Author: Charles Frank

The Missing Piece: The Spiritual Malady

Scientifically, issues like dependence and withdrawal are linked to how alcohol affects brain chemistry, such as dopamine levels and neurotransmitter activity. 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. The idea is to look for a spiritual solution to an addiction problem, as this type of issue affects more than someone physically. Below is an overview of the 12 admissions that support the 12 steps toward recovery. 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.

Side Effects of Cocaine

Yes, something is certainly wrong, but it’s not that the soul is broken (which is impossible from an objective standpoint), it’s that they’ve lost touch with their soul. Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience. We recently launched our in-app chatbot, Melody, powered by the world’s most powerful AI technology. Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol. While AA’s model aligns somewhat with scientific understanding, calling it a spiritual malady oversimplifies complex neurochemical and psychological processes.

What is Authentic Spiritual Healing?

If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, it may be time to seek help for cocaine addiction. Our experienced and committed team at California Detox is ready to provide personalized treatment to help you overcome addiction and regain control of your life. Thankfully, the “spiritual malady” is no longer a “missing piece” of Step One for me. It is a reality of my powerlessness and unmanageability and enables me to see why I so desperately need to seek a Power Greater than myself.

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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. The 12 Steps address spiritual malady by integrating a higher power, promoting spiritual awakening, and involving steps like moral inventory and admitting wrongs, which are crucial for spiritual healing. The symptoms of spiritual malady can vary greatly, yet they are profoundly impactful.

The Concept of Spiritual Disease

There’s a lot of talk of “character defects” and “resentments” that contribute to the spiritual malady and drive us to drink. A higher power provides guidance, peace, and purpose, which are essential for overcoming addiction. Identifying the right support system is crucial for sustainable recovery. A supportive environment that understands the spiritual aspects of recovery can provide more meaningful assistance.

1. These conditions can exacerbate the effects of cocaine use and make it even harder to quit.
2. For instance, if you suffer from chronic pain (for which no other methods work) and also depression, you would need physical and mental healing – ideally, some kind of holistic healer would benefit you the most.
3. Spiritual wellness involves developing a purpose in life and having a clear sense of right and wrong.

Many discover that acknowledging a higher power aids in letting go of control and finding guidance in the recovery journey. This spiritual connection provides a sense of peace and purpose that can be transformative. Surrendering to a higher power enables us to tackle the deep-rooted spiritual malady that drives our addiction. In the lives of many AA members, including an alcoholic’s life, the spiritual malady appears as a profound void—an emptiness we often try to fill with alcohol and other external things. This emptiness gives rise to feelings of resentment and discontent, which in turn aggravates our spiritual sickness. Living a double life, with one side consumed by alcohol, only deepens this malady.

It has only reinforced that I am not OK, that “cutting the reality away” has served no purpose except to increase my pain and suffering. I, of late, have experienced Disconnect, due to health, emotional, spiritual pain. Thank you for this week’s article and the assistance to guide my angst back onto a peaceful track of resolution with my reality. The only way to heal that blistering sore is to face it, accept it, and find ways of alleviating your suffering – not as a way of trying to escape your reality – but as a form of self-love. Basically, it means that sometimes we can use spiritual healing as an excuse to “get rid of” certain feelings, memories, and experiences that we’ve had.

Common signs include irritability, restlessness, and a pervasive sense of discontent. These feelings often drive us to seek relief through alcohol, creating a vicious cycle of dependence and escapism. Untreated spiritual malady can lead to a deep sense of dissatisfaction and disconnection, further fueling our addiction.

Cocaine addiction is a chronic and progressive condition that affects both the mind and body. There are many cocaine use side effects, both short-term and long-term, that make any use of cocaine dangerous. Today’s guide to the effects of cocaine use highlights how cocaine affects the body and mind, details the side effects of using cocaine, and shows you how to connect with cocaine addiction treatment in Southern California. The “spiritual problem,” in turn, calls for a “spiritual solution.” And in AA, that spiritual solution is the Higher Power. When “the spiritual malady is overcome,” this Higher Power is supposed to “restore us to sanity” and tidy up the physical, mental, and spiritual mess that booze has stirred up in our life. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is an excellent resource for individuals seeking help, offering confidential support and connecting them with local treatment facilities and support groups.

It can be about finding a deeper sense of meaning and connection, whether through nature, meditation, yoga, or creative pursuits. However, that does not mean addicts are confronting this spiritual ailment by themselves. While an addict’s spiritual malady triggers a compulsive need to use drugs, other people’s spiritual conflicts may take the form of a gambling problem, anxiety, depression, or eating 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.

I was recommended to your website and followed you for several years now. Many years ago I had a wonderful counselor who taught me the same path towards “healing” that you address here… that basically healing is not meant to “erase” the reality of our wounds. Healing is to learn what tools to use to cope with my wounds and care for those wounds lovingly, accepting them into my reality… “LettingGo” has not been the answer.

Common types of spiritual healing include chakra healing, crystal/herbal remedies, breathwork, reiki, traditional medicine (ayurveda, Chinese medicine), aromatherapy, meditation/visualization techniques, and so on. Even psychologists and therapists are starting to incorporate spiritual healing into their work such as those operating in the depth and transpersonal fields of psychology. By revealing and soothing the wounds that other modalities (such as psychology or nutrition) fail to heal, a doorway is opened to deeper inner spiritual alchemy. In other words, spiritual healing can offer us the chance to grow and transform in a way that no other path can. The Reframe app equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to not only survive drinking less, but to thrive while you navigate the journey. Our daily research-backed readings teach you the neuroscience of alcohol, and our in-app Toolkit provides the resources and activities you need to navigate each challenge.