BackToSquareOne

What role if any does spirituality play in your recovery? How do you define spirituality? Can a non religious person or an athiest who does not believe in a soul still have spirituality? How do you attain spirituality? Can you be at peace with yourself and the world without spirituality? The questions are endless and some would say that spirituality is a vital part of recovery while others would disagree and say that spirituality has nothing to do with it.

A general defination of Spirituality is : Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and faith, a transcendent reality, or one or more deities. Spiritual matters are thus those matters regarding humankind's ultimate nature and meaning, not only as material biological organisms, but as beings with a unique relationship to that which is perceived to be beyond the bodily senses, time and the material world. Spirituality also implies the mind-body dichotomy, which indicates a separation between the body and soul.

I actually stole this topic from Tomas in the 12 step forum in the thread titled " Nele The Nuchu + The 3rd Step". The sentence that made me think was "What to me made me attracted to these people was their spirituality...their sense of calmness, friendliness, their warm smiles... They had that glow about them..I could see the work of God in each and every one..." This makes me wonder if this state of being, spirituality, calmness or just a sense of oneness and peace with everything is what we all seek. This state of being seems seems innate in a child but we seem to lose touch with it as we grow up, life happens and if it throws us enough curve balls we seem to become hardened, callous, anxious, depressed etc. etc.

When I see the innocence of a young child I often wonder what happens to us, how do we get so screwed up? Why do we feel the need to use drugs or alcohol to alter our state of consciousness? Would we even feel the need if we were truely at peace with ourselves? Any thoughts?

StrongBird

I didn't want to read this and not respond because it's a very thought provoking question.

That really resonates with me. I'm not religious and I'm struggling with how to best "do" steps 2 & 3.

I need to think about this some more. I'll be watching the replies.

tommyk

Spirituality to me means realizing there is a world full of people surrounding me (versus my previous thoughts that the rest of the world 'revolved around me', lol) and I am connected with all of those people, we all exist together (not apart).

I actually relate to people, and like people now. They aren't all against me anymore.

Spirituality (to me) has no reference, connection, or basis in 'religion' at all.

navysteve

Spirituality is harmony. Are my desires and instincts in collision with reality around me? Then I am probably not very spiritual.

From Bill's story:

CarolD

I reverted to my childhood spirituality shortly after I began AA.
To me...that's the Sunday School God of forgiveness and love.

I am a simple woman who practices a simple AA way of life.

Picture the AA triangle. Mine has God as a base
AA on the left...Carol on the right...
Yes! it's vital to my life!


Thank you for letting me share my joy.

Stobert

My relationship with God has become the base of my recovery and continued sobriety. The more I let Him into my life and try to let His will be done, the stronger my foundation has become. I have always been a Sunday churchgoer, and have had a fairly regular prayer life, but this is something different for me, like another dimension to my life that never existed before, drinking or sober. I try to maintain a connection and communion with God whether things are good or bad, and it has made things much calmer and easier, has taken away much worry and turmoil and has helped me to forgive myself and accept the faults and also the kindness of others without resentment.

Peter

Yes.

Without; Acceptance, Patience, Honesty , Faith , Humility and Forgiveness I would still be out there drinking.

These are all Spiritual Principles which nobody can teach us and come from a source within ourselves.

FightingIrish

Don't forget willingness!

ralph9898

I believe the power you describe is the essence of God. God is not a dude with long grey hair that lives in some box in space above us. God is not a he or she. God exists within our hearts. We all have God within us, and the goal is to get in touch with true selves. Once I understood that, it made more sense. I found it when I looked deep inside of me and found the essence of me! I used to direct my prayer upward to a third party, and now I direct my prayers inward. I still don't fully understand all of this and I probably never will. All I know is that once I indulged in the spiritual principles you stated, my life has gotten better. That is all the proof I need.

tomvlll

Yes. Spirituality. That's my plan.

I tried the 'other 'plan.Rational thinking coupled with will power. I was much too intelligent for AA and the higher power,you see.
In fact I tried it almost every day for 5 years.
I went oh-for-1825.

With my new plan,I've gone 1000 for 1000.

any questions?

doorknob

The same role as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny & the Tooth Fairy...

ralph9898

That's exactly how I used to feel. I have always believed I was smarter than everyone else. I thought I had everything figured out. But yet I was miserable. Life was a much greater struggle for me when the burden was completely on me to solve every problem. I was fighting a losing battle. It was like I was swimming in the opposite direction of a strong current. I was staying afloat, but it was very difficult and not much fun. And there was no real reason I was doing it, other than just being stubborn.

