Many newcomers to recovery fellowships assume that they are entering into a religious program. While many of these fellowships stress the importance of spirituality, they stress that engagement in the program does not require one to subscribe to any specific religious denomination or believe in anyone else’s conception of a “higher power.” Words like “god” and “spiritual awakening” can be uncomfortable at first, but recovery is inclusive to all, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. The “spiritual awakening” described by 12-Step recovery fellowships is alternately referred to as a “psychic change.” This change, regardless of whether one wishes to put a divine label on it or think of it as strictly psychological, arises from an entire upheaval in our previous ways of thinking and acting. Neuroscientist Sam Harris, in his book Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion, explains, “humans have a distorted view of reality that leads them to suffer unnecessarily. We grasp at transitory pleasures. We brood about the past and worry about the future. We continually seek to prop up and defend an egoic self that doesn’t exist. This is stressful– the spiritual life is a process of gradually unraveling our confusion and bringing this stress to an end.” Our engagement in the spiritual life suggested by recovery fellowships allows us to address these stressors that controlled our lives and led us deeper into our addictions. This is achievable by anyone, regardless of their faith, with one caveat—developing a conception of a higher power. Spirituality and religion are just as different as “God” and “Higher Power.” Our conception of a higher power can be entirely of our own making. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains, “When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God. This applies, too, to other spiritual expressions which you find in this book. Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you.” Any conception or understanding you may have of this power idea is sufficient to engage a spiritual program of recovery, as long as it is some kind of power grater than yourself.
A spiritual program of recovery may be the next great chapter of your story. You can seek help now and begin your journey toward a happy, joyous, and free life in sobriety. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in beautiful Laguna Beach, offers the opportunity to achieve and maintain permanent sobriety in a serene beachfront environment. For more information about treatment options, including Detox and Residential Treatment, please call today: (877) 279-1777
