Successful Drug Addiction Recoveries Part 4: Spirituality   by Shinzat Turmuleis

In the first three installments of Successful Drug Addiction Recoveries, we discussed the ways in which addicts can improve their mental, physical, and emotional health. Regular exercise, quality nutrition, and healthy relationships are crucial for staying on the right track. Dealing with denial and the symptoms of Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome is also essential for addicts to avoid self-medication and relapse.

In this final article, we are going to talk about what may be the most critical part of a recovery program – spiritual progress and exploration. Spirituality doesn’t only apply for religious addicts, however. It has more to do with individuals’ heartfelt connections with intangible ideas and their personal convictions about greater meanings and higher powers. By finding meaning and purpose in life, addicts feel more compelled – and more able – to avoid relapse triggers.

Most rehab clinicians urge their patients to engage in some sort of spirituality. Even when addicts have the personal freedoms of outpatient programs, they are still encouraged to use their free time to explore their beliefs and feelings about their purposes in life. However, this encouragement can be off-putting to addicts who confuse religion and spirituality. Here are a few of the differences:

Generally speaking, religions are well-established collections of customs, practices, and laws. They command their members (and sometimes non-members) to worship specific deities at the exclusions of others, usually in group environments. In contrast, spirituality is personal and tends not to involve any organization or corporate worship. It refers more to private musings on the nature of people, the world, and reality itself. People in addiction recovery programs often find meaning in the idea of a higher power, and many associate this idea with the monotheistic god of contemporary religions.

However, a “higher power” can really be anything that addicts view as more powerful and larger than themselves. Many substances abusers see higher powers at work in certain aspects of their recovery, including family members, supportive friends, uplifting stories, and successful clinical therapies. Overall, this helpful idea tends to be much more vague and nebulous than most religions’ descriptions of their gods.

Despite the intangibility of many spiritual ideas, researchers have found spirituality to be critical in producing long term sobriety in recovering addicts. A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation claims that addiction is not only a mental and physical problem, but an inherently spiritual one, as well. Still, many addicts have trouble making spirituality a part of their daily recovery strategy. The best way for them to do so is to simply look for joy, happiness, and meaning in everyday events and important relationships. Other than that, many addicts find solace in inherently spiritual activities such as meditation, playing music, hiking, reading philosophy, and creating artwork.

The fact that many addicts report relapses just after losing their spirituality speaks to the efficacy of these practices. Still, these other aspects of daily recovery are essential:

*Quality nutrition

*Daily physical activity

*Close interpersonal connections

*Friendships with supportive, drug-free people

*Peer groups and support networks

*Treatment for Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

*Confronting denial

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, use the links below for a free consultation. There are no risks and no obligations. Drug addiction is a life-threatening medical condition, and you don’t have time to wait. Get help today.

About the Author

A writer for the internet marketing world, Shinzat is a crafter of persuasive copy and web content for electronic media and print. Born in a remote part of Japan, Shinzat speaks a variety of languages and writes will in them all. He commands a linguisitcs degree from a Russian university and sits on the board of several consortiums for various arts.

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