221 - Do you need to believe in God to get sober?

221 - Do you need to believe in God to get sober?

What secrets to maintaining sobriety can be uncovered through spirituality, especially if the word "God" makes you bristle? This episode of Real Recovery Talk focuses on exactly that tension, with Benjamin B. sharing how spirituality fits into getting and staying sober, even for people who want nothing to do with traditional religion.

Speaking from his own early resistance, Ben talks about coming into recovery furious at the idea of God: "If there was a God, he certainly hadn't done anything for me. Look at my life. It has been destroyed." From there, he breaks down how a 12-step approach shifts the focus away from defining God and towards being open to the possibility of a "power greater than yourself" — even if all you've got is 0.1% willingness.

You’ll hear Ben explain why trying to intellectually figure out a higher power often gets people stuck, and why he now tells others, "We're not looking for a description. We're looking for a feeling." He uses real-life examples: the goosebumps in a small group big book study, the unprovable yet unquestionable love for his son, and the way service to others can quietly become a spiritual practice.

The conversation also tackles practical questions: How do you tell the difference between your will and something bigger? What does "good orderly direction" look like? Why is feedback from a group so crucial when your own thinking has led you into addiction? At its core, this episode speaks to anyone who feels broken, sceptical, or spiritually confused, yet still hopes for a "miracle" in their recovery.

It suggests you don’t need to have God figured out — you just need some willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness. If you've ever wondered whether spirituality has to be part of sobriety, could this be the perspective you’ve been waiting for?