secular aa

It was the Fall of 2019, Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA by William Schaberg was about to be published and Joe C sat down with the author to talk about the soon-to-be-unveiled book born of eleven years of primary documentary research on Rebellion Dogs Radio, Episode 49. Four years later, more has been revealed and new insights gained. So listeners asked, “When are you two going to sit down again for a podcast?” Here it is. 
 
 This time around we look at new insights and speculation into early AA history. Bill and Joe share about their own recovery experience and reflect on changing AA culture through the years and what might inform the future of AA groups, members and culture. 

• We talk about The “God” Word: Agnostics and Atheists in AA
• We talk about the upcoming ZOOM October 7th/8th ICSAA (International Conference of Secular AA).
• We talk about the probable influence of the most popular New Thought books of the day and how this cultural phenomena informed our AA 12-Step suggested program of Recovery. Read “Bill W's secret bookshelf.” 
• We talk about the idea that and documentary evidence that supports the idea that Bill W thought he was done writing the Big Book--without the 12 steps or any step-by-step guide.
• We talk about Episode 49: when we first talked writing Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA (click to read/listen) 

Rebellion Dogs Radio always features rebellious music. Episode 74 feature a Toronto band covering a recently lost British icon who died, too young, but sober: Goodnight Sunrise covers David Bowie's Major Tom. 

Rebellion Dogs thinks this Major Tom cover is amazingly artistic and new sounding - it may send you clamoring back for your original psychedelic era version (and that's okay, too). Visit Goodnight Sunrise, view their campy look at the music industry today in their video WAIT FOR IT. See this band live if you get the chance.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS EPISODE 74 of REBELLION DOGS RADIO

Two Davids, facing two Goliaths of stubborn orthodoxy are the focus of Episode 17 of Rebellion Dogs Radio.

One rebel is Mark Lewis, who challenges the disease model of addiction.

Greta Vosper, atheist minister of the United Church of Canada, who at the time was facing a review of her peers who found her liberalism to be maybe too far to be called even progressive Christianity.

Looking back in 2023, these heretical views of not so long ago are today's contemporary views or worldview and/or substance use disorder and wellness.

Visit original posting for links REBELLION DOGS #17 August 30 2015

Visit Rebellion Dogs Publishing for the latest

From Langley BC, Canada - July 8th from One Big Tent secular AA day - there is a doctor in the house. Retired Addiction Medicine Dr. Ray B talks about Recovery Capital and other science findings about people in recovery from addiction that inform positive outcome rates. 

We cover the 4 C's of our altered brain with addiction

• Loss of Control
• Consequences
• Compulsion
• Craving

Seligman's recipe for recovery, resilience, growth and health

• Positive Emotions
• Engagement
• Supportive Relations
• Meaning
• Achievement

EMDR, positive emotions embedded in the 12 steps and more.

This is the opener at the first British Columbia secular AA day so we also meet from members visiting from Canada and the USA.
More about secular AA: https://aasecular.org 
 

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

 Trysh Travis, is Associate Dean at University of Florida. She oversees Women’s Studies, is a cultural and literary historian whose work looks at the gendered history of medicine and popular therapeutic cultures. While working as a high school teacher, she earned an MA from the Bread Loaf School of English, followed by a PhD in American Studies from Yale University. She is the author of The Language of the Heart: Twelve-Step Recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous to Oprah Winfrey (UNC Press, 2009) and co-editor (with Timothy Aubry) of Rethinking Therapeutic Culture (Chicago, 2016). Her work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and appeared in venues such as PMLA, American Quarterly, Contemporary Drug Problems, and Raritan: A Quarterly Review. With UF colleague Joseph Spillane, she is the co-founder of the translational humanities project Points: The Joint Blog of the Alcohol & Drugs History Society and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, where she currently serves as Managing Editor Emerita.

Dr Travis presented to AA History Symposium about the history or women in AA and gender politics. Originally, Episode 34, this recording inspires new listeners every month. See original show notes from Episode 34

This talk discusses the democratization of "We are all the same, we are all equal" in AA with "It's more complicated than that; there is gender politics and other marginalizing factors for some of us in and out of the meetings which needs to be addressed in a discussion of addiction and recovery."

