Spiritual Recovery from Drug Addiction

Recovering from a drug addiction through spirituality is a profound experience. Some people who struggle with drug addiction do not turn to any form of spirituality in order to recover. They use tools of this world to recover, some successfully, some unsuccessfully. Those who open themselves to spirituality in the midst of their battle against drug addiction uncover a very important gift. An open door to a spiritual life is for many the difference between drug addiction and sobriety.

When a drug addict opens themselves up to spirituality, they trade their desire for control in for a sense of trust. This is a very important spiritual tool for combating drug addiction. A primary focus of any kind of addiction is control. Addiction rewards the addict with a sense of control because when they are in their addiction, they have a sense of total control. Control is something that people crave, but it robs a person of their sense of trust. When someone becomes dependent on a drug in order to feel powerful and in control, they do not want to let anyone into that space they control, and they lose touch with trust. Seeking trust through spirituality as a drug addict is an excellent way of healing from addiction.

Feelings of pleasure are what lead a drug addict into their addiction. Using the drug causes their brain to produce the pleasure chemical dopamine, which becomes irresistible to an addict. They will return again and again to achieve that same rush of dopamine from the drug. An obsession with pleasure will surely achieve an addict the sensation of pleasure, but will rob them of their peace of mind. Pleasure and peace are far from the same thing. Pleasure is something one escapes into, while peace sits with a person in the midst of their strife. A person is far better off with peace in their lives than they are with pleasure, but someone who is addicted to drugs may need to humble themselves immensely to accept peace in place of pleasure.