Use of Spiritual Disciplines to Support Recovery from Addiction

Addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, the internet (Facebook, games, pornography, etc.) is so powerful that many find that seeking a spiritual source of strength can enhance other measures such as therapy and counseling. We are, of course, speaking here of spirituality that can be found in organized religion but often is found outside of religions.

The 12 Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, to name a few, wisely refer to a source of spiritual strength, as God (as you understand God), a Higher Power, or a power greater than myself; so that each individual can approach spirituality in his or her own way.

Rather than trying to figure out the what, who, how of a Higher Power, my suggestion is to avoid definitions and to just go ahead with a leap of faith and begin reaching out to a spiritual source of strength. The motivation for this leap of faith usually comes from pain and suffering caused by addiction and repeatedly failed efforts to stop alcohol or other drug use or other addictive behavior through will power, therapy and/or counseling. Attendance of 12 Step meetings can also provide a demonstration of spiritual strength evidenced by members of these programs who have stopped their addictive behaviors for significant periods of time.

Spiritual disciplines, as defined here, along with abstinence and attendance of 12 Step meetings, can, over time, result in the individual coming to believe in their efficacy. So, consider setting aside a quiet time every morning to focus on the fact that you are in recovery and to make a conscious commitment to yourself each morning to be abstinent from drug or alcohol use, or other addictive behavior, for that day. If appropriate for you, add a request (prayer) to your source of spiritual strength for the ability to be clean and sober that day.

At night before retiring for the day, take a few minutes for some quiet time to review the day. If you have not picked up an alcoholic drink or a drug, or engaged in other addictive behaviors, you can be grateful for that miracle regardless of whatever negative or positive events that have occurred. It is indeed a miracle for an addict or alcoholic to get through a day without using. Again, if appropriate, add a thanks to your source of spiritual strength for a day of abstinence.

These daily disciplines on awakening and before sleeping can become basic recovery tools for you and form the basis for a spiritual awakening and evidence to you of the power of spiritual disciplines. As always, comments are invited.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams.
www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 11/14/2015

More on Powerlessness as a Spiritual Tool in Recovery from Addiction

The First Step of the 12 Step Programs for alcoholics and addicts (Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) involves admitting that "we were powerless" over alcohol or other drugs and that "our lives had become unmanageable." This admission of powerlessness and unmanageability lays the basis for abstinence and recovery from addiction via a journey through the 12 Steps. Steps Two ("Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity") and Three ("Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him") provide a spiritual foundation for recovery. These three Steps have been given this shorthand: "I can't handle it; God (or other source of spiritual strength) can; I think I'll let God (or other spiritual source) do so.

This post suggests that learning to be on the lookout for incidents of powerlessness and unmanageability during a recovering individual's life can, by use of the spiritual principles summarized in the first paragraph, become a vital tool in maintaining emotional and spiritual balance, and, of course, abstinence and sobriety. Thus, the goal here is to try to recognize life situations over which one has little power and then to apply spiritual principles to those situations.

As everyone soon discovers, recovery from addiction does not provide immunity from the sometimes trying and traumatic realities of life. We all face such realities just like those fortunate enough to have avoided addiction. However, the point here is that recognition of incidents of powerlessness and unmanageability can trigger the individual to apply spiritual tools that worked in recovery from addiction. When serious life difficulties, such as, job loss, loss of a relationship, or diagnosis of a serious medical condition, occur, as they will, the recovering alcoholic or addict can recognize the situation as one where application of the well-learned spiritual lesson of Step One's powerlessness is appropriate; can take whatever action is indicated (look for a job, couples counseling, consult a physician); and then apply the spiritual principles embodied in Steps One, Two and Three: "Having take appropriate action, I now recognize I am powerless over the result of the situation and turn it over to God, a Higher Power, or other source of spiritual strength."

Not to be forgotten as an important spiritual tool is the value of sharing one's trials and tribulations with another trustworthy person. A passage in the meditation reader of Al-Anon (Courage to Change: One Day at a Time in Al-Anon II, October 1) has some helpful language applicable to this post: "If problems arise today, I will try to acknowledge them--and then put a little spiritual space between my problems and myself. If I can share about them with another person, I will further diminish their power. Recognizing that my life is unmanageable is the first step toward managing it."

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 10/01/2015.

