Can Rehab Work for Atheists and Free Thinkers?

Whether you’ve started to look into rehab programs or you’ve overheard that many of them have a religious component, you may feel as though this approach isn’t for you. As an atheist or a freethinker, you likely avoid religion, so the thought of using religious approaches for recovery may seem jarring. Still, though, you should not feel as though you must surrender on your quest for rehab; finding a program suitable for your needs is certainly possible.

Options to Consider

As an atheist or a freethinker, you should not feel as though you’re precluded from rehab for drug or alcohol treatment. Your road to recovery is just as important as other peoples’. Before you decide to end your search or to simply go along with a religious program, consider the follow options:

  • Own your beliefs.
  • Consider your higher power.
  • Choose a program designed for atheists.
  • Learn specific features of the program.
  • Talk to past clients who were atheists and freethinkers.

Own Your Beliefs

As you’re encountering a number of programs that have a religious or spiritual component to them, you might start thinking that the best approach is to pretend that you have beliefs. For example, if you grew up in a religious household, you might decide to fake that you still believe in those concepts. However, consider how part of recovering involves expressing honesty with yourself. When the rehab program uses the 12-Step method or other strategies that involve belief in a higher power, you can’t fully participate without faith.

Consider Your Higher Power

If you are an atheist, this suggestion won’t work for you; however, if you are a free thinker, it might. Not all free thinkers are atheists. In other words, you might not believe in a particular religion, and you might not know what exactly you think the supernatural force governing the universe is. Still, though, you do believe in a higher power. Keep in mind that in order for a rehab program that expresses belief in a higher power to work, you simply need to believe in a higher power. You are not required to believe in a specific higher power or to practice the tenets of any particular religion.

Find Programs for Atheists

When you absolutely do not believe in a higher power, one of the best approaches is to find a rehab program that is specifically designed for atheists. By doing so, you do not have to worry about pretending to believe in ideas that are of no interest to you. What you might have the ability to do is to find a program that is either entirely atheistic in nature or that has a number of atheistic clients. Programs specifically designed for atheists are the best idea when you want to work on recovering without a higher power.

Learn about the Program

In the event that you are struggling to find programs that are designed for atheists, you could consult with a professional at the rehab centers that are coming up on your search. Basically, what you can do is learn how much of the program depends upon the belief in a higher power. You may find that you have options when you enter the program. For example, you may have the ability to avoid all activities and sessions that have to do with a higher power. Some programs might have strict requirements when it comes to your belief in the higher power and your participation in activities that relate to a higher power. However, other programs may give you plenty of freedom to avoid these happenings.

Talk to Past Clients

As you are learning about the program and discovering that a number of activities do not require a belief in a higher power, you may feel some skepticism about whether or not the program can really work for you. One idea is to speak with past atheists and freethinkers who participated in the program to learn how it worked out for them. Also, another suggestion is to consider your relatives or friends who are atheists or freethinkers and who went to rehab. Ask them for recommendations about programs to pursue. The short answer is that you can certainly find a rehab program that works for you as an atheist or a freethinker. To get started with learning more about how you can accomplish this goal, call 800-411-8019 as soon as possible.