Some people are put off by the spirituality of 12-Step rehabilitation programs. For many atheists and agnostics, it depends too much on God. A non-12-Step rehab program, then, promotes abstinence from drugs and alcohol but with less emphasis on relying on a higher power.

In non-12-Step rehab programs—which help people recover from alcohol abuse and other addictions like drugs—there tends to be a stronger sense of self-empowerment. Many of these programs avoid labeling addiction as a disease and instead view addiction recovery as a personal achievement.