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Addiction as a Spiritual Disease
an edited extract from 'Understanding Addiction'
Addiction is a spiritual disease. ... Because addiction is a direct assault against the Self, it is also a direct attack on the spirit or soul of the person suffering from the addiction. A person's spirit sustains life; addiction leads to spiritual death.
One of most tragic conseqences of an addictive condition is the way it can destroy the heart and soul of a beautiful person.
Whether the problem be drugs, alchohol, sex, gambling or work, the common pattern is that as the addictive personality gains more and more control of the addict, the person loses more and more of their ability to influence their own thoughts and behavior. In the process, a spiritual deadening takes place.
Here the definition of 'spiritual' involves being connected in a meaningful way to the world. It involves having the ability to extract meaning from one's experiences. The feeling of belonging and being an important part of the world is lost as addiction progresses. The sense of knowing oneself and one's value drifts farther and farther away.
Addiction is a spiritual disease. Everybody has the ability to connect with the soul and spirit of others, and it is indeed these deeper relationships that the addict desperately needs. But because addiction is a direct assault against the Self, it is also a direct attack on the spirit or soul of the person suffering from the addiction. A person's spirit sustains life; addiction leads to spiritual death.
The longer the addiction goes on, the more spiritually isolated the person becomes. This is the saddest and most frightening aspect of addiction. Sunsets, smiles, laughter, support from others, and other things that nourish the spirit come to mean less as acting out becomes more important.
Because addiction blocks a person's ability to effectively connect with his or her own spirit, there is little chance to connect with the spirit of others. Relationships with others become more superficial as the illness progresses. Addicts stay isolated or turn to the presence of other addicts who offer companionship and little or no fear of confrontation.
As addiction progresses, spiritual deadening deepens. This may be the most dangerous aspect of addiction. For recovery to begin, there must be a recommitment to the nurturing of one's spirit. The farther one moves away from the Self, the harder it is to reestablish a healing relationship.
In the beginning of the addictive process, the person grasped the addiction in an attempt to nurture life, spirit, and the Self in the process of chasing perfection. Many recovering addicts firmly grasp the spiritual aspect of recovery because most are extremely grateful to have such a precious gift returned: the Self, a spiritual awareness, and the ability to connect with others in a meaningful, nurturing way.
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