Another Look at the Issue of Drug Addicts Attending Meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous

Should drug addicts attend meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous? My answer is, "Yes." However, I am aware of the controversial nature of this subject and that there are some complicated issues involved in drug addicts attending AA, including whether a drug addict who has not diagnosed himself to be an alcoholic, qualifies for AA membership.

I think a key point is this: The AA Traditions (Number 3) state that the only requirement for membership in AA is a "desire to stop drinking."; so, just on that authority, in my opinion, a drug addict without any history of problematic alcohol use, can become a member of AA without doing any violence to the AA traditions. For the following reasons, a drug addict in, or desiring to have. a solid recovery should have a desire to stop drinking: 1) alcohol is a drug; 2) use of alcohol will impair the recovering addict's judgment thereby making him/her more vulnerable to thoughts or occasions to use drugs; 3) either you are abstinent from all drugs of abuse, or you are not; and 4) use of any psychoactive agent including alcohol will tend to interfere with any spiritual relationship the recovering addict may have with a source of spiritual strength (Higher Power).

Bill Wilson, a co-founder of AA, however, came down on the side of not including non-alcoholic drug addicts as AA members, stating in a pamphlet titled, Problems Other than Alcohol (The AA Grapevine, Inc., February 1958):

"Our first duty, as a society, is to insure our own survival. Therefore, we have to avoid distractions and multipurpose activity. An A.A. group, as such, cannot take on all the personal problems of its members, let alone the problems of the whole world. Sobriety — freedom from alcohol — through the teaching and practice of the Twelve Steps is the sole purpose of an A.A. group. Groups have repeatedly tried other activities, and they have always failed. It has also been learned that there is no possible way to make nonalcoholics into A.A. members."

For the declaration that there is no possible way to make nonalcoholics into AA members, Bill Wilson cited how family members and nonalcoholic friends of AA were unable to relate to AA members and would have difficulty doing Twelfth Step work, not an argumentseemingly relevant to the issue of non-alcoholic or alcoholic drug addicts as AA members.

Although not wishing to appear presumptuous in arguing against a position taken by the founder of AA, an organization that has saved many lives including my own, I will go ahead and briefly address Bill Wilson's justifications of his position and apologize in advance for the lack of scientific research to bring to bear on this matter (there is very little).

Although citing the AA Traditions to support his position on non-alcoholics not being AA members, Bill Wilson does not even mention Tradition Three: "The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking."

In the 57 years since Bill Wilson's monograph on this subject (the 12 Traditions were adopted in 1950), there has been, at least anecdotally, a significant increase in young AA members, an increase in young AA members with a history of both drug and alcohol addiction, and an increase in young members in AA who are non-alcoholic drug addicts. There is also some research (not altogether scientific) suggesting that the number of AA members under the age of 40 has grown to 26% (Alcoholics Anonymous Membership Survey 2014). AA does not have statistics on how many of the AA members under 40 have a diagnosis of both alcoholism and drug addiction or how many may be non-alcoholic drug addict members. There are data that document (available on request) that the vast majority of individuals 30-40 years of age or younger with a primary diagnosis of alcohol addiction have histories of problematic drug use (often marijuana) and that those in that age range with a primary diagnosis of drug addiction have histories of problematic alcohol use. So, one can postulate that a significant number of the 26% of AA members under the age of 40 (AAMembership Survey) probably have a history of problematic use of both alcohol and other drugs.

AA seems to have absorbed the increase in younger members with both alcohol and drug addiction without any of the threats to its survival that Bill Wilson feared over 57 years ago. There are over 115,000 AA groups worldwide, with an estimated 2,040,629 members (AA statistics). Anecdotally, in my experience, AA members with significant drug histories either place the emphasis on the alcohol portion of their stories when sharing at AA meetings or speak generally about their non-alcohol addiction. Some meetings make a statement at the beginning of the meeting that those present should confine their remarks to their experience with alcohol. This admonition seems, in my experience, to be effective.

I have not made an exhaustive study of AA literature and historical documentation and, of course, do not have data about the AA experience with alcoholic drug addict and non-alcoholic drug addict members across the U.S. I invite those with additional evidence, scientific or anecdotal, to add to this, now unduly long. post about the issue of drug addicts attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.

As always, comments are invited, Jan Edward Williams,www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 09/06/2015.

Another "Quick Fix" Treatment for Addiction: Erase Memories that Can Trigger Relapse

A major cause of relapse in individuals recovering from drug addiction, specifically in the situation under discussion here, methamphetamine addiction, involves triggers associated with memories of past drug use.

