What Does It Mean to Suffer from a Spiritual Malady?
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By staying alert to the warning signs and taking action to address them, you can avoid falling into the trap of a spiritual malady and find greater meaning and purpose in your life. Our emotional response to criticism, stress, trauma, and grief can build up negative emotions and lead to spiritual malady. Additionally, lack of self-care and self-compassion, including poor eating habits, not getting enough rest, and neglecting basic needs are critical contributors. Spiritually, the lack of connection with nature, devoid of meaningful relationships, and a lack of faith can also contribute to spiritual malady. The spiritual malady is the result of my being out of order with my higher power who I choose to call God. I was the director in the drama of life and managing the world so I could get what I thought I needed to feel ok.
There is after all, a lot of God talk in those meetings and in their “Big Book,” Alcoholics Anonymous. God is the main feature https://ecosoberhouse.com/what-are-sober-living-houses/ of the 12-Step approach to substance abuse. And some of its member do have a culty reliance upon one another, rather than God.
Understanding Spiritual Malady
I need booze to medicate my inner turmoil, tortured mind and my broken heart. From my own experience as an alcoholic, I came to believe that Bill was right when he declared that alcoholism is a spiritual illness. I survived thirteen years as a mostly dry and yet untreated alcoholic in AA. Spiritual malady, a condition that disrupts when the spiritual malady is overcome the balance of inner peace and calms one’s spiritual state, is caused by various factors. Our emotional, mental, or physical health, often impacted by familial, societal, or cultural factors, can contribute to this condition. Furthermore, the lack of mindful, self-reflective practices can also trigger this condition.
You will likely feel fear and anxiety if disconnected from the world. Disharmony with your higher self can expose you to vulnerabilities. It’s important for the loved ones of these people to be understanding and ensure they receive the love and care they deserve. You may feel tired from working too hard on your spiritual progress. In the same way, you need to take rest days when you work out regularly.
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I believe that an awakening of the spirit and an awakening to a belief in God are not mutually inclusive. Reach out to our compassionate team to begin your recovery journey. Conveniently, I overlooked the words ‘God as you understand Him (or Her’) ingeniously included in the steps. There is one decision that we make, that leads to a continuous unfolding of decision-less choices on the path of life. That path is always right, and there are no wrong turns – just different experiences.
It is not easy to do so but recognizing this aspect of alcoholism forces us to take an honest look in the mirror at our behaviors and attitudes toward life and other people. The thoughts we have as alcoholics are often insidious in such a way that we can’t tell what is true or false.The AA Big Booktalks about this delusion we develop in active addiction. Thoughts like we can eventually manage our lives while in active addiction. Most of us hate to deal with negative thoughts or emotions—it just doesn’t feel good.
The Spiritual Malady of Addiction: What Is It Exactly?
If you are spiritually unwell, you may feel like a leaf in the wind, aimlessly floating in the whirlwind of life. A spiritually ill person may seclude themselves and cut cords with real life. They may appear emotionally distant and hard to reach out to. The following are signs and symptoms of spiritual illness to help you acknowledge that something has gone awry and needs higher intervention. Hank Wesselman explained that a person suffers from soul loss when they have lost the will to live. Just as Paracelsus said, fear is much more dangerous than the disease itself.
Fear and resentment dominated my thoughts and I made decisions based on self which caused me harm and harmed others. I want to make clear to members that these thoughts are not definitive treatise on the subjects. Just an attempt to stimulate thought or discussion and provide information based on my study and experience.
How to Understand How an Addict May Suffer Spiritually
Chronic threat brings about maladaptive chronic physiology and behaviors that over time increase our illness and disease burden. Spiritual threats can come in the form of emotional threat or injury. We can experience emotional attacks, assaults, accidents, or abuse that affect our physiology similar to a physical threat or injury. Social threat and injury are other forms of spiritual threat and injury that are particularly toxic to humans. Things like isolation, disenfranchisement, discrimination, and injustice not only influence our mental health but our physical health, as well.
- Finally, it is worth noting that spiritual maladies have been observed throughout history, with many individuals struggling to find meaning and fulfillment in their lives.
- 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.
- Perhaps it’s an obsession with nicotine, using cigars, cigarettes or vaping devices to self-administer that powerful, psycho-active drug.
- Allow yourself to feel the strength and support that comes from knowing that there is something bigger than yourself out there rooting for your success.
- It may not be your first instinct to link these to your spiritual health.