31. A spiritual solution is a remedy for addiction

By Tom O'Connell

Before the recovery journey begins, the addict's inflated Ego has led a misguided quest for wholeness which has taken the addict into an unpleasant dead-end street. At this point, if the addict cooperates with God's grace, then humility is achieved, the Ego is deflated, and ongoing character development is sought. As the addiction lifts, the person emerges from the dead-end darkness that has dimmed the available light.

This, I believe, is when a person comes to know the truth and is set free. A real enlightenment happens when we transcend our addictions and no longer chase illusions. Unsatisfied by the superficial, we begin to pursue deeper mysteries. Mysteries inevitably found within our own beings. This is true freedom.

There are many ways to interpret Jesus' words "You will come to know the truth and the truth will set you free." But I believe that the fundamental truth that sets us free is the realization that each of us is a son or daughter of God, and that we are sacred beings with a sacred destiny. When we come to know this, we are empowered to turn from our addictions and choose a healthier and happier way. Once lost in the shadows of our addictions, we have been led into the light of a new consciousness. 

 In summary, the sacred or spiritual addictive disease does not respond well to material solutions. A better solution is required, a spiritual solution. Buddha made that clear when he said, "Cease desire." And Jesus made it clear when he guided us to "the kingdom within" and "the secret place."

Augustine made it clear when he counseled that the way to find rest for the restless heart is the spiritual way. And Francis of Assisi, whose prayer is in the 11th Step of AA's Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions book, made it clear that there was a remedy for the self-centeredness at the core of our addictions when he said, "It is in forgetting self that we find ourselves."

Psychologist William James made it clear that the fundamental uneasiness that comes with the human condition requires union with a "Helping Power." He provided a spiritual solution for the spiritual uneasiness...or disease. Also, Carl Jung made it clear that the key to healing the alcoholic was spiritual. It involved a spiritual conversion, along with getting hold of one's story...the interrupted story...and accepting the spiritual challenge of living one's story to the fullest. In this act of being fully alive lies the healing of the human spirit. A spirit that pushes us toward wholeness and health.

On the other hand, when we restlessly pursue addictive pleasures, and try to escape our spiritual essence, we lose touch with the reason for our existence...to know, love, and serve God. And we are lost.  Instead, we need to embrace our inner mystery, our spiritual essence, because the deep self, the real self, transcends the material world, and finds true rest only in the God who created us.

When we move from the pursuit of pleasure to the quest to know, love, and serve our Creator, we lose our self-centeredness and at the same time become fully ourselves. We are as connected to God as rays of light are connected to the sun. And even though the dark clouds of our addictions sometimes interrupt the rays, God's light remains constant. The way to communion with that constantly available God is described in these ancient words: "Be still and know that I am God."

When the emptiness at the core of the human spirit is no longer shunned, and buried by layers of addiction, and instead is embraced in prayer and quiet meditation, in the context of a healing community of kindred spirits, peace arrives. This is a peace that passes all understanding. 

Addiction is complex, and its ramifications are deep. And I believe that to be human means to be addicted...to some degree. So I suggest that identifying our addictions and recovering from them, with a loving God as partner, is the work of everyone's lifetime. I am convinced that the spiritual recovery process is for all, not just the severely impaired. And although recovery often begins reluctantly, I have seen miraculous changes in attitude that have brought people from cynicism and despair to a state of grace based on love. Love for self, others, and God. Unconditional love. Love without a price tag.

So, in the end, I believe that the reason why AA and other 12-Step programs work so well is that they provide the spiritual remedy for addiction, the spiritual disease. Like the old concept of fighting fire with fire, spirituality is used to deal with a fundamentally spiritual problem. When God's sons and daughters have strayed off the beam, they need a spiritual way of life as a remedy for their self-centered addictive relating to people, places, and things.

"Cease desire." "The kingdom of God is within you." "The truth will set you free." "Lord, you made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." "It is in forgetting self that we find ourselves." Phrases such as these provide a spiritual basis for an addiction recovery journey that leads to happiness, joy, and personal freedom.

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