A recent animal study, summarized in ScienceDaily for August 04, 2015, reports on an experiment involving injection of a chemical called blebbistatin into animals with laboratory induced methamphetamine addiction. One injection resulted in erasure of memories pertaining to use of methamphetamine. Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida stated that "The results [of the study] showed that a single injection of blebbistatin successfully disrupted long-term storage of drug-related memories--and blocked relapse for at least a month in animal models of methamphetamine addiction."

The scientists were excited because "... the effect of this novel treatment approach was specific to drug-associated memories (not affecting other memories), and the animals were still able to form new recollections."

In my opinion, drug companies and allied medical organizations tend to seek development of drugs that will quickly fix the problem of addiction. The most objectionable examples, in my view, include methadone and suboxone maintenance that approach treatment of opiate addiction through use of legal opiate substances. Less objectionable are approaches that involve administration of opiate antagonists such as naltrexone that block the ability of opiates to produce their addictive effects and seem to also help reduce cravings in recovering alcoholics. The advantage of opiate antagonists is that they do not produce a "high", as do methadone and suboxone.

The approach reported on in this post seems like science fiction but is consistent with the attempts by science to offer a quick fix for addiction. My preference for long term recovery is, of course, to aim for abstinence through the hard work involved in therapy and use of spiritual principles in the 12 Step Programs.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams,www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 08/08/2015.

The Serenity Prayer: A Powerful Recovery Tool

Addictive disease, be it cocaine, heroin, alcohol, gambling, or other addiction, has a powerful grip on those suffering from it. Therefore, recovery from addiction must harness powerful measures to combat the power of addiction. Recovery tools can be lifesaving measures for recovering individuals. The Serenity Prayer is one such powerful recovery tool:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can, and
The wisdom to know the difference.

In my view, the Serenity Prayer, properly interpreted and used, can not only be a tool for addiction recovery but also a tool for ongoing mental health. Here is the way I interpret the Serenity Prayer and try to use it on a daily basis:

God, 

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, OTHER PEOPLE AND MANY EVENTS IN MY LIFE,

Grant me the courage to change the things I can, ME AND HOW I REACT TO PEOPLE AND EVENTS IN MY LIFE,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

A recovering individual will face frustration and ultimately relapse by focusing on changing other people and many events in life and should focus on what he/she can change, namely, how he/she reacts to people and life. We always have the ability to address our own thinking (cognitions) and emotional and behavioral reactions to people and events. The folks in Al-Anon have a short phrase that encapsulates some of this: mind your own business. The wisdom comes from daily attempts, with success and failure, to apply the Serenity Prayer tool, from doing so without use of alcohol or other drugs, and from seeking the strength from God, or other source of spiritual strength, to persevere in the task.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 07/27/2015.

In Order to Keep It You have to Give It Away!

Recovery from drug or alcohol addiction using the Twelve Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous involves a lot of work on self, but a basic tenet of 12 Step recovery is summed up in this common guideline: In order to keep your recovery or sobriety, you must give it away. Or, put another way, using the words of the AA preamble: "Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholicss to achieve sobriety." Here is how NA states this concept in their publication, Who, What, How and Why (White Booklet): "The newcomer is the most important person at any meeting, because we can only keep what we have by giving it away."

Often, members of AA or NA, even those with long term recovery, may feel that they are not good speakers, don't seem to have made great progress in working the 12 Steps of recovery, or in some other ways think they may not have anything to offer the newcomer or have anything "to give away." I ran across this quote in one of the daily meditation books I read, which is encouraging in its message that any individual in recovery may help another, even with only a smile directed toward another at a meeting:

"They might not need me;
but they might.I'll let my head be just in sight;a smile as small as mine might be precisely their necessity."--Emily Dickinson

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 06/22/2015,www.alcoholdrugsos.com.

Does Every Drink with Alcohol Constitute a Relapse for the Recovering Individual?

Here are a couple of scenarios to put this question in some context. I am at a party where liquor is served and pick up the wrong drink by mistake, take a swallow, realize that there was alcohol in the drink, and drink no more. Or, I am at dinner in a restaurant and discover after eating a slice of cake that it had alcohol in it. Or, I am a devout Catholic, Episcopalian, or member of a religion where wine is an integral part of worship and I partake of a sip of wine, say, once a week at my place of worship. In any of these cases, would the individual need to consider him/herself to have relapsed and need to have a new sobriety date?

