Mar 08 2010
Using Spirituality to Overcome Addiction
Virtually every man wonders about where they came from and how we got here. The eternal search for a greater power than ourselves is one aspect of spirituality that is highly beneficial when used properly for addiction recovery. Whether you believe in a greater power or not, the universe and its energy are a wonderful source of recovery. You can tap into that energy with some practice.
The first step in doing so is to begin to explore this world of spirituality. Nobody can do this for you, but a good place to start is to head out into the woods, beaches and mountains of your choice. If this is not practical, then head into the local woods nearby or by a nice lake. Wherever you feel the most relaxed in nature will do just fine. The reason this is so important is because it gives you the chance to relax your mind and become closer to nature.
Listen to all the things around you. Try to hear everything down to the slightest sound. Concentrate hard and you will likely hear things you never heard before. It is during this quiet time that you should begin to talk with yourself about what you believe in. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you think that Evolution was the sole cause for the Earth’s formation? Why? All of these questions will begin to prepare you for your battle with addiction because they are core questions. Knowing how you feel about each of them will help you to get closer to your beliefs. This breeds self esteem and self worth which is a vital part of addiction recovery.
Many people underestimate the power of spirituality in overcoming addiction. Regardless of the religion that you subscribe to, or if you subscribe to no religion at all, our spirituality has great power in overcoming addiction. We can use this power to fight off cravings, find peace, attain symptom relief, ease withdrawals or depression and modify our behavior.
If you believe in God, then use your relationship with Him to pray when you are feeling badly. If you subscribe to any religion, then speak to them. If you believe in no higher power than yourself, then pray to the universe at large. Regardless, you should make friends with that side of yourself that you can not kid. That voice is an integral voice in your addiction recovery, just as it was likely a loud voice when you began your addiction. Fine tuning what that voice says is the key. What used to be negative and self defeating can be turned into a voice of reason and change.
Using nature, spirit and self awareness, you can overcome any addiction much easier. Having a higher power to pray and talk to is important. Many people that do not believe in a higher power will also pray to a deceased family member or loved one that they were especially close to. Regardless, you need to have that outlet in your life. Turn to them when you feel as though you may slip back into addiction.
Using spirituality to overcome addiction is really about opening up to yourself. With practice, you can fine tune that voice of reason into a powerful addiction recovery tool.
Comments Off
