Spirituality & Addiction

Critics of 12-step recovery seek to throw a shadow over every aspect of the program. One favorite target is the concept of spirituality. Critics are fond of accusing AA of being a religious cult and dismiss the idea that recovery is, at least in part, a spiritual phenomenon. They seem to bristle at the very idea of spirituality, or that individuals do at times experience epiphanies or “spiritual awakenings.” Marsha Linehan, the architect of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, herself reports having just such an experience:

As therapists, it’s important for us to keep in mind that addiction in fact progressively robs individuals of their “spirituality.” Spirituality has some connection to religious experience, to be sure. However, if we define spirituality more broadly as the values and priorities we live by, along with our important relationships and the degree to which we feel we have a place and purpose in the world, it’s easy to see how addiction progressively erodes all of these things. With this in mind, 12-step fellowships can rightly be called spiritual because of the values, beliefs, and activities they advocate. These values include honesty and humility (as opposed to arrogance) and behaviors such as altruism and prayer/meditation.