My conclusion is that none of these scenarios constitutes a relapse (as long as the individual in the first two scenarios does not have more than one such "mistake", and the religious individual is not attending worship services many times a day). I know of one individual with long term sobriety who is a Catholic and partakes of the host in the form of wine (blood of Christ). I myself do not take the wine at communion; I do not trust my central nervous system (CNS) to recognize the blood of Christ rather than the wine. In regard to the mistake such as picking up the wrong drink or consuming food with alcohol, my view is that such incidents should not happen if the individual maintains a high level of awareness of the dangers of such situations. For example, I always question whether sauces for foods contain alcohol and decline them even though some think the alcohol is removed by cooking. Again I do not trust the reaction of my CNS to the taste or absorption of even minute amounts of alcohol. Similarly, at parties where alcoholic beverages are served, I suggest asking for closed bottles of nonalcoholic drinks or observation of the pouring of the ordered drink, and holding onto the drink to avoid picking up the wrong one.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams,www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 05/26/2015.

Tips for Those New to Addictions Recovery

This brief note is for persons new to recovery, whether just starting participation in 12 Step Programs such as AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon or Families Anonymous, or just completing a residential treatment program, or just completing an intensive outpatient treatment program. The single most important tip for such newly recovering persons is to engage in some recovery activity every day. I refer here to daily attendance of 12 Step meetings, daily prayer and meditation (if you are open to this), daily readings of recovery literature (books with a page for each day of the year such as Daily Reflections (AA), One Day at A Time (Al-Anon), Today a Better Way (Families Anonymous), Days of Healing, Days of Joy (ACOA)), including the AA Big Book or the NA Basic text, daily contacts with others in solid recovery, weekly therapy (if that is part of your recovery), to name a few.

There is a reason that most treatment programs suggest 90 meetings in 90 days--the power of addiction is such that the newly recovering person needs as much support as possible. The research is clear: the longer a person continues to invest in daily contact with supports for recovery (just mentioned), the better the outcome in terms of abstinence. There is much more to be said to aid the newly recovering person. I invite comments. Jan Williams,www,alcoholdrugsos.com, 04/15/2015.

Are There Any Conditions on Your Recovery?

Are There Any Conditions on Your Recovery? Would It Ever Be OK For You To Drink or Drug? I am not talking here about necessary and needed medications prescribed by a physician and used as prescribed. I think it important for every individual in recovery from addictive disease to think deeply about, and to honestly answer, this question: If a particular eventuality should come to pass, would it trigger me to pick up a drink or a drug? Some such eventualities that I have encountered in working with recovering individuals include: going to jail. losing my job, my spouse, or partner, death of a loved one, or, being told of a fatal medical condition.

In my view, it matters little why an individual begins the recovery journey; many enter treatment and recovery for the job, significant other, for legal reasons, because of coercion from parents, etc. Being in recovery/treatment allows the individual the opportunity to break through denial and realize that abstinence and recovery are personally needed goals. At some point in recovery, the individual must be on the recovery path for reasons internal to him/her, rather than for external reasons of the type mentioned here. An external condition is likely to be resolved or removed at some point, thereby removing the reason and motivation for abstinence and recovery, resulting in relapse.

Once an individual has internalized abstinence and recovery as vital regardless of the external reasons initially bringing him/her to recovery, and has settled into a relatively stable abstinence based life, the realities of living will continue to happen as they do to all people. The ability to meet the sometimes harsh realities, such as loss of loved ones or devastating medical conditions, without resorting to use of alcohol or other drugs, will depend upon the strength of the individual's recovery program, including experience applying the tools of recovery, a strong relationship with a sponsor (mentor), and the recovery Fellowship, to name a few factors. Perhaps most important for long term recovery in the face of critical life events is a well developed relationship with a source of spiritual strength (God, Higher Power). The goal of the 12 Step Programs is to help the recovering individual to develop such a relationship.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 03/19/2015.

Remember: Love the Newcomer to Recovery

One often hears in 12 Step meetings that the people in the rooms where AA or NA members meet "... loved me until I learned to love myself." It is important to remember how broken and fragile newcomers to recovery are; how guarded and self-loathing they are. A kind word of welcome can mean so much to the newcomer, even though he/she may not be able to verbalize its value. A simple, "Keep coming back; hope to see you again", or offering a telephone number, can be a gift of hope to the frightened individual new to the rooms of recovery.

I was reminded of the importance of welcoming and supporting the newcomer by the following quote that I read today in one of the daily meditation books that I read:

"Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything... (George Herbert, English poet, 1593-1633)."

