Chapter 5 Big Book of A A. 2nd edition
Content
At Time 2, participants indicated whether they had experienced any stressful events since coming to college. The CSLES has high test-retest reliability (Park, Cohen, & Carpenter, 1992; Sandler & Lakey, 1982) and has been used successfully with college students (e.g., Park, Cohen, & Herb, 1990). Perhaps the most important limitation of this study is that the types of trauma experienced by this sample of college students, and the relatively low PTSD scores that were reported in reference to those events, were not representative of the types of events and degree of PTSD seen in clinical practice. Although the present study may provide a window through which to view relations between religious cognitions and PTSD symptoms, they may be very different for a sample of combat-exposed veterans who go on to develop chronic, debilitating PTSD.
To experience this wellness, one only needs to wake up and then remain awakened, continuing to practice being mindfully conscious, and then, from that objective perspective, simply going forward into the stream of life as God-connected and divinely disciplined beings. There is one decision that we make, that leads to a continuous unfolding of decision-less choices on the path of life. That path is always right, and there are no wrong turns – just different experiences. We often take them to grave sooner rather than later unless we decide to be open and share our secrets with another person. Most of us were determined to take these secrets, these “sins” to the grave. Shameful secrets can fester in the dark recesses of our minds and inflame our hearts with recrimination and resentment.
The spiritual malady and addiction
While a sense of spiritual emptiness is an experience familiar to many people, it is extremely common for those who struggle with addiction. While the absence of spirituality in no way causes addiction, it is generally accepted that addiction has a spiritual component. This acknolwedgement led to the incorporation of spirituality as an important ingredient in the process of recovery, and provides an important intersection between Western psychology and psychotherapy and twelve-step recovery. Carl Jung viewed addiction as a spiritual malady and addicts as frustrated spiritual seekers.
- This includes finding a sense of spirituality in the majesty of the Rocky Mountains.
- This spiritual malady, or spiritual disconnection, is the driving force behind our addiction and self-destructive behaviors.
- 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.
- This is true of many people who recover and heal in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
- There is one decision that we make, that leads to a continuous unfolding of decision-less choices on the path of life.
- In fact, spiritual struggle has been linked to PTSD symptoms in a variety of trauma-exposed samples (e.g., Aflakseir & Coleman, 2009; Conners, Whiteside-Mansell, & Sherman, 2006; Harris et al., 2008); however, knowledge in this area thus far is limited to cross-sectional findings.
Like negative post-traumatic cognitions about the self, others, and the world, the construct of spiritual struggle represents negative religious cognitions about the self, God, and the world, and may thereby lead to PTSD symptoms. Spiritual struggle consists of maladaptive religious cognitions about the cause of, responsibility for, and future implications of stressful events, paralleling secular cognitions known to be factors in the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms (e.g., Brewin & Holmes, 2003). In fact, spiritual struggle has been linked to PTSD symptoms in a variety of trauma-exposed samples (e.g., Aflakseir & Coleman, 2009; Conners, Whiteside-Mansell, & Sherman, 2006; Harris et al., 2008); however, knowledge in this area thus far is limited to cross-sectional findings.
What Is Spiritual Malady and How Do We Become Well?
In fact, the world’s threat load is extremely high and it, too, is being reflected in systemic dysfunction. We are in a time where we need to proactively decrease threat and increase safety in the world. We also house traumatic memories in the threat centers of our brains that are slightly different than predictive codes as they may bubble up to awareness or into nightmarish dreams. Doing so will give you a better idea of how a spiritual malady affects an alcoholic. I am aware that there are many paths to recovery- my path has been the 12-Steps.
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. This resistance https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to anything spiritual is the biggest obstacle some addicts confront. To beat their addiction, people must face the reality that there is indeed a power larger than themselves. Therefore, they must make an effort to establish a rapport with this higher power.
Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-Step Program
Also, tornados, hurricanes, droughts, fires, global warming, and war threaten us physically. Lack of clean soil, water, air, and lack of nutritious food are a threat to us. There are a lot of physical threats that can flip our physiology into a defense state. That, we think, is the root of our troubles.” This “SELFISHNESS-self-centeredness” (or the “ego”, as some people refer to it) drives us to respond to life situations with the above “symptoms” as well as disorders and addictions other than alcoholism. That, we think, is the root of our troubles.” This “SELFISHNESS-self-centeredness” (or the “ego”, as some people refer to it) drives us to respond to life situations with the above “symptoms” as well as disorders and addictions other than alcoholism. For a long time I thought my life was unmanageable because of all the crazy insane things I did while drinking — like the car accidents, hurting people when I didn’t mean to, failed relationships, loss of jobs, family dysfunction, jails, asylums, etc.
