Unlike normal people (whatever that means) alcoholics are unsettled to the core. After reading ‘The Doctor’s Opinion,’ ‘Bill’s Story,’ and ‘There is a Solution,’ in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous,we came to an understanding that we have no control whatsoever over alcohol or drugs. They proposed that the remedy to all obsessive states, at that time alcoholism, was primarily to become spiritually well, after which all of their mental and physical issues would be miraculously resolved. Frequently, individuals who struggle with alcohol addiction are also experiencing a mental health issue like an anxiety disorder or a depressive disorder. Abusing alcohol is a form of self-medicating that, at first and superficially, seems to help.
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This could be the power of nature, the universe, or even something as simple as your cats or dogs at home – perhaps their love for you and the fact that they need you to be sober is your Higher Power. It doesn’t matter what your Higher Power is; what matters is that you believe in something that can help guide and support you on your journey to recovery. Finding a Higher Power is an essential part of Alcoholics Anonymous, but what if you don’t believe in God? You’re not alone – there are plenty of people in AA who don’t believe in God, or who have trouble with the concept of a higher power. Finally, self-reliance can be dangerous because it can lead to complacency.
What is the 3 Fold Disease of Alcoholism & Addiction
Whether you seek to engage in formal prayer, informal mental conversations, or merely by doing good and putting positive energy into the universe, there is no right or wrong way to pray to your higher power. Once you open up to this idea and implement that spiritual connection, you will experience your long-awaited spiritual awakening, the answer to that pesky spiritual malady we suffer from as alcoholics. Anyone can be spiritually maladapted, but as an alcoholic, we use alcohol to deal with having a spiritual malady.
Signs and Symptoms of Spiritual Illnesses
The solution to spiritual malady offered by Alcoholics Anonymous is to affect a spiritual awakening – in essence a psychic shift or attitude adjustment. In The Big Book of AA, the spiritual malady 12 steps outlined are a formalized approach to achieving this transformational change. Spiritual malady can trigger feelings of irritability, restlessness, and discontentedness.
- If you’re seeking spiritual growth, it would be best to free yourself of them by practicing forgiveness and detachment.
- We drink and set off the craving and the cycle of addiction starts all over again.
- One of the great things about AA is that it’s flexible – you can make it work for you, even if you don’t believe in God.
- And unless this malady is recognized, and a course of action (the Twelve Steps) is taken to enable God to remove it, the root of our alcoholic illness can lie dormant and burn us when we least expect it.
- For example, AA rooms offer fellowship and support and provide a structure that can help keep you sober.
It can be about finding a deeper sense of meaning and connection, whether through nature, meditation, yoga, or creative pursuits. These practices can help manage cravings and promote mental well-being. Finally, someone explained to me that those things are not the insanity that the Big Book talks about; nor are those things why the alcoholic’s life becomes unmanageable. If you are seeking drug and alcohol related addiction rehab for yourself or a loved one, the YourFirstStep.org hotline is a confidential and convenient solution. It may result in emotional disturbances and increase unhealthy coping mechanisms. Soak yourself in positive energies meant to bring psychic change in your life.
When Science Meets Spirituality
What Are Spiritual Illnesses?
- It’s important for the loved ones of these people to be understanding and ensure they receive the love and care they deserve.
- What is important though is that we strive to be a little better every single day and never give up on our spiritual journey in recovery.
- Unnecessary and excessive tension in lifestyle can hinder all spiritual growth.
- They developed mastery over resentment, became free of anger and gained courage through the defeat of fear.
- You might experience spiritual migraines due to an imbalance in your spiritual energy.
- When these physical, mental, and spiritual components come together, an individual with alcohol use disorder will be rendered powerless to arrest a vicious cycle of obsessions, cravings, and alcohol abuse.