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Learn What Spiritual Malady Is And The Role It Plays In Your Recovery

spiritual malady aa

The way humans think is on a spectrum of self-centeredness and god-centeredness. When dealing with the disease of alcoholism we are selfish and self-centered beings. We use everything and everyone, even when we stop using alcohol and drugs to cope with thesefeelings of being unsatisfied and uncomfortable in life. The more we focus less on ourselves we allow a god of our understanding to enter our minds and work in our lives. While AA promises that the Higher Power can “restore us to sanity” when “the spiritual malady is overcome,” we’re never entirely free.

spiritual malady aa

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We become so fixated on it that almost everything we do leads us to think about getting intoxicated. The mind and alcoholism are so cunning, baffling, and powerful that we often cannot fathom how we ended up intoxicated when relying on our strong willpower to stay sober. That said, for many, it’s ultimately not satisfying to simply call the problem a “spiritual malady” and call it a day. The alcoholic who evolves spiritually  receives inner wisdom –  an intuition and understanding – a noetic mindset that goes beyond the traditional Drug rehabilitation five senses.

  • As a result of this thought process, the spiritual illness they’re up against is at the core of their addiction.
  • The message is that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.
  • Rather than providing a feeling of relief, we find ourselves in a perpetual “dark night of the soul,” cut off from any sense of spiritual comfort.

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  • However, that does not mean addicts are confronting this spiritual ailment by themselves.
  • It’s really not my mind – the mental obsession – that is the underlying root of what will take me back to drinking.
  • When dealing with the disease of alcoholism we are selfish and self-centered beings.

And unless this malady is recognized, and a course of action (the Twelve Steps) is taken to enable God to remove it, the root of our alcoholic illness can lie dormant and burn us when we least expect it. This spiritual malady, or spiritual disconnection, is the driving force behind our addiction and self-destructive behaviors. Without addressing this spiritual malady, we have absolutely no hope for intrinsic change or recovery. It is this notion that the fellowship of AA was founded upon, and how millions of recovered alcoholics equate their success in overcoming a seemingly hopeless situation. The only solution to a spiritual malady is a spiritual awakening. Only once we open the spiritual channels and begin to accept a Higher Power into our lives can we hope to find a solution to our alcoholic condition.

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spiritual malady aa

The unmanageability that the 1st Step is pointing to is the INWARD unmanageability of our lives – the restlessness, irritability, and discontentment that most alcoholics have even BEFORE they ever picked up their first drink. There are many names for this “inward unmanageability”. Some refer to it as “untreated alcoholism.” Others use the term “bedevilments”, which comes from page 52 of the Big Book (which I’ll be discussing in a moment). Page 64 simply refers to this “inward unmanageability” as “the spiritual malady.” When left unresolved, a spiritual malady https://ecosoberhouse.com/ will continue to lead to restlessness, irritability, and discontentment.

spiritual malady aa

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For example, AA rooms offer fellowship and support and provide a structure that can help keep you sober. These are all positive things that can help you on your journey to recovery, regardless of your beliefs. Finding a Higher Power is an essential part of Alcoholics Anonymous, but what if you don’t believe spiritual malady definition in God?