Rational Recovery (RR) is a self-help group for alcoholics designed as a secular alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous and 12 step programs.
The RR method is antithetical to AA in every regard:
- RR does not regard alcoholism as a disease, seeing it as a voluntary behaviour.
- RR discourages adoption of the forever "recovering" drunk persona.
- Once members have internalized the RR method they are expected to leave the group and get on with their lives.
- Great emphasis is placed on self-efficacy.
- There are no steps and zero consideration to religious matters.
RR is also involved in planning legal actions against the 12 steps programs, to which it is vigorously opposed. The RR-PLAN web page states its intent is "to put AA out of business". However, action of this kind would be met with strong resistance from grateful members of 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
It is worth noting that while AA tends toward a spiritual viewpoint, there are agnostic and atheist AA members. The "Higher Power" need not be a deity: one common alternative is to use the 12-step model but identify the support group itself as a higher power. There is at least one "we agnostics" AA group in California.
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