Secular AA's Podcast

One Vic and two John's, New York, Paris and Washington DC in the house at the 5th biennial International Conference of Secular AA, stir and stimulate a wide-ranging discussion about being atheist, being in Alcoholics Anonymous, being in secular AA; "Should I stay or should I go Now?!?!"

Secular Zoom meeting referred to in this discussion and many more:
 https://bit.ly/secularmeetings

More about secular AA resources and gatherings: https://aasecular.org
Communicate with us: [email protected] 

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, 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 that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org 

Join Marsha, GD (David), Sri and Natasha, bold and beautiful 12-steppers on the fifth biennial International Conference of Secular AA's BIPOC panel: black, indigenous and people of color.

Find Zoom meeting, including some of the groups referred to in this panel - secular AA and more: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings

More about secular AA: https://aasecular.org
Write to us: [email protected]
Find more panels, speakers, workshops and secular AA: 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

Started as an online meeting during COVID-19, Paris AAF meeting, while started to serve the secular minded AA community of Paris France, has also become a Zoom-tourist stop and frequently attended by early-rising North Americans.

Hear from John C and Etienne about secular AA in their home town.

Note: The panel, hosted by Marsha F of Toronto was three speakers. The second speaker wished not to be recorded and was not. Due to technical difficulties, the post-lead-show of hands sharing was not recorded. Alas, it's better to be there in person. Nevertheless, enjoy some meeting history and some Joie de vivre from Paris at the fifth biennial International Conference of Secular AA.

Merci.

More about ICSAA: https://aasecluar.org
Contact us: [email protected]
16 hours per day of secular AA meetings such as this: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org 

A New Frontier? From founders to today's people in recovery, "many paths" includes getting stuck and finding help to 'un-stuck' ones recovery. BriJet and Michelle, host a panel of people who share their lived experience followed by open sharing at the 5th biennial International Conference of Secular AA.

Listen to members talking about their experience with recovery and emerging practices in synthetic and pant-based, clinically assisted recovery. Synthetic psychoactive chemical MDMA is emerging with the promise of treating post traumatic stress disorder in phase-3 trials. Cannabinoids,   plant medicines (like ayahuasca and psilocybin mushrooms), are currently being used in clinical, supervised settings. In combination with psychotherapy, scientists see promise for patients that have not responded to other treatments for depression, anxiety and PTSD. Unlike street drugs, which may be adulterated and unsafe, practitioners and researchers use a pure, precisely dosed form of the drug.

 Like any AA talk or meeting, this will not be for everyone.

"It becomes clear that just as it is wrong to enable or support any alcoholic to become re-addicted to any drug, it’s equally wrong to deprive any alcoholic of medication, which can alleviate or control other disabling physical and/or emotional problems."
The A.A. Member: Medication and Other Drugs, P-11

About ICSAA:
Since 1990, the Alcoholics Anonymous world convention has included a "We Agnostics" panel where atheists, agnostics and freethinkers in AA gather and share their experiences. The first international secular gathering of AA was in Santa Monica in 2014. We met in Austin in 2016, Toronto in 2018 and while we planned an in-person meeting in Washington DC in 2020, we have been meeting virtually on Zoom since then. This 2022 event marks the fifth biennial gathering .
https://aasecular.org
email us: [email protected]
More ICSAA recorded panels, speakers and workshops: https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, 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/

[email protected]

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 that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org 

The fifth biennial ICSAA - International Conference of secular Alcohlics Anonymous was online. Originally booked for Washington DC, health concerns prompted committee members to meet on Zoom this year. Previously, we have been to Santa Monica (2014), Austin (2016) and Toronto (2018). Our first attempt to meet in Washington was 2020 and as all members of peer to peer support groups for people with addiction know, COVID-19 has steered us to better use of technology such as Zoom meetings. 

We offered simultaneous translation in Spanish/English and French/English this year, finding a way to reduce barrier and build bridges with current technology. Mario from Montreal Quebec and Chantal of Greek/French heritage both share their story. Also, we hear about the history of the leaflet The “God” Word: Agnostics and Atheists in AA which started in Great Britain and is now available in Spanish, French and English.

https://aasecular.org

Email us at [email protected] 

More audio recordings of agnostics, atheists, and freethinkers in recovery: https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/  

#secularAA,  #AAwithoutGod,  #atheistAA,   #ICSAA,  #ICSAA2022

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org 

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org 

"The Doctor's Opinion"  was penned in 1939 by Dr. William Silkworth who detoxed people with alcohol use disorder in 1930's New York City, including several sufferers who would become AA pioneers. What was Silkworth's opinion? What did he think - beyond medical intervention - would positively impact outcome rates for people the inebriates whom he helped?

"In terms of 'recovery' the main emphasis in A.A.  is almost always placed on 'The Program,' and a belief in God as we understand Him. But there are many A.A. members with years and years of successful sobriety that would disagree with this.
This idea that the key to success does not rest with a SUPREME BEING, but in the FELLOWSHIP has an interesting history in early Alcoholics Anonymous."
Bill Schaberg, author of Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA @ the 5th biennial International Conference of Secular AA (October 29th and 30th, 2022)

Eleven years of primary research on early AA has made author William Schaberg a go-to keynote speaker for scholarly commentary and myth busting about early A.A. history. At #ICSAA 2022, Bill Schaberg makes the argument that a very humanist - not just a supernatural - answer could be found in case studies of early 20th century chronic alcoholics who found lasting sobriety. "One alcoholic talking to another."

Schaberg looks at writings and lectures given by Dr. Silkworth in the years leading up to the book Alcoholics Anonymous and William Silkworth's contribution, "The Doctor's Opinion."
This recording proves to be an adventure, bringing early peer-to-peer recovery life with Q&A to follow.

Preview Writing the Big Book: The Creation of AA

Irreligious AA meetings and gatherings, write to [email protected]
more at https://aasecular.org
Hear more Secular AA Podcasts

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org 

From the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, director Dr George Koob returns for a keynote address with the International Conference of Secular AA, October 29, 2022.

#SecularAA members heard the latest NIAAA strategy that includes:

• Direct study that focuses more on long-term recovery
• Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in alcohol use disorder care
• Efforts to close the Treatment Gap
• Lessons from increased alcohol-related death increases since the start of the pandemic. 

Alcohol-related deaths increased in the spring of 2020 as the pandemic unfolded, and the number of deaths remained elevated. Binge drinking among young women is on the rise. More has been revealed about the comorbidity of addiction and mental health decline. Here about the latest findings in our keynote address by the NIAAA director and Q&A with the secular Alcoholics Anonymous conference participants.

This was the fifth biennial International Conference of Secular AA, on Zoom October 29th and 30th, featuring panels, live podcasts, keynote speakers, a Zoom games room (AA Jeopardy on Zoom anyone?!?!?), fellowship and more.

 Reach out to us:
[email protected]
16 hours per day of secular AA: https://bit.ly/secularmeetings
Find out how to join us live on Zoom for workshops, meetings and gatherings every month...
https://secularaa.buzzsprout.com/

More on NIAAA

Secular AA is AA sobriety that is neither religious nor irreligious, focusing on the practical, humanist tools of Alcoholics Anonymous and borrowed from the wider recovery community. Secular AA is a growing subculture within AA, offering 100 agnostic/atheist/freethinkers AA meetings every day + regional events and the International Conference of Secular AA (ICSAA). More @ https://aasecular.org