For most people, spirituality is a loaded word. It can frequently be confused with religious belief, and saddled with the baggage of an individual’s attitudes and preconceptions about organized religion. For others, it seems like a vague, watered down concept which offers much less than actual religious faith. But whether or not we’re aware of it, spirituality plays a critical role in both our lives and our physical / mental health. For those struggling with and recovering from addiction, spirituality is a subject of fundamental importance. So let’s take a long look at what spirituality actually is, and how it can help heal the addicted.
Spirituality and Religion
Practically everyone who has ever lived has asked themselves a few fundamental questions regarding existence: Who am I? What is my purpose? What is the meaning of life? What should I strive towards?
Both religion and spirituality are routes to answering these questions. In religion, institutionalized prayer, ritual, and other practices offer explanations and answers while mediating the individual’s relationships with the universe, the creator, and society. Most organized religions define the individual’s rights, responsibilities, and provide meaning to the lives of their adherents while also offering them a sense of kinship and community.
Spirituality differs in that it is open-ended and individual, rather than defined and collective. In its essence, it describes a relation between you, and something greater than yourself, whether that something is nature, space, a religious entity, humanity, or even arts and music. As Dr. Christina Puchalski, a pioneer in the field of spirituality and medicine defines it, “Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connection to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”
In our experience, even the most hardened skeptics and cynics who would dismiss organized religion out of hand, have embraced spirituality in some aspects of their life. Developing and practicing your own version of spirituality, whether by hiking, meditating, praying, reading, or even enjoying music, is essential for personal growth and happiness.
Spirituality and Health
One of Dr. Pulchaski’s fascinating ideas is that while technology, medicine, and disease oriented treatments can cure illness, only meaningful and compassionate connections between health care providers and their patients can heal. The implications of this idea are incredibly important for treating both mental illness and addiction. A drug might subdue the symptoms of depression, or the withdrawal pangs and cravings for a substance of abuse, but in order to heal ourselves, we need to build meaningful interpersonal and spiritual connections.
Having watched thousands of people undergo ibogaine treatment, we are convinced of the truth of Dr. Puchalski’s distinction. We’ve seen ibogaine make withdrawal symptoms and cravings disappear, and lead our clients down the road to recovery. But we’ve also seen that those who regard ibogaine as a solution in and of itself mostly fail. Our clients who commit to self-exploration, the search for meaning, and building meaningful relationships with others are almost uniformly successful. When dealing with addiction, a “cure” is either impossible or insufficient. The addicted need to heal, physically and mentally, and spirituality is a fundamental element of the healing process.
And the research reflects our experience. One American study which followed a group of men undergoing methadone treatment concluded that: “spirituality and religious practices suffered in complex ways during active addiction, but went “hand in hand” with recovery. Nearly all participants agreed that integration of a voluntary spiritual discussion group into formal treatment would be preferable to currently available alternatives.”
Other researchers have found that clients who had high scores on an assessment of spirituality were more likely to remain abstinent following treatment. But it’s worth noting that at least two studies have concluded that a spiritual awakening during treatment and recovery was an accurate predictor of future success, while pre-existing religious and spiritual beliefs did not necessarily lead to better outcomes in treatment.
For mental health, spirituality can have a number of positive effects. Studies have shown that patients treated for depression experience faster remission and milder symptoms if they define themselves as religious or spiritual. And as the same review of psychiatric research notes: “A number of pathways have been discussed in the literature through which religion/spirituality influence depression/anxiety: increased social support; less drug abuse; and the importance of positive emotions, such as altruism, gratitude, and forgiveness.”
Connecting With Your Own Spirituality
There are many ways to access the benefits of spirituality, and there’s no right way to do it. Every individual needs to find their own path, and build and maintain their own connections. But there are a few things we’d recommend.
Reflect on the purpose and meaning of your own life. What gives you fulfillment? What goals are you pursuing?
Make a contributions. Find ways to help others who need it. For many recovering from addiction and mental illness, offering meaningful help to others rebuilds a sense of self-worth and offers a profound sense of connection that was previously lacking.
Practice mindfulness. Focusing on the moment can have a powerful effect on your physical and mental health, primarily by reducing stress and anxiety. It can also lead you to a deeper understanding of your self, and the motivations behind your habits and actions.
Connect. Whether with a higher power, a community center, or your garden. Seeking connections with things and people outside of ourselves is a fundamental part of both spirituality and recovery.
Be grateful and accountable. Gratitude is one of the most beautiful emotions we can experience. For addicts in particular, letting go of poisonous resentments and counting one’s blessings is an essential part of the healing process. And taking responsibility, weighing the consequences of your actions, and conforming to your personal sense of morality will dramatically reduce your sense of shame and increase self-respect.
At Tabula Rasa Retreat, spirituality informs our approach, and we do our utmost to help our clients connect with themselves and the world around them. If you’re interested in healing with spirituality, ibogaine, or any of our other holistic therapy programs, get in touch today!
For further information visit www.tabularasaretreat.com or call PT +351 965 751 649 UK +44 7961 355 530