I swallowed my ego and let go of my desire for control. I had to stop being stubborn. If I was so right about everything, why was my life not blissful and happy? Why did I have to drink? I realized that I didn't have all of the answers. My way wasn't working. And once I took that step in faith that I am part of something much bigger than me, my life started to change for the better. Now I am swimming in the same direction as the spiritual force (God) that is here to help me, protect me, guide me, and love me. It is so much easier and fun that way. Now I am surfing on that wave instead of swimming against it.

ReneeS

Spirituality is one of my primary motives for becoming abstinent this time around (along with the fact that I was close to destroying the lining of my stomach). The way I'd been drinking--on days off especially--I was numbing myself to everything and everyone, including God. My priest is being very helpful and offering me encouragement and accountability for staying abstinent and re-connecting with God. I know not all ministers are helpful when it comes to helping people with addictions (and some of them have addictions of their own), but I don't think I could have gotten this far without prayer and dependence on God.

Peter

Yeah, I got a couple......oh never mind.....

tomvlll

fire away...

Iggy1966

I think whatever helps drive the anxiety of recovery out of your mind is good. I grew up going to church every Sunday with my parents, quit going for 20 years or so, and only started back recently with my wife. The key to me was the place I found; we go to a VERY laid back, liberal church where the message isn't fire, damnation, and give us more money, but rather be a good person, make your life better, and help others when you can. I'm on Day 4, so this is was my first recovery Sunday, and I have to say for the first time I was looking forward to it, rather than seeing it as an obligation to be a 'good person'.

Religion isn't for everyone, but spirituality is definitely helping me so far...

Tommyh

What role if any does spirituality play in your recovery?

great topic
It plays the main role for me.AA helped me get my prejudices and misconceptions out of the way and I was willing to just try and believe in a Power Greater than myself.That was a start and it took me back to my childhood religion,and childhood God,like Carol stated above.It also opened up a brand new world for me.

yeahgr8

I think it does but it is not something i have had to work on much so far. There were a lot of 'coincidences' that led to me getting sober last year and i cant help but thank my God most nights before going to sleep and in the morning out loud on the way to the bathroom! I'm not particlarly religious but i do believe the things i had to worry about before aren't things i need to worry about anymore and i can just leave them to someone bigger than me to worry about, hope that makes sense:-)

FightingIrish

...the same role a parachute plays in exiting a plane mid-flight...

Tazman53

Well I tried stopping on a non-spiritual basis for 10 years and was able to stop for brief periods of time for the first 5 of those 10 years, the last 5 years of that I was beyond even going a full day without drinking. Once I got out of detox I slowly got spiritual in AA, the more spiritual I got the easier things got.

So what role did spirituality play in my recovery? It played the lead role, and still does! For me it was the key, I was beyond human aide.

Realizing that I am not God, nor on equal footing with him. Living my life in a manner where I am no longer the center of the universe, but instead a part of the universe. No longer relying on my self will, but instead accepting that there is a Power greater then me and that Power loves me and cares for me. Seeking guidance and strength from a Greater Power then I and taking it.

Taking guidance from that small voice inside of me when it comes to my actions, rather then guidanace from me. Call that small voice my conscience or a Power greater then myself, I call it a Power greater then me and when I listen to that guidance things go well for me and those around me, if I choose to do what I wish to do, well things may or may not work out.

Spirituality to me is being in tune with myself and my HP of my understanding, it is about being a part of the world rather than APART from the world! It is realizing that I am not alone, that there is a Power greater then me that if I am in tune with It and listen to It will give me guidance in doing the next right thing.

Well I am not religous by any stretch of the imagination, but I do beleive I have a soul, so I really can not answer this from my experience. I would assume they can because I know some very spiritual non religous folks, but I do not know if they beleive in a soul or not.

I attained it by taking and living the 12 steps of AA.

I can only speak from my experience, but I truly never felt at peace with myself before I got spiritual and certainly was not at peace with the world because I was not a part of the world until I got spiritual.

Before I got spiritual the world seemed to be at a minimum uncoperative with me and my plans, at the worst it was the world and God out to get me!!!! When I was out there, it was as though I was on the outside looking in.