The steps are suggested as a program of recovery...in other words...the steps, as a whole, are suggested as a way to get sober. That's not the same thing as saying the steps are simply a suggestion in AA. If you read the Big Book, in it's entirety (as I have), and really study it, you will see that each step is integral to success in the AA program. In other words, the steps are the program. Effortjoy, If the steps themselves, and/or the verbiage, cause you cognitive dissonance (as was my experience), then the program may not be for you. But that is not to say that you cannot go to meetings for fellowship...because you certainly can. As awuh said, the program itself is not the people in the rooms, but rather it's contained in the Big Book. It can often be very difficult to separate that though. You will hear lots of different interpretations of the words written in the Big Book. Just as it happens during any discussion of any literary work, people interpret the words through their own filters and experiences over time. I say every book is worth a read, so read the Big Book and then you decide what it means to you and if it fits into your life. No need to rely on others to interpret for you. If after you read and study, and the Big Book speaks to you or makes sense, then the program may well be for you.
The good news is, either way, you don't have to live in addiction. There are countless paths to living happily without substances.