A A. Daily Reflection May 23 One Day At A Time World

Engaging in acts of service is a powerful way to foster empathy, strengthen spiritual foundations, and counteract feelings of isolation. Caring for others and acting for the welfare of the community are signs of spiritual wellness. Volunteering time and resources to help those in need can build empathy and provide spiritual malady a sense of belonging and purpose, while also helping us understand our emotional natures. Walking meditation, using labyrinths, and mandalas are also effective methods for finding peace and clarity. These practices help us manage stress, overcome mental obsession, and maintain a balanced, spiritually enriched life.

Addressing The Spiritual Malady Through the 12 Steps

While an addict’s spiritual malady triggers a compulsive need to use drugs, other people’s spiritual conflicts may take the form of a gambling problem, anxiety, depression, or eating disorder. There are many persons in recovery who are not interested in discussing or even hearing about spirituality. In fact, they may tense up when they hear words like “God” and “spirituality.” This reaction may cause them to remember a past negative experience – an episode in their life that may cause them to recall a traumatic event they’d sooner rather forget. On page 62 the text explains that “Selfishness-self-centeredness! 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.

The Spiritual Malady: Bane of the Alcoholic and Addict

• However, that does not mean addicts are confronting this spiritual ailment by themselves.
• I must be God centered instead of self centered and God directed rather than self directed .
• The 164 and More book is sold on this website at the Publisher List Price of $20.00 plus postage.
• 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.
• Repairing personal relationships and focusing on oneself during the initial year of recovery helps create a stronger foundation for personal growth and stability.

This relationship is a vital part of finding serenity and healing,  so let’s take a minute to look at the spiritual side of recovery and then we’ll talk about building what we call a “spiritual inventory”. Adam Vibe Gunton is an American author, speaker and thought leader in addiction treatment and recovery. After overcoming homelessness and drug addiction, Adam found his life’s purpose in helping addicts find the same freedom he found. As Founder and Executive Director of the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Recovered On Purpose, and CEO of The Drug Rehab Agency, Adam has helped thousands find freedom from addiction all over the world. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a valuable resource for those facing mental and substance use disorders, offering confidential, free support and referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

How to Understand How an Addict May Suffer Spiritually

We became selfish and self-seeking, ever thirsting for more, and this lust warped us on every level. But we were never satisfied, because but the living presence of God can quench our parched souls. When the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was written and published in 1939, the times and language of those times was incredibly different than modern times. This is one of the reasons that Big Book study groups have become so popular among recovering alcoholics. Apart from dissecting the Big Book so as to have a firmer grasp on the 12 Steps and program and in general, it also is designed to help us decipher the intricate language and wording used from a different time period.

Our spiritual malady never just goes away and stays away on its own, it requires a constant spiritual connectivity and effort on our parts in our programs to keep it and the subsequent alcohol and drug abuse at bay. So long as we make an active effort to address our spiritual malady every day, we will find relief from it, one day at a time. Well, if you’ve been in Celebrate Recovery or any 12-step program for a while you know that, for most people who are actively working the steps, over time the mental obsession dissipates. I remember my wife Deb coming home from her first Overeater’s Anonymous meeting.

The Spiritual Malady of Addiction: What Is It Exactly?

Many discover that acknowledging a higher power aids in letting go of control and finding guidance in the recovery journey. This spiritual connection provides a sense of peace and purpose that can be transformative. Surrendering to a higher power enables us to tackle the deep-rooted spiritual malady that drives our addiction.

What activities or habits have caused harm to my physical health? Many of us say that we have the right to do whatever we want to our own bodies. We somehow think this is freedom, but we’re really becoming a slave to our own desires. And—as many of us here in this room know—it’s not long until those desires are running our lives.

BIG BOOK CHAPTER 5

Thoughts of Recovery – No.17 – The Spiritual Malady – Step 1

• Same thing with alcohol; some people can have a couple beers, no problem.
• So long as we make an active effort to address our spiritual malady every day, we will find relief from it, one day at a time.
• My troubles are of my own making and arise out my living a life run on self-will.
• Professional help is important for addressing spiritual malady and addiction because it provides comprehensive care that addresses both physical and spiritual dimensions, offering a structured path to recovery.