How to Stay Sober: Recovery Without Religion [Paperback]

James Christopher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1988

The need for a secular alternative to recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction is answered here. This book can help non-religious alcoholics to maintain philosophical integrity while achieving the goal of lifelong sobriety. James Christopher, a long-time sober alcoholic, offers new insights and suggestions for developing coping skills and regaining self-esteem through self-reliance. He notes that current research indicates that there is no such thing as an "alcoholic personality" - that addiction is the result of physiology, not psychology. It is only by making sobriety the number one priority in life, Christopher states, that an alcoholic or addict can achieve recovery. Christopher has spearheaded a large grassroots secular sobriety movement across the United States, and this book offers concrete guidelines for forming these groups in any community. The book also provides an important weekly diary for the recovering alcoholic to use in the crucial first year of sobriety.

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (January 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879754575
• ISBN-13: 978-0879754570
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #696,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coming on 8 years thanks to this book., December 9, 2002

By 

Nicky Meinzer (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Stay Sober: Recovery Without Religion (Paperback)

Lets face it, some of us just don't fall into the 12 step mold. When you find you're using that phrase "take what you want and leave the rest" too much- this book can help make you feel less isolated in the world of recovery.

Yes, this book did promote Secular Humanism, but Bill W's book promotes Christianity (well, if you see through the "you can call your dog God if you want" or "God could be a tree to you, whatever you want"...). A big theory behind our tendency towards our addiction is the "Thirst for wholeness" (see a book titled "Thirsting For Wholeness" by Tom Brady, Jr. (not a secular humanist) is that we search for wholeness through a lack of spirituality. Spirituality doesn't mean "God" to all of us.

This book was my guiding light in early recovery. After the first year when the pink cloud started to fade, this is the book that kept me here.

Some of what the author bring up is that many of us end up extremely disappointed when we do everything "right", and things just don't get easier. Why didn't God help us when we worked so hard. This book is about how no ones going to hand anything to you, you don't "slip" (which when people really slip, it is not a decision- you relapse), and that no God magically takes away the desire to drink for many of us.

Its about personal responsibility, strength, and not waiting for some divine thing to happen that may never happen- that everything you do will help or hurt your life.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is still looking, no matter how far along in recovery, and who still feels isolated, and is disappointed in what they feel they've received from recovery. This book guides you to help yourself, rely on yourself, and work optimistically towards what you want in life.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource and alternative to the AA model, April 10, 2008

By 

Pharmer Tom (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Stay Sober: Recovery Without Religion (Paperback)

This book is one of the very few that addresses the need for a non-God based program for treating addiction/alcoholism. For those of us that choose not to believe, or prefer rationality in the treatment of addictions, rather than "surrendering to a power greater than yourself", it is a godsend (pun intended). While AA fits many and is a great program, the needs of free-thinking people need to be addressed as well.
The book provides clear steps to be taken, and sets clear priorities to address. There were a few noticiable typos that should be cleaned up, but the book is definitely a "5 star" text.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Illogical & irrational, September 23, 2008

By 

James S. MacLachlan (Frankfort, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Stay Sober: Recovery Without Religion (Paperback)

The author founded SOS, an organization for recovering from drug/alcohol dependency without relying on AA, god(s), higher power(s) &/or the 12 steps, so common to most recovery programs. Having similar reservations about `God', I was curious to see what his take on it was. The web site provides better information on the SOS method than this book, so I find no reason to recommend the book to anyone.

I wanted to read what he had to say about sobriety without religion, not how he feels about AA. Unfortunately, the first third of the book is pretty much devoted to putting AA down. He claims a lot of 'facts' about AA that aren't true. He generalizes from a few experiences & interprets the AA Big Book in a narrow, poor way. Worse, he rants about it - constantly!

Christopher believes alcoholism is a cellular level addiction & the cure is simply avoiding alcohol. He also says his methods will cure other drug addiction, but I didn't see anything reconciling his physical alcohol addiction theories to other drug addiction. He does believe there is a psychological component to all addictions, but the spiritual one is private & irrelevant. He takes exception to AA's assertion that all three components are involved & need to be addressed. For instance, Christopher does not like the term `morally bankrupt' that AA uses. If a person will do anything for the next drink/drug, aren't they morally bankrupt? It's another point where his animosity toward AA sends him into a rant, weakening his theory of recovery.

He believes in himself, his own ability to talk himself out of that first drink, even though every alcoholic I've met has the same belief while actively drinking & continually failed to do so. Unfortunately, he doesn't even follow a basic self-help method to get or stay sober.

He continually raises issues with some AA slogans, yet uses others to support his program. He gives the impression that AA is completely wrong & then uses part of its program in his own, acknowledging that he does so sometimes. (For instance, SOS's general principles share a lot of wording with the AA traditions.) He also picks apart psychology & some studies, but then `proves' his point with other ones. I found his continual reversals bewildering & detrimental to his theory. In general, I felt he couldn't make up his mind & needs to study logic.

I certainly wouldn't trust someone who thinks & writes as poorly as he does with something as important as my sobriety & recovery. Considering the size of SOS, it looks as if most feel that way