These simple words written by a 17th century poet, who lived to be less than 40 years of age, gave me goose bumps (or "piloerection", a more technical and sexier term) when I read them. So, let us remember to offer support to the newcomer to recovery.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams,www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 02/25/2015.

Powerlessness: A Powerful Recovery Tool

The basic purpose of the 12 Step recovery program found in AA and NA is to help the addicted individual to connect with a spiritual source of strength and, thereby, find a way out of addiction. Powerlessness over alcohol, or other drugs, is the basic concept underlying recovery from addiction using the 12 Step recovery model.

As stated in the AA Basic Text ("Big Book"):

"Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power? Well, that's exactly what this book [AA Big Book] is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself...(Alcoholics Anonymous,  page 45)."

A few years ago I came across some language in the New Testament that opened additional doors of understanding for me about acceptance and powerlessness, two related concepts that seem to be key to a serene recovery. My version of the biblical passage I am referring to is this: "In weakness power reaches perfection...for when I am powerless it is then that I am strong..." (12 Corinthians 8-10).

In the 12 Step Programs, the foundational Step is, of course, Step One: "We admitted we were powerless" over alcohol, or drugs, or whatever the behavior may be. As long as the addicted individual hangs onto even a vestige of belief that he/she can control, has power over, alcohol or other drug use, he/she is not open to the need for help, including spiritual help. Very simply, after years of struggle and pain trying to control ones alcohol or drug use, the fortunate individual will find that self-centered pride and self-sufficiency give way, allowing the individual to come to believe, that is, internalize in his/her heart that he/she cannot control (Has no power over) use of alcohol or other drugs, setting the stage for being open to help, at first from others recovering from addiction, and then to seeking a source of spiritual strength.

The power of powerlessness lies in the fact that recognition of a lack of power means that the addict or alcoholic is now open to asking for help. The serenity prayer says it all. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (others and many events in life), the courage to change the things I can (me and how I react to others and events in life), and the wisdom to know the difference. Surrender to win is the 12 Step shorthand version of this post. There is infinite power in powerlessness. Recognition of powerlessness enables one to seek power from a source of spiritual strength.

As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com,  02/24/2015.

Recovery Tool: Live One Day at a Time

A good recovery tool for maintaining sanity, emotional balance, and, of course, abstinence from use of alcohol or other drugs, can be found in the concept of living one day at a time. Here is a well-known reflection from 12 Step Literature that can help one to focus on living one day at a time:

"There are two days in every week about which we should not worry;
Two days which should be kept free of fear and apprehension;
One of these days is YESTERDAY, With its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.

YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY.
We cannot undo a single act we performed.
We cannot erase a single word we said.
YESTERDAY is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW;
With its possible adversities, its burdens, its larger promise.
TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control.
TOMORROW, the sun will rise,
Either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds;
But it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW
For it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - TODAY.
Any man can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity's
- YESTERDAY and TOMORROW -That we break down.

It is not the experience of TODAY that drives men mad.
It is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY
And the dread of what TOMORROW may bring.

Let us, therefore, live but ONE day at a time. --24 Hours a Day."

As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 01/31/2015.

Life's Problems Are Opportunities for Spiritual Growth

In my early recovery from alcohol and other sedative addiction I struggled with the spiritual aspects of recovery in the 12 Step Programs. In fact, I relapsed a number of times because of a lack of willingness to be open to seeking a power greater than myself. Finally, I was given what I call the gift of willingness to pray daily to a spiritual source of strength that, at the time, I did not believe in, abstain from drug or alcohol use, attend 12 Step meetings and work the 12 Steps. Over time, doing the simple things I mentioned resulted in a deep awareness that I was going to be OK regardless of the realities of life around me.

For over 37 years, this spiritual strength has sustained me during the good and the bad events of life. In the past several years, I have had some serious medical problems. These experiences were frightening and stressful, but resulted in much prayer by me, my family, and friends in recovery. My point in all of this is that, though frightened and stressed, the spiritual strength that I had found in those early days of recovery, continue to sustain me through even serious life problems. Indeed, my relationship to my source of spiritual strength, God, has as a result of these events become stronger, and I am still here living life one day at a time. So, I conclude, as I have many times in my recovery, that painful, traumatic experiences can become opportunities for spiritual growth. As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 01/22/2015, www.alcoholdrugsos.com.