lorenz@verizon.net>In our quest for scientific understanding of human behavior and its
consequences, both mental and physical, do we miss another piece of the
puzzle? As we embrace science, are we remiss in, or even dismissive of,
consideration of the spiritual aspects of the human animal? Is there a
strong case for changing addictive behavior that transcends the physical
facts of chemistry, biology, and pathology in achieving long lasting
recovery? According to the insightful essays in Addiction and Spirituality,
the answer is not merely affirmative. The path of spirituality is imperativ=
e
to sustainable recovery. Without love and wholeness, and relationship to
God, self, and community, the aftercare of addiction recovery is placed at
risk by the material gratifications and escapes of the external world. It i=
s
only through pursuit of Spiritus, the divine spark of life (Chapter 2), tha=
t
one can begin to transcend the how did I get here place of addiction and
move into the in what manner do I go forward space of recovery. In the AA
(Alcoholics Anonymous) Twelve Step program and other modified versions of
that program, the manner is in becoming humble and relinquishing individual
power to the "Higher Power."
Addiction and Spirituality is a collection of essays promoting recovery
spirituality from a multidisciplinary perspective. Its editors, Oliver J.
Morgan and Merle R. Jordan, have chosen the writings of psychiatrists,
psychologists, pastoral counselors, recovery counselors, and spiritual
directors in order to ground the book in experience with therapeutic and
spiritually-based recovery processes. In the first chapter, Morgan sets the
context for Addiction and Spirituality through a historical look at the
programs, research studies, and innovators in addiction intervention that
brought the spiritual element, the reduction of ego, and the emergence of a
different center of authority (the "Higher Power") into an holistic model o=
f
recovery seeking to achieve positive, sustainable outcomes.
The book is divided into three points of view reflecting the professional
training and expertise of the authors: Clinical Views, Pastoral-Clinical an=
d
Recovery Views, and Pastors and Spiritual Directors. The essays provide a
readable blend of academic discourse on God and the search for true self,
and practical, culturally sensitive models for bringing the spiritual path
into the recovery process. This is a book of Western-based thinking and
language about the image or feeling of God, the quest for self
understanding, and the emergence of a new life path. Readers familiar with
Buddhist teachings or the writings of the Bhagavad Gita can draw their own
parallels from the material in these essays, but will not find a
presentation of Eastern-based thinking on the discovery of self and a
universal being (God). One exception is in Chapter six, where Charlotte
Kasl opens the chapter with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: I claim to be a
passionate seeker after truth, which is but another name for God. She later
alludes to the philosophies of Kahlil Gibran when discussing building ego
strength, Gibran's giant self. (In your longing for your giant self lies
your goodness, and that longing is in all of you.) In some ways, the absenc=
e
of eastern teachings is a disappointment in the reading. Western-based
renderings on the search for true self would be complemented by an
understanding of the corollary in the eastern view (e.g., the true self as
Atman, the "spirit within," in the Bhagavad Gita). But that is a small
criticism for a book that addresses an important concept in addiction
recovery in a thoughtful and actionable way.
Addiction is characterized as a triple disease: one of the mind, the body,
and the spirit. As Robert H. Albers discusses in his essay on Unconditional
Surrender (Chapter 7), humans are not divided, but, rather, are unities of
body, mind, and spirit. Each author upholds this tripartite characterizatio=
n
and addresses how approaches to treating addiction that exclude the spirit
are incomplete and not lasting. Spirituality, broadly defined as
relationship and connectedness, is the key to long lasting recovery. It
works best when inclusive and self-determining, not dogmatic. This means
that spiritually-based recovery programs cannot speak to just one way of
recognizing God and connection. Spiritual recovery needs to be placed in
cultural contexts that honor differences in gender, race, and religious and
national heritage.=20
One of the strengths of the book lies in its cross-cultural orientation.
