Recovery programs are based on many different things, including psychological principles of working through trauma to address addiction. Eventually, people start learning about possible triggers, emotions, and processing through difficult circumstances to recover and stay sober. To leave out any spirituality can leave out a huge component of recovery. Any way a person identifies with a spiritual self can be helpful when letting go of control enough to admit the need for help and reach out for support in recovery.
Think Holistically
Everyone has a preconceived notion of spirituality. When the word is mentioned, people’s ears perk up and they immediately begin to think of certain things. Popular culture has one view, religious perspectives take another, and the person themselves may have had past experiences with spirituality that taint their present-day thinking on the subject. No matter how a person conceives of spirituality or a higher power, they will likely gain a better perspective if they think more broadly and holistically than keep a narrow view. Letting go of old ideas of what they think spirituality should be can be more helpful in sobriety. Even if they return to those ways of thinking, opening up their worldview can be helpful in understanding themselves and those around them better.
One Part of the Whole
Embracing a spiritual mindset can change how a person sees themselves in the wider world. Religion can be helpful for some people, yet confining for others. Think about different possibilities and what it may include. Imagine the connection can be different than anything else that has come before. Consider that spirituality is part of a person’s whole mind and body, the experience of being human. Many people experience spirituality from:
- Being in a relationship with others
- Being around animals
- Being in nature
- Experiencing adventures like hiking trails or going into the mountains for a closer glimpse
- Seeking a deeper, more soulful experience of what they desire out of life
Let Go
It can seem like the universe has it in for people who have an addiction, because so many bad things seem to come down at once. It is easy to get into the mindset that, when something painful happens, something out there is to blame. The locus of control is still within that person. It has never left that person, it just feels like it has. Although not everything is in a person’s control, there are lots of things that a person can do to make better decisions and have ownership over their healing journey in recovery and start making better choices.
Connect to the Body
Spirituality is not just something ‘out there,’ it exists within a person. It is part of their mind and body connection. Emotions and physical health are linked. When people think about the effects of stress, grief, loss, and painful events in life, they can wreak havoc on a person’s health. Mental health issues often arise out of trauma from the past and may also have something to do with unresolved issues that come up later in life and result in addiction. When joy and happiness are felt, these also lift the mood and the spirits of a person, who feels it deeper in their bodies as a way of embodying their experience. Spirituality may look different for every person in recovery, but it is important to consider how to integrate this into the experience and work to find healing from the challenges of addiction with an open heart and mind.
Oceanfront will help you kick an addiction to the curb with our premier beachfront community in Laguna Beach. We help you have an open heart and mind towards spirituality and healing. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 888-981-4295
