However, this does not mean, necessarily, they’ve abandoned their faith. This is due to the fact that addiction is really a spiritual disorder. Although the disease has biological, behavioral, and psychological roots, treating those aspects, without including the spiritual component,  is like sticking a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. If you are seeking drug and alcohol spiritual malady related addiction rehab for yourself or a loved one, the YourFirstStep.org hotline is a confidential and convenient solution. I was undoubtedly a very unhappy person, without alcohol to temporarily fill the painful void inside me. I was continuously, “restless, irritable and discontented” (BB “The doctor’s opinion” p. XXV111 4th edition) without alcohol.

For instance, when breaking free of their negative thoughts, they may come to realize a newfound appreciation of things before unseen – such as the beauty of a sunset or the feeling of freshness of a morning spring rain. These traits defy written or verbal description, as they convey an innate understanding of the cosmos and are also transient, meaning the experiences do not last forever. Also, they are passive, in the sense that people do not have an influence over the phenomenon. The addict may have a nagging feeling that they’re missing the real reason for their agony or pain.

thoughts on “The Spiritual Malady”

The following blogs use the “language of the heart”  rather than intellectual discourse to describe the spiritual malady/emotional disease often said to be at heart of addictive bahaviours. Alcoholics Anonymous bases the 12-step program on 12 affirmations, or what they call 12 traditions. These expressions that help people recovering from addiction regain a spiritual footing once again.

What can that statement possibly mean to an agnostic? Is the whole idea of someone being spiritually ill acceptable? These are questions that I have had to struggle with as an agnostic in AA. Although the idea of the spiritual malady came to me through reading about Alcoholics Anonymous, I believe it is a concept any person can connect with whether or not they suffer from addiction. The bottom line, a true alcoholic or addict has no power to stop, avoid, or control their drinking.

Take Your First Step To Recovery

There are many persons in recovery who are not interested in discussing or even hearing about spirituality. In fact, they may tense up when they hear words like “God” and “spirituality.” This reaction may cause them to remember a past negative experience – an episode in their life https://ecosoberhouse.com/ that may cause them to recall a traumatic event they’d sooner rather forget. As overwhelming as I’m sure this all may seem for someone who’s either never had a spiritual connection, or been disconnected for years, I’d like to assure you it’s not as formidable as it may seem.

Following this program will cause them to feel less alone or closed off from the messages of life, thus relieving them from the burden of isolation. Addicts and alcoholics may rid themselves of their drug or alcohol dependency by completing the Twelve Step process. This will allow them to undergo the required shift in thought that will free them from their addiction. This resistance to anything spiritual is the biggest obstacle some addicts confront.

Spiritual Malady Explained

Quotations from Alcoholics Anonymous are from the first edition (1939) which is now in the public domain. Any quotations from sources other than the first edition of the Big Book are reprinted with permission. In the case of the addict, alcohol (or some other substance or activity) is used as a medication to treat the spiritual malady.

Apart from dissecting the Big Book so as to have a firmer grasp on the 12 Steps and program and in general, it also is designed to help us decipher the intricate language and wording used from a different time period. Old timers and recovering people with more experience can explain in layman’s terms just what the author Bill W. Was trying to relay in a far more easily digestible fashion. From my own experience as an alcoholic, I came to believe that Bill was right when he declared that alcoholism is a spiritual illness. I survived thirteen years as a mostly dry and yet untreated alcoholic in AA. There are as many different definitions of what spirituality means as there are alcoholics in recovery.