Our musical guest is English art-rock band Moulettes 

Bob K's new book is out - The Secret Diaries of Bill W 

 In 1972  AA was learning to live sans-founder as  Bill Wilson had been dead for a year. In Episode 72 of Rebellion Dogs Radio, The Secret Diaries of Bill W by bob k bring him back for another lap around the track. We spend, well pretty much the whole episode talking about all kinds of things but mostly Bob K and Joe C talk about writing, this, Bob's  new historical fiction, mostly but it's a fun chat that we welcome you to join.

We touch briefly on other goings on at Rebellion Dogs Publishing, a new blog about service in recovery and a two-part series with Emotional Sobriety Podcast all about the Traditions and Emotional Sobriety. Details and links: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com/rebellious-radio 

Michael is a professor, musician, journalist and author. Having just written a Living Sober-size booklet, Michael is our guest to make a case for AA for people, even if they are skeptical about the higher power stuff. He shares how in he neither looks for a war of worldviews nor bites his tongue. This first contemporary recovery print offering of 2023 is a great for secular AA Zoomers in search of new meeting starters. It's a good read for anyone new to AA, from one who has been there.

If his "AA can work" argument, or your personal AA experience aren't convincing, We Sober Agnostics shows us how to find SMART, Women For Sobriety or other peer 2 peer groups that might be a better fit.

Our musical guest Your EX and I (YXNI) from Montreal drop a 2023 teaser to their upcoming recording. This synth-pop tune  is "For all the Loves" so, if that's what you're into, get into YXNI HERE 


Links:
Amazon, We Sober Agnostics: The Survival Guide for Agnostics, Atheists and Non-Believers in 12-Step Programs

eMail WeSoberAgnostics@yahoo.com

Check out our liner notes and more RebElliOn dOgs RaDiO 

Meet Jeff, Charles, Joe and Jay + regulars Larry, William and more.

The first Sunday of every month ICSAA (International Conference of Secular AA) presents the secular AA story time world tour. We've been to Dublin, New York, Orlando, Montreal, Rainham, Cape Town, Glasgow, Cottonwood, Canberra, Massachusetts, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Seattle, Cincinnati, Poland, Kingston, Georgia, Kansas City a special pre-ICSAA meet-the-board meeting, and this day, we are all "living on Tulsa time."

More about secular AA https://aasecular.org
contact us: SecularAA@gmail.com
Join a Zoom secular AA meeting (16 hours/day) : https://bit.ly/secularmeetings 

👇🏿👇🏾👇🏽👇🏼👇🏻

https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

Embracing Neurodivergence is a secular AA meeting that meets on Zoom
Sundays, 1 PM Pacific, 4 PM East, 9 PM UTC (Ireland/UK)
Meeting ID: 868 8394 8718
Passcode: tusnua

Enjoy this first ever Embracing Neurodivergence meeting at ICSAA.
The International Conference of Secular AA 5th biennial gathering was on Zoom October 29th and 30th, 2022; get to know Mike and Harry

More ICSAA https://aasecular.org 
Write to us: SecularAA@gmail.com 

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

Meet Clinical Psychologist at Greater Manchester West NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, Mani Mehdikhani, one of AA Great Britain’s non-alcoholic trustees on their General Service Board. 

Among other duties, Mani and his committee prepared the quinquennial AA membership survey which went out to Alcoholics Anonymous members in Great Britain and English-speaking Central Europe Region groups in 2020. 

A remarkable thing happened as they prepared to put these questions before members: The COVID-19 pandemic. As members transitioned from primarily face-to-face meetings to online gatherings, here was an opportunity to collect data on how members were adjusting. The GSO Board did just that. 

Here is what members told us.

• Less than one-in-five (18%) Great Britain AAs had experience with online meetings, pre-pandemic.   More members in the Central Europe Region were inclined towards online AA. 
• By the time the survey of 2020 was collected, 93% of members/groups were able to transition to online (Zoom, etc.) means of connecting with each other. 
• Early in our adaptation to online AA, members greatest concerns were: (i) helping newcomers, (ii) doing service work, (iii) sponsoring members and (iv) “carrying the message.”

Zoom was not a better way of doing things for everyone. And some members were already attending phone or video meetings anyway. A few months into lock-down the key drawbacks among people who were not in love with ‘the new normal’ were: (i) a lack of technical skills, (ii)online meetings not a suitable replacement for face-to-face (f2f) meetings (33-36%), (iii) concerns about privacy, (iv) no access to bandwidth or IT devices, (iv) group was continuing to meet f2f. 

