Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), also known as Save Our Selves, is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

network of autonomous

addiction recovery groups Drug addiction recovery groups are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome their drug addiction. Different groups use different methods, ranging from completely secular to explicitly spiritual. Some programs may advoc ...

. The program stresses the need to place the highest priority on sobriety and uses mutual support to assist members in achieving this goal. The Suggested Guidelines for Sobriety emphasize rational decision-making and are not religious or spiritual in nature. SOS represents an alternative to the spiritually based addiction recovery programs such as

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...

(AA). SOS members may also attend AA meetings, but SOS does not view

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

or surrendering to a Higher Power as being necessary to maintain abstinence.

History

James Christopher's

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

began when he was a teenager. He had originally sought help in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), but was uncomfortable with the emphasis on

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

and

and he began looking for direction in the writings of secular humanists. Christopher wrote about his frustrations with AA and his own developing program for recovery. In 1985, '' Free Inquiry'' published an article "Sobriety Without Superstition" written by Christopher. He received hundreds of letters in response and decided to organize

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...

, self-help, alcoholism recovery group meetings. The first such meeting was held in November 1986 in North Hollywood, California, and meetings continue to this day at the Center for Inquiry in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and at other locations. Christopher has been continuously sober since 1978.

Processes

SOS recognizes genetic and environmental factors contributing to addiction, but allows each member to decide whether or not alcoholism is a disease. SOS holds the view that alcoholics can recover (addictive behaviors can be arrested), but that ultimately it is never cured; relapse is always possible. SOS does not endorse sponsor/sponsee relationships. The SOS program is based on the Suggested Guidelines for Sobriety, that emphasize the "sobriety priority." In order to change, members must make abstinence their top priority: not drinking despite changing conditions in their lives. SOS suggests members follow a daily, three part, Cycle of Sobriety: acknowledgment of their addiction, acceptance of their addictions and prioritization of maintaining sobriety. Members are also encouraged to develop strategies or aphorisms that strengthen their resolve to maintain sobriety. SOS teaches the following:

Suggested Guidelines for Sobriety

These guidelines are suggested by SOS for maintaining sobriety. *To break the cycle of denial and achieve sobriety, we first acknowledge that we are alcoholics or addicts. *We reaffirm this daily and accept without reservation the fact that as clean and sober individuals, we can not and do not drink or use, no matter what. *Since drinking or using is not an option for us, we take whatever steps are necessary to continue our Sobriety Priority lifelong. *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 sobriety.

Meetings

While each SOS meeting is autonomous, SOS does provide a meeting format. The opening reading for meeting conveners summarizes their program. Following the reading of the opening, typically there are announcements, acknowledgment of members sobriety anniversaries and a reading of the Suggested Guidelines. The suggested opening reads as follows.

Demographics

A preliminary survey of SOS members was conducted in 1996. The survey results showed SOS attracted members with secular attitudes; 70% had no current religious affiliation and 70% were self-described atheists or agnostics, while another 22% described themselves as spiritual but non-churchgoers. SOS members were predominantly

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

(99%) employed (nearly half were employed full-time) males (1/4 of the respondents were female) over the age of 40. Abstinence was the reported goal of 86% of SOS members; 70% of respondents reported that they were currently abstinent (for an average of 6.3 years), another 16% were "mostly abstinent." The majority of SOS members planned long-term affiliation with SOS. Nearly every member surveyed had been exposed to AA, the average rate of AA attendance amongst SOS members in the previous month was 4.5 meetings. A 2007 survey of addiction recovery groups found that religiosity correlated negatively with participation in SOS.

References

Literature

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External links

SOS International

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secular Organizations For Sobriety Addiction organizations in the United States Mental health organizations based in California Organizations established in 1986 1986 establishments in California Support groups