What is a Spiritual Malady?

This spiritual malady, or spiritual disconnection, is the driving force behind our addiction and self-destructive behaviors. Without addressing this spiritual malady, we have absolutely no hope for intrinsic spiritual malady change or recovery. It is this notion that the fellowship of AA was founded upon, and how millions of recovered alcoholics equate their success in overcoming a seemingly hopeless situation.

There is no church you must attend or strict practices you must adhere to in organized worship of said higher power, it is a completely individual and personal experience. Restlessness, irritability, and discontentment are symptomatic of the spiritual illness. The spiritual illness that we faced acted as a catalyst for our addiction, and every attempt to self-medicate our spiritual malady pushed us deeper and deeper into the disease.

How to Understand How an Addict May Suffer Spiritually

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. 12 Step recovery focuses on a spiritual solution to the problem of addiction and alcoholism. As explained in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, “we have been not only mentally and physically ill, we have been spiritually sick.

spiritual malady aa

The practice of Christian Meditation offers a remedy to the spiritual malady. When we enter the silence with discipline and perseverance, we make space for  the living presence of God to heal us from the inside out. Finally, someone explained to me that those things are not the insanity that the Big Book talks about; nor are those things why the alcoholic’s life becomes unmanageable. By using this approach, a recovering addict can experience a notable change in their outlook.

Spiritual Malady Explained

A spiritual awakening in the life of any alcoholic in recovery is a very personal matter. Keep in mind that this is separate from the physical craving. Even after someone is completely detoxed and has all alcohol or drugs removed from their body, they will still obsess about drinking or using. Often people like us have some of the strongest will power that exists. What the book says is that the only thing that will solve our drink problem is a spiritual awakening, spiritual experience, attitude adjustment, or psychic change. The spiritual malady is the result of my being out of order with my higher power who I choose to call God.

  • Keep in mind that this is separate from the physical craving.
  • However, when they go through rehab, they can silence this feeling and learn how to deal with their issues directly.
  • Finally, someone explained to me that those things are not the insanity that the Big Book talks about; nor are those things why the alcoholic’s life becomes unmanageable.
  • Alcoholics would read and follow the steps in the book and get sober.

However, when they go through rehab, they can silence this feeling and learn how to deal with their issues directly. If you wish to contact a specific medical detox center then find a specific treatment center using our addiction treatment locator tool.

PROGRAMS

Below is an overview of the 12 admissions that support the 12 steps toward recovery. Also, they cannot fathom how other people manage to deal with crises in life – even when they have it worse. I believe that an awakening of the spirit and https://ecosoberhouse.com/ an awakening to a belief in God are not mutually inclusive. If you are an alcoholic, then you know you cannot just put the plug in the jug and quit. If it were as easy as not eating a peanut anymore, then you would have stopped long ago.

But first, it’s crucial that you understand the difference between a spiritual experience and a religious one. While I could go on forever on the differences between these two ideas, I’ll keep it as simple as possible. Our spiritual malady causes us to be restless, irritable, and discontented. People like us are obsessed with the thought of controlling and enjoying our drugs or alcohol. The biggest problem is that our mind buys the lie that the next time it will be different. You deserve it and the consequences are not important.

Sober living