We are far from being Saints but have a solution Saints would approve and achieve a kind of transient sanctity in this 12 step solution of letting go and letting God. I also impressed upon him that mostly I can manage this emotional dysfunction but often I fail to and get into a resentful anger. Attempting to live according to God’s Will (which is a state of Love) also helps me not react but to act with Grace. This guy could have been experiencing guilt or shame for example. The guy was probably in guilt too as he could been working on his recovery more.
- My first sponsor was David B. He told me that by going to therapy, “I was trying to fix a spiritual problem with a psychological solution.” I eventually warmed to the idea that the twelve steps may be the tools that will help me to recover.
- Also we need to be aware what we project on to other alcoholics is the same thing as they project on to use and sometimes we project if back.
Thoughts like we can eventually manage our lives while in active addiction. It is very difficult for me to come to terms with my spiritual illness because of Most people with alcohol and drug addiction survive my great pride, disguised by my material successes and my intellectual power. Intelligence is not incompatible with humility, provided I place humility first.
Tony G. reads the Phil P. Big Book Story -He Lived Only To Drink -2/18/24
One recovering alcoholic or a group of recovering alcoholics is a power greater than oneself. I share my feelings of shame with those who know what that feels like. I related and all my negative emotions retreated to source like a evening tide on a beach. I respond to feelings of humiliation by humiliating you, I react to my chronic shame by attempting to created shame in you. Sometimes the shame persists for some time and I try to relieve it by behavioral addictions, too much shopping, too much eating, too much objectification of the opposite sex.
I look at the past fleetingly sometimes to help others but I never stare at it too long. We have a sea change in how we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us. It is almost miraculous, the sudden transformative effect it can have on us. We have the chance to be free from the sick version of our real self, the self that has been in bondage, in addiction.
What is a Spiritual Malady?
This is similar to relying on external means, i.e. alcohol, drugs, addictive behaviours to regulate our emotions and bolster our low self esteem. Most of my distress and emotional pain in recovery comes from wanting stuff, and not getting my way or not accepting things as they are. Bryan was born in Philadelphia and remains an ardent supporter of Philadelphia sports. After attending FSU and FAU where he majored in writing, Bryan ventured out to follow in the footsteps of his idols, running straight into drug addiction. After being arrested by the President’s Secret Service, Bryan finally started to rebuild his life and beat that monkey off of his back through writing, playing music, and studying Buddhist philosophy.
Steps 4 -7 and the amends to those people wronged in steps of 8 and 9 allow us to be completely free and in a sense reborn. It is therapeutic exchange and shame reducing to know someone else has committed similar sins or has acted for similar reasons; they were powerless over their behaviours. Although social support is key to early engagement in the Twelve-Step membership, over time, spiritual issues emerge as increasingly important and helping others achieve recovery is at the heart of this. Thus my original point is not semantic, AA was not founded by one person, it was co-founded as we alcoholics achieve sobriety with the help of other alcoholics. Dr Bob, it is aid, went on to help over 5,000 alcoholics achieve sobriety and died sober.
“Bill Wilson: Calculus Problems, the Amazing Ruth Law, and the Times of Our Lives” presented by Ron F. – 2/6/2024
He “had to” react with arrogance, dismissiveness, impatience and intolerance, because his shame, which is a fear based emotion, made him fearful of his own recovery and fear makes one strangely dishonest (at times deluded), This is my experience. The solution https://en.forexdata.info/vitamins-for-alcoholics-liver-recovery-and/ to spiritual malady offered by Alcoholics Anonymous is to affect a spiritual awakening – in essence a psychic shift or attitude adjustment. In The Big Book of AA, the 12 steps outlined are a formalized approach to achieving this transformational change.
The newcomer gave me an example of a resentment he was experiencing after this guy at a meeting said “get off your pink cloud” a phrase that refers to the sometimes mildly ecstatic feelings of early recovery. Practicing prayer and meditation helps us be mindful of our surroundings and gain consciousness of our spirituality by bringing us closer to our higher power. Strengthening this relationship with a spiritual being brought us hope that we can recover from the mental and physical suffering of alcoholism. In sobriety, it is so important to maintain conscious contact with a higher power and count our blessings. Being spiritually maladapted can come from a lack of gratitude. We must live our lives selflessly and show our gratitude to a higher power for the lives that we live and the opportunity to have a second chance at life.
How Far Have We Come In Understanding this “Spiritual Malady” of Alcoholism?
It is common to find yourself being angry at God or saying things like “if God was real this wouldn’t have happened to me” or not understanding why things are the way they are. When we have the first sip of a drink, or whiff of a drug, it is then controlling our bodies. Once we indulge in the first drink, our judgment and normal concerns are skewed. To recognize and to admit my weaknesses is the beginning of good spiritual health.
” type thinking although a lot of this is unconscious and does not pop in to our minds as thoughts but is an unconscious self schema that shapes our behaviours. As a result we are guarded against those that we perceive will reject us or be negative to us, harm us in some way and we seek to dominate these folk or we are dependent on those who are kind to us, help us and care for us. We are in a sense co-dependent on other people for our sense of esteem.
