Climbing out of the puts of addiction is a treacherous journey filled with emotional, physical and spiritual trials. Many find themselves at rock bottom feeling utterly depressed, hopeless and distraught. They think to themselves, “I am a failure. How in the world am I ever going to get through this?”
The truth is, most people simply cannot achieve abstinence and go through the healing process by themselves. After all, left to our own devices, we will all return back to our vices and never break free. This is when having a spiritual counselor can be of much-needed assistance.
A New Outlook
While a regular counselor can guide you along the path to recovery by helping you contend with your emotions, behaviors and alcoholism disease, it’s likely that your spirit has also taken a god beating. Whether you’re religious or not, know that we are all spiritual beings and tending to this likely deflated part of your life can go a long way in your recovery.
A good spiritual counselor can help tend to your spiritual state and help you grow and flourish when it comes to your inner state of being. To begin with, as an alcoholic, you may feel intense guilt or self-loathing caused by the situation you are in. It's typical for alcoholics to have caused harm to those they care about during their descent. A spiritual counselor can help you learn to forgive yourself and to find your intrinsic sense of value, which makes lasting healing possible.
The Strength to Power Through
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms also act as serious barriers to recovery. It's not uncommon to experience hallucinations, nausea, profuse sweating, and other severe symptoms when you discontinue alcohol use. While there are sometimes medical options for treating these symptoms, sometimes you must simply endure these trials. A strong, spiritual base has been known to provide the support and foundation for this endurance. Without counseling, however, this foundation can be easily broken.
And lastly, even a sober addict must constantly fight the urge to use alcohol for the rest of his life. Spiritual counselors can help you find strength in a higher purpose or universal love. On top of that, the counselor can also be a source of strength during your moments of weakness. That's one of the reasons why so many rehabilitation programs incorporate a mentor, buddy or sponsor.
The benefits of spiritual counseling to an alcoholic cannot be overstated. While it is not impossible for an alcoholic to recover on their own, the chances of success are greatly increased when your mind, body, and soul are treated in unison. This is one of the reasons why The Serenity Prayer is so popular in the recovery movement, as being able to rely on a Higher Power for strength and hope helps recovering alcoholics keep the alcohol at bay and find a sense of purpose.
If you or someone you know is seeking help with addiction, please visit our directory of treatment centers or call 866-606-0182 to start the path to recovery today.
