I’m going to be honest. I’m terrified of AA. I can’t tolerate needing a higher power when science refutes it. But being a drunk sucks. I’d love a happy medium. And those like @Mno who apparently can go without AA and stay sober, I applaud you.
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Soberity is hard thing to do
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Science refutes what, exactly? Like precisely: what exactly is not there?
(Worth reflecting on. But moving on to more important matters 
)
If you don’t want to go to AA there are lots of other options. These threads have some good ones:
Take care and remember: you are a good person and you deserve a safe, sober life where you can be your full self. You have permission to do anything safe and legal to achieve that.
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I was never a fan of AA to be honest. The meetings made me feel like I was back in highschool trying to fit in and I found some of the groups very clicky. There are other support groups available besides AA. Some people like smart recovery. My longest stretch of sobriety was when I hired a sober coach, she was awesome, just very expensive. Anyways I’m just saying AA is not the only resource.
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You don’t have to do AA. There are a lot of sobriety support groups out there, and we provide information about all those resources on this forum.
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Science and having a higher power are not mutually exclusive. I’m 100% on the science side and I still have a higher power. No reason I can’t have both. You may not be able to prove God exists but can’t prove that my higher power doesn’t.
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Did you try? I couldn’t get my head around it but there are lots of atheists and agnostics who can and find help there. And of course there’s SMART. And Dharma. And more. AA isn’t the only choice.
And in a way I’m an arrogant bastard in thinking I needed something more specific and specialized to help me get my mind and soul right. That’s why I am doing schema group therapy now. Intense stuff. And who knows? I might return to NA some day and do the steps. Find your own way. Stay sober.
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You’re all awesome and amazing and it’s why I love this platform
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Grateful for you. Thanks
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Thanks a million
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I’m not religious and I don’t know what my higher power is. I don’t pray often and I’m not an AA role model
What I do know is it’s kept me sober so I don’t give a damn! I’ll keep doing what’s suggested. Get my arse to a meeting
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I probably shouldn’t tag him without asking him first (forum etiquette), but I lean heavily on something our pal @Dazercat says: take what works and leave the rest.
Therapy is working for me. But honestly? I’ve found something helpful from all the folks who post on this forum and reference their programs of AA, NA, Dharma, SMART… each of them has something to offer, I think.
And - a higher power is a pretty open concept. I find it hard to argue with nature, myself. Particularly forests… 
My best to you on your journey. 
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You don’t need to do AA if you don’t want to. There are plenty of other resources to check out and other programs if you are interested in them.
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Thank you. This makes me feel normal. Grateful for you.
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“Alcohol Lied To Me” by Craig Beck has helped me immensely. Changed my whole view on alcohol. Also “Alcohol Explained” by William Porter. Knowledge is power, and knowledge about social conditioning regarding alcohol and about the mechanics of alcohol in the human body has given me a hell of a lot more power over it.
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The AA that I went to always explained that a higher power was just something outside of yourself because as alcoholics, we are incapable of changing ourselves. The facilitator went on a rant about how your higher power could be a door knob or chair and that it was just more important to acknowledge that you could not do this alone. Probably not the traditional view but who cares if it helps you heal.
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