AA Alternatives: What Is SOS and Why Choose Secular Recovery?

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What Is Secular Organizations for Sobriety?

James Christopher founded the Secular Organizations for Sobriety, sometimes called Save Our Selves or SOS, in 1985. The premise of SOS is that you can achieve long-term addiction recovery by relying on yourself and taking personal responsibility for your recovery journey.

Through self-empowerment, you make abstinence your first priority. Just as alcohol or drugs take priority in the cycle of a substance use disorder, abstinence must take priority in secular recovery.

SOS is not religious or spiritual, unlike AA and organizations like Celebrate Recovery. Its philosophy uses the disease model of addiction to explain alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorders, and secular alcohol recovery. The program’s foundation is very different from that of AA, which encourages members to put faith in a power greater than themselves.

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Why Secular Organizations for Sobriety?

Statistics show that more than 48.4 million Americans age 12 and older have a substance use disorder. Nearly 28 million have an alcohol use disorder.

Secular recovery offers peer support to those who did not have positive experiences in AA. Early recovery includes emotional volatility, cravings, and triggers. While dealing with these challenges, individuals must also find a way to fulfill their personal responsibilities and participate in relationships.

For some, the idea of turning to a higher power enables them to “let go and let God” based on AA’s principles.

For others, the idea of waiting for a spiritual transformation may inhibit their recovery. This is when secular organizations might prove useful.

What Are the SOS Cycles?

Secular Organizations for Sobriety claims each person gets stuck in cycles of substance misuse. Like AA, SOS is abstinence-based.

It does not recognize moderation or harm reduction models, such as those endorsed by the HAMS peer support group, as a sustainable form of recovery. SOS recognizes that physiological or chemical needs, learned habits, and denial are the patterns that make it difficult to stay sober.

SOS believes that to break the cycle of denial and achieve sobriety, we must first acknowledge that we are alcoholics or addicts. We reaffirm this truth daily and acknowledge without reservation that, as clean and sober individuals, we cannot and do not drink or use, no matter what.

The SOS philosophy is focused on breaking the cycle of addiction by creating a better cycle. They call this the “cycle of sobriety,” and it has three elements:

Acknowledgment that you have an alcohol use or substance use disorder
Acceptance of your alcohol use or substance use disorder
Prioritization of your sobriety as the number one issue in your life

By living each day in the cycle of sobriety, you replace old behaviors with new, healthy behaviors. This is a concept used in many forms of alcohol addiction treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on identifying thought patterns that lead to specific behaviors so that unwanted behaviors, like substance misuse, can be altered or eliminated.

CBT is one of the most common therapeutic modalities in addiction treatment programs. SOS guidelines state, “Since drinking or using is not an option for us, we take whatever steps are necessary to continue our Sobriety Priority lifelong.”

This may include SOS activities, personal recovery efforts like a mindfulness practice, and initial or continued addiction treatment overseen by your care team.

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What Are the Guidelines for Secular Recovery Success?

Many peer support groups have guidelines to support members through the recovery process. AA’s 12 Steps are the most well-known and well-researched. The primary difference between the guidelines of AA and SOS is the inclusion, or exclusion, of faith and spirituality. Like AA, SOS also reinforces that sobriety is the top priority.

While there is no qualitative research on the SOS guidelines, research on the 12 Steps indicates that having structured guidelines may be a beneficial component of peer-led addiction support.

SOS endorses guidelines that are taken in their entirety rather than in a linear fashion like the 12 Steps.

The guidelines include:

“A quality of life—the good life—can be achieved. However, life is also filled with uncertainties. Therefore, we do not drink or use regardless of feelings, circumstances, or conflicts.”
“We share in confidence with each other our thoughts and feelings as sober, clean individuals.”
“Sobriety is our Priority, and we are each responsible for our lives and our sobriety.”

Both support groups emphasize the importance of admitting a problem exists and using the group format to share and get insight into challenges in recovery based on the program’s principles.

Does Secular Organizations for Sobriety Support Families?

Secular Organizations for Sobriety provides support for friends and family.

They created the family and friends’ recovery cycle that includes these steps:

Knowledge of the cycle of addiction
Knowledge of the recovery cycle
Assumption of responsibility only for yourself

The SOS guidelines ask that loved ones, “Be gentle with yourself and the addicted person in your family. Remember, sobriety skills are not developed overnight, so give yourself credit for being understanding.”

It’s recommended that family and friends:

Attend SOS meetings: The guidelines say to “Attend as many SOS meetings as you can. If you like, attend other family non secular and secular recovery-group meetings. Take what you can use from these and leave the rest.”
Get connected: Family members are encouraged to “Get names and phone numbers from sober individuals in secular recovery and their family members at meetings. Use these phone numbers. Practice calling people when you are feeling okay so that you will be able to call more easily when you are in need of help.”
Simplify: The guidelines recommend adjusting your lifestyle to support your loved one’s recovery cycle: “Try putting some simplified structure into your life: get up and get dressed at a regular time, take a walk before or after dinner, etc.”

How Can I Learn More About Secular Organizations for Sobriety?

Secular Organizations for Sobriety has a range of available literature for members and prospective members, including downloadable literature and James Christopher’s books:

SOS Sobriety: The Proven Alternative to 12-step Programs
How to Stay Sober: Recovery Without Religion
Unhooked: Staying Sober and Drug-Free
Escape from Nicotine Country: How to Stop Smoking Painlessly

There are no requirements for attending an SOS meeting in your area other than an interest in the organization and a desire to achieve sobriety through secular means.

You may also find it helpful to attend other peer support and professionally led addiction recovery sessions; many professionals and organizations endorse working to find the resources, tools, and environments that help you feel most supported.

If you need professional alcohol addiction services, call 800-948-8417 Sponsored to speak with someone who can help.