New questions were asked about higher power (beliefs and spirituality.

Last episode we explored survey results based on the written report. What added benefit came from speaking with the survey’s architect directly? 

Well, personally, I had   extrapolating some of this data from what it says to what it means; Mani’s scientific observations helped me reel-in some of the hypothetical conclusions I was already starting to draw. “That’s human nature,” he kindly suggested to me. But it was also reassuring to hear that the Board also did not have their full appetite satisfied and they would love to ask follow-up questions to try to direct their efforts most effectively. 

The purpose of these membership surveys (in General Service regions such as Great Britain or USA/Canada) is: (i) inform the public and professionals that interact with alcohol use disorder about the demographics and other characteristics of AA members and meetings and (ii)use the data to inform the Board in terms of where their future efforts would best serve the membership of AA. 

Mani and the General Service Board say they view with great interest how online AA will both aid the still suffering alcoholic but how virtual spaces will alter the service structure which has—based on geographical locations of members and their meetings before—divided groups/members by geography and how shall the service structure adapt to our more global makeup of meetings and member-interactions?

Review the entire 2020 Great Britain AA Membership Survey

Also discussed in this show: The 5th Biennial International Conference of Secular AA (UTC time schedule) Other time zones (North America) HERE

More of what goes on when "Rebellion Dogs our every step::
https://rebelliondogspublishing.com 

Angela, Kimiko, Maria, Chrystal ,Tracy, Jennifer & Mary are the 2022 International Conference of Secular AA Women's Panel.

This is part of the 5th biennial ICSAA, on Zoom October 29/30, 2022. This audio includes Q and A from moderator Mary C of Savannah Georgia with input from the panel, followed by comments/questions from Zoom participants.

Many of the Zoom meetings mentioned in this podcast can be found here: secular AA: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings

More ICSAA @ https;//aasecular.org
Write us at SecularAA@gmail.com

More podcasts of ICSAA and secular AA speakers, panels and workshops @ https:secularraa.buzzsprout.com 

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

the 5th Biennial Conference of Secular AA (2022 on ZOOM) includes this Dopamine and the 12 Steps presentation about addiction and recovery with Dr. Bill W.

Bill is author of The  Secular 12 Steps: An Addiction Recovery Guide offers an scientific  look at AA's Twelve Step Movement and program. Both addiction and recovery are considered, with the neurotransmitter dopamine in mind.

More on #ICSAA https://aasecular.org
Write to us: SecularAA@gmail.com

This audio recording includes Q&A from the gathering of atheists, freethinkers and agnostics. If you prefer to see the audio with the slide deck presented by Bill W visit our ICSAA YouTube page. 

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

This first Sunday of the month world tour of secular story time comes to us "on the air" live from Cincinnati. Join: 

• Will-I-Am, 
• Lou K, 
• Margareta A 
• Andrew B

and others of Beyond Belief Cincinnati Agnostics & All Others. Along for the ride, long-time listeners, first time callers of the Zoom world-tour attendees of newbies and regulars.

At the time of recording it was one week after the 5th biennial International Conference of Secular AA (October 29/30, 2022). This was the best after-party!

Beyond Belief Cinci meets at 7:30 PM local time every Wednesday. Find this and other great secular AA meetings (16 hours per day) right here: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings

Hear more talks, workshops, panels of secular AA: https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/

More about secular Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aasecular.org

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

Cooperation within AA, and beyond, makes room for members of other mutual-aid, peer-to-peer organizations which at ICSAA - a community of freethinkers - are not/is not, an outside issue.

How many people with addiction have a problematic relationship with one process or substance, and champion moderation in every other mood/mind/comfort-altering activity or consumable?

Yes, many of us have earned a seat in more than one mutual-aid room.  In a freethinker's gathering about recovery from addiction, what exactly would be an outside issue?

So, it's the custom of ICSAA to create a panel of other peer-to-peer fellowships. We do it again at 2022 ICSAA: Here and Now.

Join Jim D and Jenne M of OA, Ken S of NA, Sheila K and Chia W of Al-Anon, Jill B and Elaine M of Adult Children of Alcoholics, Matt H of CODA, along with fiends and participants.

