The Soul of Recovery: Uncovering the Spiritual Dimension in the Treatment of AddictionsMillions of alcoholics and addicts recover through spirituality. In The Soul of Recovery: Uncovering the Spiritual Dimension in the Treatment of Addictions, author and journalist Christopher D. Ringwald tells how and why they seek and achieve these transformations. Ranging as far back as the Washingtonian Total Abstinence Society in 1840, Ringwald illuminates the use of spirituality within a wide range of treatment options--from the famous Twelve Step-style programs to those tailored to the needs of addicted women, Native Americans, or homeless teens not ready to quit. Focusing on the results rather than the validity of beliefs espoused by these programs, he demonstrates how addicts recover through practices such as self-examination, meditation, prayer and reliance on a self-defined higher power. But the most compelling evidence of spirituality's importance comes from those directly involved in the process. Ringwald traveled across the country to visit dozens of programs and interview hundreds of addicts, alcoholics, counselors, family members, doctors and scientists. Many share moving stories of suffering, survival, and redemption. A homeless man, a surgeon, a college student, a working mother-each describes the descent into addiction and how spirituality offered a practical, personal means to recovery. Ringwald also examines the controversies surrounding faith-based treatment and the recovery movement, from the conflict between science and spirituality, to skepticism about the "new age" brand of spirituality these programs encourage, to constitutional issues over court-mandated participation in allegedly religious treatment programs. Combining in-depth research with powerful personal accounts, this fascinating exploration of spirituality will provide a fuller understanding of the nature of addiction and how people overcome it. |
Contents
| 3 | |
The Middle Class and Mainstream Treatment | 29 |
Womens Treatment Womens Spirituality | 51 |
Native American Treatment and Indian Spirituality | 79 |
Measuring Results Measuring the Soul Science and the Spirit | 109 |
Our God No God Religious Methods and Secular Approaches | 135 |
Harm Reduction Challenging Tradition on the Street with Transcendence | 159 |
Treating HardCore Addicts From Secular Practicality to Practical Spirituality in Therapeutic Communities | 186 |
The Recovery Movement Recovering God Recovering Self | 214 |
FaithBased Solutions in a Democracy | 239 |
NOTES | 271 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 287 |
INDEX | 299 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstinence abuse accept addicts alcoholics Alcoholics Anonymous American approach attend become behavior beliefs better cause Center church clients concept considered continues counselors dependent developed disease drinking drugs effect experience faith feel funding give groups harm higher power House human idea Indian individual Institute involves later learned least lives look means meetings ment mental methods mind months moral Native nature offer once patients percent person practices prison problems programs recovered recovery reduce relapse religion religious reported residents responsibility role says sense sober Sobriety social society solution spiritual Steps stop street substance abuse success suggests talk tells things thought tion told traditional treat treatment turn Twelve Twelve-Step University usually values women York
Popular passages
Page 14 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Page 14 - We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Page 25 - The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. Sobriety diminishes, discriminates, and says no ; drunkenness expands, unites, and says yes.
Page 14 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Page 116 - Thou shalt not be a theist, for that would be to satisfy thy subjective propensities, and the satisfaction of those is intellectual damnation. These most conscientious gentlemen think they have jumped off their own feet...
Page 14 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Page 30 - There are only two ways in which it is possible to get rid of anger, worry, fear, despair, or other undesirable affections. One is that an opposite affection should overpoweringly break over us, and the other is by getting so exhausted with the struggle that we have to stop, — so we drop down, give up, and don't care any longer.
References to this book
12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food Victoria Boutenko No preview available - 2007 |