Atheism, recovery and a higher power
John asks: “I am a Certified DUI Counselor, and a Registered Addiction Specialist, and am curious as to what your perspective is on the “spirituality”(i.e. RELIGION!) component is with regards to “recovering” addicts/alcoholics, and if such a “basis” should be endorsed/incorporated into an addict’s/alcoholic’s recovery? Also, have you done any research with atheist/agnostic alcoholics (I personally have never met one!), (you may be able to find them at: “secularsobriety.org”), and if so, what have you found out? I am interested in becoming employed in the “addiction/recovery” field FULL-TIME, but am finding it beyond diffucult given the insane prejudice, and predominance of 12-Step (i.e. “spirituality”/religion based programs).”
The acceptance of a higher power is essential to sobriety. The reason is, until a higher power is accepted, the addict thinks he or she is that power.
Addiction causes egomania. The inflated ego (inordinately large sense of self-importance) must be deflated in recovery. Without that, all you get is a dry drunk.
Why must “spirituality” be used to overcome an addiction? I can only guess. The important thing is what we observe. We _observe_ that somewhat poor behaviors are the norm for the addict who has become merely abstinent. Behaviors improve dramatically from a combination of abstinence and ego-deflation. It may have something to do with the fact that ego-inflation is self-perpetuating; that the bigger the ego, the more inflated the addict needs to make it. Until ego-inflation is brought to an end, wielding power over others in all its multi-faceted ways continues. The wielding of power over others is the key to understanding early-stage alcoholism–this is the main source of misbehaviors.
By the way, atheist Ayn Rand was an amphetamine addict. She was brilliant, but her addiction resulted in an inflated sense of self. This reared its ugly head in her personal life in the form of a bizarre 30-year adulterous relationship; in the public sphere, you didn’t disagree with her if you wanted to remain in her good graces. Cult-like leaders are usually addicts of one stripe or another; she’s a classic case.
Drug Intervention Oregon said,
April 16, 2009 @ 6:47 am
Very nice.