While setting out to revive the discussion on spirituality and (indeed
convince you of) its critical role in changing addictive behaviors, editors
Morgan and Jordan do not promote one brand of spiritual transformation, but
do give credit where credit is due. For example, the success of AA and its
Twelve Step program is a consistent theme throughout the book. But the
twelve steps are also presented as a benchmark for modification and a sprin=
g
board for other multicultural approaches. Instead of saying that AA is the
model for recovery, AA is looked at critically for its principles and how
these principles can be applied to other approaches where the perception of
a white, Christian male device for redefining self and reaching for recover=
y
creates resistance.
Chapters 5 and 6 (Clinical Views) will be of particular interest to those
seeking to parlay the success of the Twelve Step program into a revised
cultural format. Chapter 5 discusses the adaptation of the spiritual
aspects of AA to acceptable language and connotation by other cultures. It
is an excellent "how to" chapter that offers an uncomplicated view of the
cultural pitfalls in AA's language, and, through real life examples, shows
how the fundamental spiritual concepts that underlie the success of AA can
be adapted for other groups.
For example, the concept of surrender can invoke a negative response in
African Americans who feel a sense of individual or cultural powerlessness,
past or present, and have no desire for further surrender. Native Americans=
,
who embrace cultural concepts of personal stoicism and self-reliance, may,
too, reject notions of surrendering to a higher power. Authors Smith and
Seymour contend that "the whole fabric of successful treatment needs to be
woven around cultural realities" and "points of resistance." The chapter
highlights the Black Extended Family Project and how it has evolved the
language of the Twelve Step program to appeal to African Americans in
recovery.
In Chapter 6, Kasl continues the theme of cultural adaptation from a
feminine viewpoint. She examines the usefulness of the Twelve Step program
through her own journey of self-discovery as a woman overcoming depression
and as a doctoral prepared treatment counselor. Kasl found what she
describes as "parallels to patriarchal norms" (e.g., turning your will over
to a powerful male God and ignoring internal wisdom) disturbing in the AA
approach. For women, seeking surrender may be keep the doors to recovery
locked whereas building ego strength and positive feelings about self may b=
e
the cornerstone of recovery. As in Chapter 5, she questions the utility of
powerlessness for women in recovery who may interpret this principle as
failure and bottomed out self-worth.
=20
Kasl seeks to energize the journey to recovery through love, self-truth, an=
d
self-acceptance within the context of life's ups and downs. In this regard,
Kasl works from a perspective of abundance versus rules. She has developed =
a
list of empowerment principles that underlie Twelve Step. From these, 16
steps for discovery and personal empowerment are presented that are both
abundant and practical in their consideration of the way life flows within
us and around us.=20
An interesting aspect of Kasl's essay is her criticism of western society's
ambivalence towards the truth (or maybe honesty as different from truth).
Kasl offers examples from childhood where seeking and/or exposing the truth
can have learned, negative consequences. A child's excitement over the
self-discovery that there is no Santa Claus is met with reprimand that
another child's false perception is now ruined. Perhaps she means to warn u=
s
that the commandment "thou shall not bear false witness against thy
neighbor" is quite different from the journey of seeking self-truth.
Chapters 2, 3, and 4 within Clinical Views focus on setting the context for
addiction and recovery. They address cultural perceptions of addiction,
repeating patterns of behavior in clinically-based methods of recovery, the
(ill effects in) pursuit of happiness external to the self, and the process
of spirituality that is the way to achieve sustainable change. Chapter 4's
discussion of God as the most underutilized resource in family therapy is
obfuscated by perspectives from Nietzshe, Freud, scientists, and Greek
mythology that lack direct linkages to the workings of family therapy.
The chapters in Pastoral Clinical Views help us understand more deeply the
connection between spirituality and addition - the in what manner do I go
forward piece of recovery. These essays explore themes such as relationship
with God, learning to love, and self-esteem, and do so in an engaging,
open-hearted way. In Chapter 7, Albers addresses how we get to a new concep=
t
of "what we are like now" through Christian-Judeo concepts of reconciliatio=
n
with God, others, nature, and self, and forgiving (not forgetting) the past=
.
He persuades us to see spirituality in two ways: as essence and expression.
The essence of spirituality is grounded in relationship with God while the
expression of spirituality is experienced in community.
