Paganism / Wicca

  1. Home
  2. Religion & Spirituality
  3. Paganism / Wicca
photo of Patti Wigington

Patti's Paganism / Wicca Blog

By Patti Wigington, About.com Guide to Paganism / Wicca

Pagans in Recovery

Saturday January 3, 2009
We've all heard about the many 12-step programs available to people who are battling addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex, food or any number of other things that are far better used in moderation. While many of these programs do a lot of good -- and indeed, the Whatevers Anonymous concept has worked beautifully for thousands of people since 1940-something -- participants who do not follow a Judeo-Christian philosophy often find themselves a bit on the fringe when it comes to support meetings. It's not that the meetings are designed FOR Christians, it's just that the interpretation of how to follow the twelve steps often varies depending upon what your beliefs may be. While one person may ask God to save them and forgive them for their sins, another may ask their gods to give them a good swift kick in the butt. At any rate, if you or someone you know in the Pagan community is battling addiction or dealing with recovery issues, you may want to look at some of the resources I've compiled: Pagans and Recovery
  • Comments (2)
  • See All Posts

Comments

January 3, 2009 at 10:19 pm
(1) Lori F says:

I can relate to this difficulty. Nearly 30 years ago I went to Overeaters Anon. Had the hardest time with “I am powerless over food”.
After all, The cookiesdidn’t jump into my mouth.
and Putting myself into God’s hands was a wierd concept, even though, at that time I was Catholic. Guess I was Pagan way back then and didn’t know it.

April 4, 2009 at 12:12 pm
(2) Kelly says:

Hi, Patti! Love the blog. I am a Pagan in recovery, and I am having a hard time finding any recovery texts/books specifically geared towards pagan/alternative spirituality. Do you have any suggestions?

Leave a Comment

Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title="">, <b>, <i>, <strike>

Discuss

Community Forum

Explore Paganism / Wicca

About.com Special Features

Myths About Islam

Ten common misconceptions about Islam debunked. More >

Prayers for All Occasions

Use these prayers to inspire and inform your own conversations with God. More >

Paganism / Wicca

  1. Home
  2. Religion & Spirituality
  3. Paganism / Wicca

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.