Alcoholics Anonymous Reviews

An addiction is a very strong habit that is self-destructive on some level and cannot be controlled, even in circumstances where it would be in the sufferer's best interest to curb the craving. Healthful habits can also possess the features of addiction, but, if we're engaging in those healthful habits to a degree that isn't harmful (exercise becomes harmful when it crosses the line into over-exercise, for example), they don’t qualify as addictions. Still, the techniques used in breaking addictions might also be helpful for anyone seeking to break any bad habit, even if the habit hasn't fully crossed the line into addiction.

A recent study performed by the Alcohol Research Group in Berkeley, California took a look at the role spirituality plays in recovery from alcoholism and other addictions. Spirituality has long been proclaimed as the treatment for alcoholism by the 12-step program Alcoholics Anonymous. Scientists focused on the positive benefits a Spiritual Wellness plan could have on addicts.

Researchers followed participants enrolled in both day hospitals and residential treatment programs in California. They used a base-line interview and a 1-year follow-up assessment to determine how the level of spiritual involvement mediated the effects of recovery from alcoholism. The Religious Background and Behaviors Scale and an item assessing whether or not a particular participant had experienced a spiritual awakening through a 12-step program were used to analyze level of spiritual involvement and the effects of spirituality on the recovering individual's life.

Results showed that those who increased involvement in 12-step groups had higher odds of staying completely sober at the 1-year follow-up. Increasing involvement in the 12-steps is synonymous with increasing spiritual involvement, since the steps are designed to bring greater spiritual awareness into the lives of addicts.

But how does spirituality work in breaking addictions or habits? According to the philosophy of Kundalini Yoga, what we think about is our "higher power." Twelve-step groups believe much the same thing. We engage in our habits because we focus our attention on taking those actions for one reason or another. We may not exercise because we've focused our attention on watching television. Television is the habit, and the more we think about watching television, the more it becomes our "higher power."

Turning our thoughts to another higher power when we feel the pull of a habit or addiction can help us to re-channel our energy in a more positive direction. This latest Spiritual Wellness study illustrates how turning our bad habits and addictions over to a higher power really makes a difference, helping us to change the way we live.

Many people see spirituality as a single compartment of their lives. Bringing a higher power into every area of our lives might make all the difference in how we live. Habits and addictions have control over us, but believing that a positive force has control replaces the habit or addiction. If what we think about influences our behavior, changing what we think about through increased spiritual involvement and meditating on a higher power of some kind could change those habits and addictions, making our lives healthier and more positive. Spiritual Wellness may not seem very scientific, but science has shown that it really does work.

Insight Journal