If you know anyone, or are yourself involved in one of those 12-Step recovery fellowships that specialize in helping people lose their fascination with substances like drugs and alcohol, then you might also know that these organizations are not support groups. Here at California Detox in Laguna Beach, we can help you unpack the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of alcoholism. The practice of Christian Meditation offers a remedy to the spiritual malady. When we enter the silence with discipline and perseverance, we make space for the living presence of God to heal us from the inside out. By using this approach, a recovering addict can experience a notable change in their outlook. 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.
Thoughts of Recovery – No.17 – The Spiritual Malady – Step 1
While we believe that the present study represents an important contribution to our understanding of the intersection of trauma and spirituality, particularly given the paucity of information on this topic, it has limitations that must be considered. First, the final sample represented only a small proportion of the population of first-year students from which it was drawn, limiting the generalizability of our results. The nature of this study required casting a wide net to assess the impact of two low base rate phenomena (trauma exposure and spiritual struggle), and by approaching the entire population of first-year students, we risked a low response rate. Further, while many studies are forced to recruit by advertising the purpose of the study, which may lead to patterns of participant self-selection, this study was able to approach the entire first-year class with a study of students’ “first year experience,” which likely limited self-selection.
- There are also many great detox facilities in Glenwood Springs that can help people get the physical component of addiction out of their system and under control.
- We have to be aware of this phenomenon in everything we do and we have to be willing to look directly at this reality to be aware and correct course.
- That path is always right, and there are no wrong turns – just different experiences.
- Reappraisals to a punishing God, reappraisals of God’s powers, and expressions of spiritual discontent partially mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms.
I want to make clear to members that these thoughts are not definitive treatise on the subjects. Just an attempt to stimulate thought or discussion and provide information based on my study and experience. Today I look further at the disease of alcoholism focusing on it as a spiritual malady.
Mediation analyses were conducted using bootstrapping, a nonparametric statistical procedure that uses repeated sampling to estimate and provide a confidence interval for the indirect effect of the independent variable (IV) on the dependent variable (DV) through the mediator (M). Bootstrapping also provides coefficients and significance tests for the direct effects of the IV on the M (a), the M on the DV (b), and the IV on the DV through the M (c’); the total effect of the IV on the DV (c); and the partial effect of the control variable on the DV. Unlike null hypothesis significance testing, which derives a p value for the indirect effect based on the standard normal distribution, bootstrapping does not impose the assumption of normality on the sampling distribution of the indirect effect (Preacher & Hayes, 2008).
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. When you ask them to describe what they mean by that statement, they seem to have a firm grasp on the fact that we alcoholics suffer from “an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind” — that once I put any alcohol in my system whatsoever it sets off a craving for more alcohol. Thankfully, the “spiritual malady” is no longer a “missing piece” of Step One for me. When you ask them to describe what they mean by that statement, they seem to have a firm grasp on the fact that we alcoholics suffer from “an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind” — that once I put any alcohol in my system whatsoever it sets off a craving for more alcohol. Many people are initially turned off to the idea of the program because they believe it preaches religion and God, and many addicts and alcoholics have no desire to pursue a religious answer. But the beauty of the 12-steps is that they are spiritually based as opposed to religious.
The best definition may be found in the actual experience of one’s own shifts in conscious awareness. Spiritual awakenings can be as profound as a smack-upside-the-head, clear-as-a-bell recognition that all people (no matter how damaged and/or disturbed they may be), in fact, all living things are inextricably interconnected with one another and therefore deserve nothing less than compassion and empathy. They can also be as “ordinary” (though there’s really nothing ordinary about it) as consciously tuning in to the chirping of birds or noticing with greater present-centered clarity the magnificence of a sunset or how wonderful and fresh the desert smells after a rainstorm. One way to address the spirituality and healing in Glenwood Springs is to connect to all of the amazing natural surroundings that it has to offer. This includes finding a sense of spirituality in the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. 1It is important to note that some negative cognitions may reflect objective appraisals of a negative situation, such as likelihood of recurrent exposure.
