It’s really not my mind – the mentalobsession – that is the underlying root of what will take me back todrinking. It’s the “spiritual malady”, as manifested by my EGO (selfishness-self-centeredness), that can eventually lead me back to drinking or sometimes even suicide. When spiritual malady is overcome, a sense of wholeness and well-being can be restored. In essence, individuals must realize that overcoming spiritual malady leads to a fulfilling life, full of love, happiness, and contentment.
The Mind is also Abnormal
But beware of others that sell the book marked up 400% or more. For the same money, you could buy 4 books and use 3 as sponsee gifts. Traditionally trained medical doctors are trained to treat diseases. They are trained basically in surgery and medicine which is aimed at curing some abnormal condition in a bodily organ or tissue. Lastly, tens of thousands of recoveries throughout the decades, since 1939, in the rooms of A.A., C.A., N.A. And so many other Twelve Step oriented fellowships, bares witness to the efficacy of the Twelve Step Program.
- When we have the first sip of a drink, or whiff of a drug, it is then controlling our bodies.
- The “spiritual problem,” in turn, calls for a “spiritual solution.” And in AA, that spiritual solution is the Higher Power.
- When things get tough, take a moment to pray, meditate, or just sit quietly and think about your Higher Power and what it means to you.
- While AA promises that the Higher Power can “restore us to sanity” when “the spiritual malady is overcome,” we’re never entirely free.
Critics argue that the term “spiritual malady” might miss the scientific nuances of addiction, which include brain chemistry alterations and cognitive distortions. Also, the concept can be seen as judgmental, focusing too much on personal flaws and moral failings as root causes of addiction. 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. And unless this malady is recognized, and a course of action (the Twelve Steps) is taken to enable God to remove it, the root of our alcoholic illness can lie dormant and burn us when we least expect it. Step 1 in the AA programme is “ We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable”.
The Allergy of the Body and the Obession of the Mind
Furthermore, medicalizing addictions has given rise to the multi-billion dollar treatment centre industry. It has also spawned the further rise of “Big Pharma” and their plethora of pharmaceutical interventions to augment the addict’s plight. And let us no forget Government sponsored methadone programs and safe-injection sites for heroine addicts. Sadly, talk with any heroine addict and ask them about the horrors of trying to detox from methadone addiction, all courtesy of our enabling government sanctioned social services agencies. Of course those things can be classified as “unmanageability” – but they are external unmanageability.
Finding We Matter: Through Our Service to Others
They oversimplify our problem and solution and can send the wrong information. Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us. 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.
This resistance to anything spiritual is the biggest obstacle some addicts confront. To beat their addiction, people must face the reality that there is indeed a power larger than themselves. According to the Big Book authors, these are the recognizable benchmarks that tell us we are having a spiritual experience or awakening.
Things may change over time, and you never know when or how your beliefs might evolve. The important thing is that you stay committed to your sobriety and continue working the program – eventually, everything else will fall into place. You should also try to find other people in AA who share your beliefs and struggles; they can provide support and fellowship as well as offer helpful advice. Just remember, even if you don’t share the same beliefs, everyone in AA are united by their shared experience with addiction and their desire to stay sober.
- Through that process, I’ve had a spiritual awakening that has become the foundation of recovery.
- That, we think, is the root of our troubles.” This “SELFISHNESS-self-centeredness” (or the “ego”, as some people refer to it) drives us to respond to life situations with the above “symptoms” as well as disorders and addictions other than alcoholism.
- 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.
- I also think that it’s important to note that there is a BIG differencebetween “the fellowship” and “the Program.” Both are important.
- This is the type of spiritually maladapted behavior that we typically exhibit in active alcoholism.
- This connection is believed to restore sanity and address the turmoil caused by alcohol misuse, aligning thoughts, emotions, and beliefs to overcome the spiritual unrest.
- For some, it may manifest as a feeling of being disconnected from others or as a sense of emptiness.
- But beware of others that sell the book marked up 400% or more.
- Thoughts like we can eventually manage our lives while in active addiction.
- Intellectually, believing in something we cannot physically see or a scientifically proven exists is a hard pill to swallow, those intellectual individuals shut the idea out completely.
- You are merely instructed to be open to the idea that you are not the end all be all, that there exists out in the universe something that is greater or more powerful than yourself.
If it were as easy as not eating a peanut anymore, then you would have stopped long ago. However, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet. There’s actually a more fulfilling (and less accusatory) way to weave spirituality into the picture — one that doesn’t clash with the science and is ultimately more positive and optimistic. If you wish to contact a specific medical detox center then find a specific treatment center using our addiction alcoholism symptoms treatment locator tool.
Alcoholics Anonymous, the book that was created in the late 1930s was used to get people sober. Alcoholics would read and follow the steps in the book and get sober. The three must be addressed to find healing, recovery, and to live life sober. Addiction and alcoholism are both a 3 fold disease, meaning there are three distinct areas that alcoholism affects and the reason you cannot stop drinking and using. Page 62 says, “Above everything, we alcoholics must be rid of thisselfishness (“the ego”). We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible. And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self (ego) without God’s aid.”
How do you know if you are having a spiritual experience?
To conclude, it’s not my body — my allergic reaction to alcohol — that’s going to take me back to drinking. It’s really not my mind — the mental obsession — that is the underlying root of what will take me back to drinking. It’s the “spiritual malady”, as manifested by my EGO (selfishness-self-centeredness), that can eventually lead me back to drinking or sometimes even suicide. It simply means we are spiritually blocked off from the Power of God, which enables us to remain sober, happy, joyous, and free. When you ask them to describe what they mean by that statement, they seem to have a firm grasp on the fact that we alcoholics suffer from “an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind” — that once I put any alcohol in my system whatsoever it sets off a craving for more alcohol.
Big Book ASL – Appendix II – Spiritual Experience
We use everything and everyone, even when we stop using alcohol and drugs to cope with thesefeelings of being unsatisfied and uncomfortable in life. The more we focus less on ourselves we allow a god of our understanding to enter our minds and work in our lives. When left unresolved, a spiritual malady will continue to lead to restlessness, irritability, and discontentment.
Through a combination of self-reflection, spiritual practices, and a supportive community, individuals can achieve a deep spiritual connection with themselves and others. It is crucial to note that overcoming spiritual malady requires aa big book spiritual malady dedication and ongoing effort. One must remain vigilant of their thoughts and actions, embracing change, and practicing selflessness. Incorporating spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer, and fostering a loving and supportive community, can aid in this journey.