Conquering Addiction with Spirituality

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Researchers have found that turning to spirituality can be a powerful

tool for treating and conquering addiction. The topic of

spirituality is becoming increasingly interesting to clinicians,

psychiatrists, and researchers seeking more ways for people to deal

with the temptations of addiction. There are all kinds of addictions,

from drugs to cigarettes, to alcohol, to overeating, and even sex.

Although modern counseling, support groups, and psychiatry have made

great strides in the treatment of addiction and dependency, the

patient must want to change before the treatment can be successful,

because addiction is tied to a person's inner self. And that inner

self is where spirituality resides.

When a person's inner self becomes damaged or distorted, their

spirituality can become damaged or distorted, resulting in addictive

and self-destructive behavior. Some people believe that the key to

overcoming addiction lies in organized religion. But although there

is a spiritual component to religion, there are vast differences

between the two. Many people are very religious and yet have little

or no spirituality. On the other hand, many very spiritual people do

not hold any particular religious beliefs. The following of certain

religious practices may help in overcoming addiction, but the success

lies not in the religious nature of the practices, but in the fact

that following them helps to heal an addict's inner self, where

spirituality resides. We must remember that the desire for the

addiction never fades. It is abut making a conscious decision to

turn away from the addiction and turn to God.

The ancient spiritual discipline of fasting, the mirror opposite of

indulgence, is of particular interest in relation to addition. Many

people practice fasting for religious reasons, but its inherent

nature is a spiritual one, because it helps to strengthen one's self-

control—a personal resource that is undeniably depletable. Just as

muscles strengthen from repeated exercise, practicing regular self-

control is necessary to have such control available whenever it is

needed. So purposely fasting, even though food is available, helps

give a person the strength to say no to any influences that may

contribute to an addictive personality. If one can refuse food, the

most basic of human needs, then one can learn to refuse destructive

substances or influences that are not vital to survival.

The practices of prayer and meditation are also considered important

in maintaining sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous has 12 essential steps

for members to follow, one of which says that addicts have " 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. " But although many people think

of Alcoholics Anonymous as a religious approach to beating addiction

to alcohol, it is actually a spiritual approach to living. Spiritual

discipline and character development are emphasized, including

humility, confession and amends, forgiveness, acceptance, submission

to a Higher Power, ongoing personal moral inventory, and service to

others. Recent research also points to the mental health benefits of

practices such as forgiveness and acceptance.

Many religious and meditative practices have their roots in

establishing and strengthening self-control: focusing attention,

maintaining forced silence, repetitive chanting, abstaining from

food, often interspersed with silence, meditation, prayer, and

contemplation. Such spiritual practices may promote incremental

change over time, but they may also result in dramatic epiphanies,

or " spiritual awakenings. " Such awakenings can cause profound

emotional release as a person feels freed from addiction and craving,

and stories of such epiphanies are common in Alcoholics Anonymous. In

fact, the last of the 12 Steps begins with the words, " Having had a

spiritual awakening as a result of these steps. "

Psychologist Jim Orford once noted that the reversal of a pervasive

and persistent problem such as addiction may require a

comprehensive " spiritual change " in attitude, character, and values.

Noted psychiatrist Carl Jung described such spiritual awakenings in a

similar fashion, as huge rearrangements of personality where " ideas,

emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces … are

suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions

and motives begin to dominate. " Clearly, when the faltering of one's

inner self manifests itself through addictive behavior, the path to

healing must begin by healing that inner self—the spiritual self.