Stories of Secular Recovery from Addiction through Narcotics Anonymous

Coming into NA at age 46 after a lifetime of addiction, violence, and poverty, Anne Marie found in the rooms something she had never experienced: hope, acceptance, and the possibility of change. Over nearly 13 years of recovery, she discovered that special interest groups — secular, queer, women-only — provided the smaller, safer containers she needed to surface and integrate the parts of herself she had long hidden, ultimately reframing the program’s concept of god as the growing self-awareness that allows her to choose healing over harm. Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

In this episode, we hear from Maggie, who shares how fear of abandonment, low self-esteem, and seemingly small, early tendencies (such as being fixated on salt), led to addiction.  She explains that she sees Recovery as lifelong process built on integrity and willingness, and also tells how she built nearly two decades of recovery without relying on a higher power. "I do live as best I can my program, the steps. I'm engaged, I'm involved, I have service positions — and I think sometimes if there is a fall-off of doing steps, having service is a really good idea too." In terms of a higher power, Maggie offers a secular reinterpretation of “HP” : "For the HP part — higher purpose. Doesn't have to be higher power, because I have a direction that is bigger than me, right? And I have so much that I can depend on and work on, and I will always have a future as long as I let it be."Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

 In this episode we hear from Elvis. Elvis came to NA reluctantly, nearly walking away over its God-centric language, until he found his footing in secular meetings where his atheism was welcomed rather than condemned. He worked the steps by treating every higher power reference as "not applicable" — not as a protest, but as honest self-accounting. That combination of secular community and unflinching honesty has carried him to over six and a half years clean, and a life transformed beyond anything he once imagined. Here's Elvis.Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

In this episode, we welcome, Amy who shares her journey from first using drugs at age 12, through her 18 years of conventional AA recovery, to a relapse triggered by a post-surgery opioid prescription and 12 more years of active addiction, to finally returning to the program.  Amy says, "I don't crave today and that's probably the most important thing that you're going to hear come out of my mouth in this whole share—because that is huge and I don't ever want to forget that." Amy says that Secular NA saved her life by allowing her to strip away religious language and focus on the spiritual principles underneath—honesty, humility, compassion, and gratitude—supported by peer community and behavioral change rather than a higher power. Here’s Amy.Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

In this episode, we welcome, Kikki. Kikki has been clean for over 41 years in Narcotics Anonymous!  But that almost didn’t happen because at her very first meeting of NA she didn't hear a message of recovery. Instead, she heard somebody talking about god, and when she read the 12 steps, they too seemed to be centered on a belief in god.  Fortunately, two and a half years later she came back to NA and found meetings that didn't stress a deity. “I saw people that were staying clean supporting each other. I felt a lot of hope.”  Kikki says that believing in a god isn't a requirement. “We are each entitled to our own beliefs and our own journey.”  Kikki offers a lot of wisdom.Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

In this episode we hear from Kris who tells her story as an atheist in this program because, in her words, it is the core of what we do here. She starts at the beginning of her personal story and shares about the first try of the NA program which she gave up because she was told point blank that she could not get clean without a god-like higher power and no matter how much she tried, she just couldn’t find faith. Twelve years later, in 2021 during Covid Kris walked into a virtual online secular NA meeting, and it was mind blowing because person after person got up and shared and didn’t say they needed god to get them through the program. That began Kris’ true recovery and she keeps coming back; going to meetings 5 days a week, hosting meetings, and being heavily involved in secular NA behind the scenes. Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

Our speaker for this episode is Eric, well-known in secular NA circles for his intelligence, insights, and honesty. In this share, Eric goes back 30 years and reflects on the thoughts and feelings of his non-linear journey of recovery. He specifically explains how the NA program and the 12 steps were so important in his recovery. We appreciate his words of hope and encouragement.Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **

Our speaker for this very first episode is Raj who summarizes his addictions as using each of his drugs of choice “until the wheels fell off.” Raj shares how he was finally able to get clean and concludes his story by touching briefly on each of the 12 steps of NA -  from a secular perspective. This is a share that you won’t want to miss!Send us Fan MailFor more information on recovery from addition through Narcotics Anonymous 12 step program from a secular, non-religious approach, please check out secularna.org**  This podcast is not formally affiliated in any way with Narcotics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous World Services. **