Spirituality and Recovery

Many people begin recovery and do not know
what spirituality is even though those in 12-step meetings talk about it and
others talk openly about their relationship with their higher power.  What does this mean for you?  If you are not a religious person, an
understanding of spirituality can be confusing. 
If you are religious, you might already have an idea of what
spirituality looks like.

The difference between religion and
spirituality is this.  Religion is a set
of beliefs and practices typically associated with God, as one defines
God.  Spirituality is a search for
meaning in life and to experience something, maybe a power, greater than
yourself.  Religion is practiced by many,
but spirituality is defined by you based on your experiences.  Spirituality gives you purpose, love, and
perspective through connections with others.

Spirituality is important in recovery because
there was probably a loss of spirituality or no spirituality at all while you
were using.  Your addiction kept you away
from the things that were important such as family or other things outside of
yourself.  Recovery allows us the
opportunity to connect on a spiritual level once again to the areas of life
that were lost to addiction.

Spirituality can provide choice by exploring
our purpose and meaning in life.  The
choices you made during your addiction are all about using.  Addiction keeps you from choosing anything
but the addiction.  It also takes away
your ability to change and grow as a person. 
We are unable to be our true selves when we are addicted.  Our connections to others was also about
using and our addiction.  It is difficult
to connect to others that are outside your addiction.

Were there ever times during your addiction
that you experienced the beauty of the world around you?  The answer is probably not.  Did you ever watch a sunset during your
addiction?  Again, probably not.  There is so much that spirituality can give
you during recovery that is not found in drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or gambling.

When I was gambling and doing drugs, I rarely if ever experienced nature’s beauty. My connections were to my dealers, and trying to find people who would loan me money. My existence was nothing more than loneliness, pain, and isolation. There was no religion or spirituality, and certainly no real purpose.

The day I quit using drugs was the day I found my spirituality again. I know from speaking to others that often something religious or spiritual occurs that makes us think about alternatives. This is what happened to me. I honestly thought that if I continued to use that I would die. Call it what you will, but it was spiritual. A voice either inside me or coming from somewhere else, but this voice could not be ignored. 

When I quit gambling, I experienced something similar. Another voice from outside myself that to this day, I cannot pinpoint the origin. I believe it was spiritual. The need to do something different, to be honest again, and to become the person that I once was. 

Over time, and with some abstinence under my belt, I was able to connect again and redefine who I wanted to be. I made my moments extraordinary and fully embraced life.

In recovery, get in touch with your
spirituality again.  Celebrate what you
are grateful for and experience the wonders of your life.  Connect to family members again and take an
ordinary moment and make it extraordinary by this connection.  Redefine yourself and what recovery means to
you and experience it!