Many of these groups can be found on lists updated by volunteers like this one:
16 hours per day of secular AA: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings
More International Conference of Secular AA: https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/
More #ICSAA https://aasecular.org

SECULAR AL-ANON

Secular Al-Anon: https://rivenwoodbooks.com/secularAlanon/

Al-Anon meeting in this room Sunday at 3:30 eastern time

 
SECULAR OVER-EATERS

Resources and support for secular members of Over-eaters Anonymous (OA) and others dealing with obsessive food behaviors.

https://secularovereaters.org/

secularovereaters@gmail.com

Jenne’s favorite secular 12-step book: The Alternative 12 Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery  Martha Cleveland, phd + Arlys G. 

Food Freedom Resource Manual: https://secularovereaters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/SO-FF_04222022.pdf

 Website for OA Secular Service Board: https://www.secularserviceboardofovereatersanonymous.org/

💥AHA: Agnostic, Humanist & Atheist Codependency Support Group💥

P=Pacific     E=Eastern I=Irish/UK    C=CET/Belgium 

Join Zoom Meeting 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89377971773?pwd=cWNUUlp2a1RtWGFYaDdKQk1GRDhwZz09

Code: 893 7797 1773  -  Passcode: 023387

MON 🌹Healing Together💚

P=4pm, E=7pm, I=12am(TUE), C=1am(TUE)

TUE 🤩Topic Meeting✌️

P=5:30pm, E=8:30pm, I=1:30am(WED), C=2:30am(WED)

WED 🤝Check-In❤️

P=12pm, E=3pm, I=8pm, C=9pm

THU 📖Writers Meeting✍️

P=10am, E=1pm, I=6pm, C=7pm

FRI 😊Topic Meeting👍

P=2pm, E=5pm, I=10pm, C=11pm

SAT 😍Informal Chat💬 

P=6:30pm, E=9:30pm, I=2:30am(SUN), C=3:30am(SUN)

Our Website:  http://atheistcodependent.com/

 Secular Narcotics Anonymous: secularna.org

Secular Adult Children of Alcoholics(ACoA): We Agnostics https://acaagnostica.com/

The meeting information is the same for ALL meetings.

Meeting ID: 814 3727 6969  - Passcode: 247365

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

Beth H from Arizona, (pen-name Beth Aich) tells her story with inspired We Are Not All Egomaniacs: Adopting the Twelve Steps for Alcoholics with Low Self-Esteem.

Not everyone share's the Bill W narrative of Type-A self-centered person with a drinking problem who needs ego-deflation at depth to find and keep sobriety. Beth finds that when faced with distress some of us are fighters. But some flee, freeze or fawn. This is the story of empowering instead of dis-empowering those of us who suffer from alcohol use (or other drugs).

December 11th , 2021 was the second virtual International Conference of Secular AA  and with six hours+ of content coming from two Zoom rooms, three months later, we are still editing and posting panels and talks from a wonderful day of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Listen, share, enjoy.

More like this: https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/
More about AA for atheists, agnostics and freethinkers: https://aasecular.org
Find online Zoom meetings of secular AA and more: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org

The 2021 International Conference of Secular AA, December 11 2021, presents a third decade of the 21st century contemporary update from our 80+ year old text, Alcoholics Anonymous. From "The Doctor's Opinion" to "A Vision for You," we take to heart how the book wraps up: "... the book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize that we know only a little."

And as hinted at, more has been disclosed about AA life. Our Zoom conference spent some time looking at the history of the writing of AA's first book. We spent more time looking at AA today, unabashed and in our own words.

the Big Book's "A Family Afterward" closes with three simple precepts that stand up to the test of time: 

• First Things First
• Live And Let Live
• Easy Does It

The chapter starts with a stereotype of a married, male heterosexual, all-America drunk. Today's talks don't aim to throw stones at our quaint 1939 writings, nor are we trying to create a new stereotype. Instead, we offer a sample, one sample of multi-generational alcohol use disorder and recovery in  AA, starting with Penny who sobered up as a young mom in 1968, followed by her daughter and son-in-law, both in long-term recovery. Others in this recording, from ICSAA 2021, share their present-day family experiences with us and reflect on the stories so generously shared from our panelists.

More about secular AA and our International conference:
https://aasecular.org/
https://www.facebook.com/SecularAA
Email us SecularAA@gmail.com 

Secular AA is AA sobriety without the God-stuff, one of the fastest growing subcultures within Alcoholics Anonymous offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org