In Chapter 8, Larsen focuses on learning to love as the key action inherent
in recovery. "Our starting point is simple: In human well-being all there
is, is love and love denied. Where love is denied there is a wound."
From this wound a line of vulnerability is created along which progression
to addiction occurs. This essay has a strong undercurrent of responsibility
for self. Larsen believes life's consequences are not accidental; that our
self-definition creates consequences. And no one can outperform their own
self definition. A process for discovering the self-definition is presented=
,
and may be a useful tool for a psychotherapist or clergy member trained in
psycho-analytics and discovery. Although it reads simply enough, it is
probably not a process that any lay person could just think through
themselves.=20
Most of the essays in Addiction and Spirituality address alcohol or other
chemical addictions, but Chapter 9 looks at gambling and its road to
recovery. Ciarrocchi dismantles the popular concept of self-esteem and
supports the assumption that understanding differences in self-esteem (low
rollers versus high rollers) is useful in framing spiritual issues in
recovery. There is much discussion today on the perils of low self-esteem.
The defeated individual behaves passively, pessimistically, and believes he
or she has little influence on life's outcomes and makes poor choices or
follows the crowd (low rollers). But is there such a thing as too much
self-esteem? Yes, according to Ciarrocchi and the work he references.
Inflated self-esteem is a pattern of egotism that can lead to aggression an=
d
risk-taking (high rollers). When egotism is threatened, aggressive and
violent behavior may be the result.
The author contrasts low and high rollers to help us distinguish the
recovery sides of the esteem paradigm: low rollers need to learn not to
avoid risk-taking as high rollers must learn not to embrace risk-taking. Lo=
w
and high rollers each must learn spiritual devotion as a process by which
they learn to stand outside of the self. Low rollers must find empowerment.
High rollers need private meaning in life over public acclaim. Through the
spiritual process, a gambler's defensiveness around self-worth can be
reduced.
Chapters 10 and 11(Pastors and Spiritual Directors) focus on the demoniac
angle in addiction, whereby a pattern of chaos characterizes the addiction
experience. It is the place of being in sin. Teachings from Mark's Gospel
are used to illustrate the transition from demoniac to ex-demoniac, and
Jesus is used as the symbol of divine "tough love." For those who study the
bible or relate to a Christian positioning of spirituality, these essays
defend spirituality from a traditional, religious viewpoint. For those who
are not familiar with the demoniac angle, Chapter 10 may feel a bit like
being brought into the middle of a discussion already in progress.
Chapter 11 examines the value of a spiritual director in the recovery
process. The spiritual director assists the addicted person in spiritual
awakenings by helping the addict integrate the realities of past suffering
into the rhythm of a new life. The guidance within is akin to the modern
teachings of Buddhist nun Pema Ch=F6dr=F6n, who guides her readers in practices
from the Mahayana school of Buddhism: recognizing current pain (stemming
from past experiences and behaviors) and moving forward from this moment to
integrate the past with understanding from the present.
The final chapter in Pastors and Spiritual Directors is the religious
corollary to chapters 5 and 6. Chapter 12 specifically addresses a Jewish
translation of AA's steps to recovery by exploring the relationship between
Twelve Step and Teshuvah: two different systems of symbolic language used t=
o
express the common idea that improvement of behavior comes about by the
inclusion of a God in one's life. Author Carol Glass translates Twelve Ste=
p
to the steps of Teshuvah according to Maimonides, and the steps of Teshuvah
by Rabbenu Yonah. Those of and not of the Jewish faith will appreciate the
embellishments and thoughtfulness behind the translations as they broaden
the language of the Twelve Step program.
The editors conclude the book with a salient summary of the themes in
spiritual recovery. The reader may want to read it first and, again, last.
The essay reiterates why for the addict understanding these themes are
critical to long-term recovery outcomes. The addict's dark struggle cannot
be overcome by correcting the addiction and some perceived behavioral
problems. The integrative road to recovery includes recognition of
relationships, a definition of God, and a productive, healthy understanding
of the struggle with self (the core human struggle for growth and integrity=
)
- a struggle both the addict and non-addict alike experience as human
creatures.=20
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