is our reactions.
I think we foolishly think that we have total control of most aspects of out lives, but that’s just not true. I got layed off 4 years ago, after 15 years of service. I had no control over that, but I did have control over my reaction, which was turning to the bottle. When I landed a job, I took the credit for a job well done in my interview, turns out, the hiring manager just wanted someone competent to fill the seat, had nothing to do with skills or performance during the interview. And well, I celebrated with the bottle, as that was in my control.
I think once you understand all that, and relinquish what control you think you have, life becomes easier, simplier and puts things in perspective.
That’s my take anyways on the higher power.
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Also, thinking about this thread made me just Google “antheist AA” for the first time - it has never occurred to me to do so. Looks like there are a lot of interesting resources and articles out there. Good luck
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That’s a very solid take. Great post!
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As a long term atheist, one of my biggest reticent issues with AA was the HP deal. It’s called “God” so it must be religious, right? A small amount of Google research and reading the relevant portion of the Big Book, as well as searching some topics on here led me to say, no. Its not religious at all in the traditional sense I think most have in their heads.
If you read my first post, I wasn’t even planning on going to AA, for that very reason. Now, I am. Either tonight at 7 or tomorrow at 8 (this one is a Beginners meeting so I’m leaning that way). In the meantime I’ve done 3 online AA meetings.
While I don’t believe I’ll be going the “group of drunks” or rooms route for my HP, there are plenty of things I could use. The universe, my family, just plain Nature, I even read somewhere about someone choosing a door knob in the beginning before settling on something else. My take on it is it is not what you choose but having accountability.
With all that being said, I do find myself seeing connections in the universe I can’t explain. Is that the Christian or any other religions God? IMO, no. But there’s some connection I can’t explain. Shit, look at all of us. Were connected not by geography, age, race, or sex but by the simple fact that were all trying our best to be the people we want to be without our doc destroying us.
Just my take, your mileage may vary 
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The universe is a very good option in my estimation. And there’s nothing that says you have to stick with your original version. I know my concept changes all the time. I say God bc it’s easy to spell. But I treat it like AA Good which is different than religion God to me.
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I’m using my mom as my HP or Mercury, the messenger and our planet ruler (Gemini and Virgo)
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That’s a great idea 
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Mercury, please make me stfu for 5 minutes🤣
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I needed that
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