Those who have lived the bulk of their lives as a theist and woke up , what resources helped you overcome religion , understand logic and rational truth ?
I watch different YouTube channels and listen to the mainstream advocates for atheism regularly.
Are there any self help groups or literature that you guys could suggest or direct me to? I greatly appreciate it.
Holy Koolaid on YouTube if you don't watch him already. Unitarian Universalist church if you need community. Books on logotherapy are also very helpful if you're stuck in apathy/depression.
I was never really a believer, but the avalanche started in 2006 when Richard Dawkins published The God Delusion. It had been in the news, and I bought it. God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens came out the following year, and I liked that one even better. I had also discovered the Atheist Experience podcast, and they had an archive, and I binge listened to every single episode they ever made. It took months. Also, Aaron Ra's Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism.
I recommend The Skeptic's Guide the Universe podcast and getting involved in the skeptical community too.
I was an apatheist for years, but I had some personal tragedies that made me get serious about the religion of my upbringing. When I did get serious, things didn't get any better, so I blamed myself. I read the Bible diligently and started noticing some errors, some inconsistencies, some ridiculous stories, and some horrible things god did. It got me thinking, and that was the beginning of the end. Then I started reading the people MsOliver mentioned in her comment and realized I was an atheist.
The big thing for me was re-socializing with a group of different people who weren't all Xtians. It was possible because of a move to another city, so I started from scratch. Gave me the freedom to re-assess everything. Following that, it was a bit of everything... internet chat groups (remember newsnet?), bulletin boards, and the like. It was a long and gradual extrication process.