The Spiritual Journey of Addiction Recovery

SACRED PATHS The Spiritual Journey of Addiction Recovery The journey of addiction and recovery is a spiritual journey and cycle in which we descend into a hell of our making through substance abuse or compulsive behavior and crawl up into a new way of life by asking for others to help us experience and reclaim the elemental goodness and sacredness we are born with and into. The terrible beauty of addiction recovery is that our most painful wound – our “bottom” of substance abuse - can be the most powerful transformational experience of our lives. The spiral of generativity cannot be entered into without the death of the old ways. This spiritual journey of addiction recovery plays out as two opposing spirals on the circle of life. The descent into addictive, self-destructive actions and the climb up and into generative self-care is a timeworn path with familiar landmarks. See the journey chart on this page. We Begin We begin our life journey born, however briefly, into the elemental idea of good or the sacred. All of creation on Earth and our cosmos has sprung from the great mystery that is life. We are born into and from this amazing flow of uncontrollable energy. It is we; it is the air we breathe and the water we drink. We arise from the sacred, are born into a sacred self, and connected to the sacred by merely being alive. At the same time, we also are born into the human family, which inevitably exposes us to myriad experiences, many amazing, many terrifying. The Descent For those prone to addiction, whether through genetics or environment, encounters with woundedness and trauma can lead to the development of substance abuse or compulsive behavior as a coping tool For the addict and alcoholic, the equation of “one is too many, a thousand not enough” is part of the downward spiral. The “more” of relentless repetition of substance use or compulsive behavior is an intensely powerful ritual that can last decades. Preoccupation with substances or behaviors become ritualistic, where addiction becomes worship and the substance the most important connection. The pain of disconnection from authentic self, desire and the sacred perpetuates the use or behavior cycle. The physical, emotional and spiritual hallmarks of the downward spiral are loss, secrets, shame, isolation, drama, lies, negative thinking, denial and physical abuse and suffering. The Bottom Life is unmanageable. The drive to obtain substances or to increase the behavior is unrelenting. Any price is paid for comfort, ease and numbness. Life crashes. Arrests occur. Cars crash. Homes are lost. Love is lost. Body systems shut down. The Ascent Somehow, hope arises. It is often called grace. It is the gift of the pain of powerlessness and despair. Hope brings awareness that we cannot recover alone. There is acceptance that others share the journey as allies, resources and healers in the service of the sacred. The journeyer is exposed to spiritual principles, healing communities and recovery practices and behaviors to supplant the old ways. The light of truth shines into the dark crevasses of the soul. Spiritual principles such as honesty, acceptance, humility, surrender, courage, willingness, gratitude, forgiveness, patience, tolerance, service to others, and love become the fertile ground of recovery. Spiritual actions in recovery include: