The Spiritual Malady of Addiction

Many people who are in need of recovery resist it knowing that the solution is spiritual.  The desire to avoid connection with the spiritual aspects of the self are embedded in the nature of addiction.  The avoidance of spirituality keeps the addict in addiction long after the desire to return to whole and healthy living is sparked.  It is in this essence of anticipation of the future, and what it is imagined to hold, that stops so many from living the purpose they were born to live.  

First things first, if anticipation of the future and what holds spiritually is alive, lay it down.  Addiction must be tended to on the physical realm, or at least, this is the primary focus initially.  When anticipation of the future consumes potentially healthy actions of the addict, this is simply another way that the addiction is dominating the healthy self.  The worried or rebellious anticipation of the future is a cue to bring the focus back to seeking physical abstinence and motivations for doing so.  

Once physical abstinence is attained, the addict will cultivate a lifestyle of recovery through the insights revealed through the 12 Steps.  The steps that particularly bring awareness to concrete examples of the spiritual malady of addiction are discovered in Steps 4 and 5.  These steps outline the emotional patterns which have a tendency to the block the ‘sunlight of the spirit’.  As the steps are taken, it may be seen that resentments function to create separation from the people that the addict loves and the whole of life.  It is through emotions and thoughts about them that the addict creates isolation from their relationships.  This isolation sets the stage for return to emotional escapism through addiction.  

Addiction is often referred to as a disease of perception as addicts have a tendency to creating extraneous narrative around the experiences of their lives.  Since this additional narrative often consist of perspectives that causes the addict to feel separate, this is where the spiritual malady lives.  It is through the daily cleansing of perception through the process of the steps and the sharing with another addict that the addict is able to return to living as an integrated part of the whole of life.  

If you are struggling with addiction, alcoholism, and/or mental health, know that there is hope. There is a solution. Harmoniously fusing together the best elements of clinical care, holistic healing, and 12-step philosophy, Enlightened Solutions has created a program of total transformation for men and women seeking recovery. Call 833-801-5483 today for information on our partial care programs in New Jersey.