Spirituality and addiction

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Spirituality and addiction

30 September, 2020Articles, News

Addiction is often described as a “spiritual, physical, and emotional” disease.

What is spirituality

Historically the terms spirituality and religion have been confused to mean the same thing. Generally speaking, when the term “spirituality” is used, it refers to a feeling or belief in the oneness between an individual and the universe, being in touch with one’s soul or inner self, and even simply a sense of personal well-being. None of these meanings has a specific reference to a deity or to religion.

Spiritual consequences in active addiction

Addiction and spirituality go hand-in-hand as we notice the contrast of how spirituality plays a role in both addiction and recovery. In active addiction, there is typically an absence of connection to spirit – this will differ from individual to individual.

Addiction is a disease of isolation which feeds on shame and guilt. Addiction robs us of our spirituality because it makes us believe we are not connected, we are alone and we, in turn, are too numb to hear or understand any sense of intuition, spirit or higher power. It makes us believe we have little or nothing for which to be grateful and it blinds us from being mindful or present to reality.

Spirituality in recovery

In recovery, a spiritual practice is absolutely essential and often becomes the backbone of staying clean and sober for many. Most would argue that to be truly successful in breaking the chains of addiction, we all need a spiritual path in recovery and a community of support to go along with it. The reason for this is that the addict in us wants us to remain alone in the dark, but a spiritual path and community, shine the light for us. Once a light illuminates, the darkness cannot survive. Understanding the role spirituality can play in recovery is usually the cornerstone for many in treatment.

Feeling connected to ourselves, others, and a source greater than us, can cause feelings of well-being, purpose and contentment. These feelings begin to replace our ego, fear and anxiety as the sense of connectedness creates a pathway for healing.

The 12 steps and spirituality

12 Step programs guide individuals to really contemplate their sense of spirituality and, over time, to build on it. The 12-Steps themselves help people understand just how much control we have over our lives as human beings – and, with that, how we can rely on God as you understand Him, or any another Higher Power, to help navigate the journey towards recovery which is typically filled with ups and downs.

12-Step programs don’t need to merely talk about spirituality in order for a person to generate a stronger sense of what that means to them. The Steps themselves require that those in recovery acknowledge the pain they’ve caused others, and to ask for forgiveness. This act of taking ownership builds a sense of spirituality in bringing a person’s focus back down to the level of “humanness”, which we so often forget.

By participating actively in 12-Step meetings, a person is making a contribution – an effort towards bettering their community and connecting with others. This spiritual sense of belonging is crucial for a person to soar in recovery, and 12-Step programs clearly facilitate this.

Reference

https://www.burningtree.com/spirituality-and-the-12-steps-what-you-can-gain-in-recovery/

ht tps://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/the-heart-addiction/201503/spirituality-and-addiction

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What is a 12 Step Programme ?

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Home / Posts tagged "#12 step program"

What is a 12 Step Programme ?

28 August, 2020Articles, News

Bill Wilson (Bill W) and Dr Robert Holbrook Smith (Dr Bob) are the founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous; this fellowship came into being in 1935. Both were alcoholics and both found a new way to live through the programme they founded, this has become known as the 12 step programme.

A twelve-step programme outlines specific actions to be taken for recovery from an addiction, or compulsive behaviours or indeed other behavioural problems. Alcoholics Anonymous were the first to introduce the idea as a way of overcoming alcoholism. As a result there are over 200 different types of 12 step fellowships/organisations that offer recovery from addictions, compulsions, and other behavioural related problems; these include Over Eaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Co – dependents Anonymous.

The 12 Steps:

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The 12 Steps were first published in the book ; Alcoholics Anonymous: The story of how more than One Hundred Men have recovered from alcoholism in 1939. The book described how alcohol affected the individual in three ways, spiritually, mentally and physically. It describes a physical allergy – when the alcoholic has the first drink the body reacts with craving and wants more alcohol. You are unable to stop.

The mental obsession sees the alcoholic persisting with the same behaviour expecting a different result, trapped in the delusion, unable to see their truth. The book spoke of the “Spiritual Malady” based in self-centredness. Through working through the steps, the self-centredness is replaced with a willingness to be more self-less.

There are four elements that make a 12 Step programme unique in its approach to dealing with any addiction or negative behaviour. Members of these fellowships are encouraged to attend meetings, have a sponsor, connect with a Higher Power and to be of Service.

At meetings individuals are able to share their experience, relate and identify with others who are in recovery. A sponsor is someone with experience in the programme and is able to guide others using their experience. The programme has no religious affiliations. Instead it suggests that people have a personal connection with a Higher Power, which means that those with no religious beliefs are able to find something that will work for them. Individuals are encouraged to be of service as this helps to combat the self-centredness.

Members of 12 Step Fellowships are encouraged to practice the spiritual principal of anonymity and respect other members confidentiality. This ensures a space free of judgement and fear. Members are able to express themselves without fear and therefore find deeper connections with others in the programme.

The 12 Step model is a proven method used to bring about change. The majority of treatment centres have adopted the 12 Steps as a foundation of their treatment models. Unlike other models it offers specific action to bring about change. Practical and Simple.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-step_program