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Does SRC have a “program” like the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous? Does the SRC philosophy encompass “moderation”? Is SRC atheist or anti-religion? Is SRC opposed to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step groups?
Where are you located? Who owns SRC?
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SRC is the Secular Recovery Community, founded July 2006 by Rex Alexander. SRC provides resources for those who have (or think they may have) a problem with alcohol or drugs, but are uncomfortable with the spiritual content of traditional recovery programs. SRC is a network and resource serving the various and diverse organizations, groups and individuals which make up the secular recovery movement worldwide. SRC has modest aims facilitated via five basic components:
(1) SRC Discussion Forum, an online community where members can meet for immediate, live support, discussion, fellowship, networking, sharing of information and resources.
(2) SRC Meeting Directory, a powerful, online, world-wide database that (when completed) will allow you to quickly locate a secular support group meeting (and other recovery services) closest to your home.
(4) SRC Online Bookshop where you can peruse titles and order recommend books and resources on alcoholism and addictions, particularly those with a non-religious perspective.
(5) SRC Website http://www.secularrecovery.com , a modest resource serving as the focal point and masthead of SRC, connecting the Forum, Meeting Directory and Bookshop, presenting information about the nature and history of the secular recovery movement, as well as providing links to organizations, treatment centers and other resources
See Mission Statement for background information and more details. |
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SRC is
for people who have a problem (or think they may have a problem)
with alcohol and/or drugs who are seeking assistance but without
the spiritual content of traditional recovery programs.
Friends and family of alcoholics are also welcome. |
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Does SRC have a “program” like the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous?
No, not really.
SRC does not have or represent a “program” or particular
therapeutic approach per se. Think of SRC as more of an
“interface” or network where the diverse organizations, groups and
individuals in the world-wide secular sobriety movement can meet for
mutual support and to exchange resources and information. A “tool
box” would also be an apt metaphor. Having sad that, we do have a
philosophical foundation which we share with the organizations SOS
(Secular Organizations for Sobriety) and LSR (Life Ring Sobriety)
who first elucidated these principles in the 1980’s and 1990’s,
liberally paraphrased here as: Sobriety : Meaning complete abstinence from alcohol and other mood-altering, recreational drugs. We don’t drink or use no matter what. The way it has always worked, we feel, is that first you stop drinking and using, and then you begin to get well, not the other way around. We embrace the "Sobriety Priority" as first articulated by James Christopher; we make sobriety our Number One Priority, separate from other life-issues, and allow our hierarchy of values to naturally readjust in subordination to the Sobriety Priority.
Secularity : We see the secular recovery movement as a friendly alternative to the religious content of traditional 12 Step programs, and regard religion and sobriety as separate issues. People of all faiths, or none, including atheists, agnostics, “freethinkers”, secular humanists, and others are all welcome here.
Self-Help : We believe that key to recovery is the individual's own motivation and effort. However, we do not interpret “self-help" to mean that an individual should be in isolation nor recklessly independent in approaching recovery. We strongly support the traditional idea of one alcoholic helping another through F2F (face-to-face) support group meetings as originated by Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930’s. Needless to say we are also enthusiastic about the newer phenomenon of online support in its various forms. We are, however, skeptical that online support will prove to be interchangeable with traditional F2F support for most people. However it is still too soon to say how the phenomenon of online support will develop or what role it will play in future. |
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Does the SRC
philosophy encompass “moderation”? No. We regard abstinence and so called “moderation” as incompatible philosophies and approaches. Along with AA, LSR, SOS, SMART and the other mainstream support groups, we believe that complete and permanent abstinence from alcohol and other mood-altering, recreational drugs is the surest, safest most effective way to deal with addictions. The way it has always worked, we feel, is that first you stop drinking and using, and then you begin to get well, not the other way around. For further discussion of this topic, see ==> http://www.freepowerboards.com/secularrecovery/secularrecovery-about5.html |
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Is SRC atheist or anti-religion?
No, SRC is not anti-religion. However we do regard sobriety as a separate issue from religion or spirituality, and see the secular recovery movement as a friendly alternative to the religious content of traditional 12 Step programs. Having said that, secular-minded people (atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, “freethinkers”, etc. ) may be especially attracted to an organization such as SRC. However, religious people who regard their religion as an issue separate from sobriety also find an important ally in programs which share the SRC secular approach. |
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Is SRC opposed
to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or
other 12-step groups? No, not at all. SRC supports AA and has great respect for the work the organization has done for more than 70 years. We are in favor of anything that helps people maintain their sobriety. We think of secular support groups as a friendly alternative to traditional 12 Step programs. Moreover, we realize that many secular people remain active in local AA groups, sometimes for lack of alternatives, but often because they truly value the experience. In fact, one of the important goals of SRC is to identify and publish contact info for the many "moderate" local 12 Step meetings that are out there. However, bottom line, we do feel strongly that face-to-face support group meetings, of whatever brand, have been and will continue to be central to the recovery of large numbers of alcoholics and addicts. |
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Where are you located? Who owns SRC?
SRC is a virtual, online entity serving organizations, groups and individuals worldwide. The owner of the domain name, http://www.secularrecovery.com, the names SRC, Secular Recovery, Secular Recovery Community, Secular Recovery Forum, Secular Recovery (Worldwide) Meeting Directory, and Secular Recovery Bookshop is Rex Alexander, an American living in Thailand who has no ambition for SRC to become a “brick & mortar” organization, to maintain offices, or to sponsor, brand or run face-to-face support group meetings, at least not at this time, however is subject to change as circumstances indicate. All content on the SRC Website, SRC Forum, and SRC (Worldwide) Meeting Directory is copyright © 2006 Rex Alexander. |
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How can I
contact you?
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