Originally Posted by
Bamboozle 
Are there any books out there on this topic?
Don't take this as Proselytizing but have you ever looked into Taoism or Zen.
They are both spiritual in nature but avoid talking about God or any other form of deity.
IMO all spiritual disiplines can be used to ease suffering of just about any kind.
I find that when I am spiritually fit nothing can really bother me enough that I feel I am suffering.
To an outside observer my life looks more tragic than it has ever been before (Crummy job, no savings, no marriage, home is in forclosure, ect...) yet I somehow feel more "sense of purpose" in my life now than when I was at my career peak.
When I was married and had plenty of money in the bank I often felt depressed as if there was something missing in my life. I did not know what it was but I somehow felt empty inside. Now I just look like my life is empty.