I don’t follow any religion, and I don’t pretend to believe in things that don’t make sense to me. I respect people’s right to hold their own beliefs, but religion doesn’t speak to me. I’m not here to argue, but I expect the same freedom not to believe, and not to be expected to act as if I do.
I don’t believe in any higher power in the traditional sense. I know it holds great significance for some people, and I respect that. But I don’t want those ideas in my recovery, and I don’t want to pretend otherwise. I prefer to focus on human connection, honesty, and what works.
When AA says “no human power could have relieved our alcoholism,” it doesn’t necessarily mean something religious is needed. It’s a way of expressing how hopeless and powerless many people feel in the face of addiction — so deep that nothing external seems to fix it. Some interpret this as a need for a “higher power.” Others see it as needing a profound inner shift, a deep surrender, a change in perspective, a connection to something greater than individual willpower. That “greater” thing doesn’t have to be supernatural; it could be the strength of a group, a set of guiding principles, or the recovery process itself.
Modern evidence backs this up. Mutual aid groups like AA and SMART Recovery work because they provide connection, accountability, and shared identity: powerful human forces. The experience of “surrender” is mirrored in psychological approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, where accepting your limitations leads to greater flexibility and more effective action. People are more likely to stay sober when they shift from seeing themselves as a “user” to a “recovering person,” especially within a supportive group, which is part of why peer support, like the Helper Principle here at OHC, makes such a difference.
So while “no human power” was originally a religious phrase, the real evidence points to something very human and very real: belonging, acceptance, and identity change.