Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles

Spirituality An Important Tool in Addiction Recovery

By Staff Writer

Spirituality is an essential component of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as well as a number of substance abuse treatment programs across the country. Addiction experts have known the healing power of a spiritual connection for decades, but research is finally beginning to clarify just how important spirituality can be in the process of recovery.

What the Research Says

Studies suggest that people with a spiritual belief system are less depressed, less anxious, and less suicidal than non-spiritual people, and that they are better able to cope with stressful and traumatic events. Those who incorporate spirituality into their daily lives through meditation, prayer, and other spiritual practices report having a more positive outlook and an overall sense of satisfaction with life.

In an article titled “The 12 Steps: Building the Evidence Base” that appeared in the May 2009 issue of Addiction Professional magazine, Valerie Slaymaker, Ph.D., reviewed a series of studies supporting the value of spirituality in addiction treatment.

Dr. Slaymaker pointed to research by Sterling and colleagues that compared individuals in treatment for alcohol use who relapsed with individuals who maintained abstinence. Although all participants demonstrated significant initial increases in spirituality scores (measured by spiritual experiences, gratitude, tolerance, humility, and other factors), those who relapsed showed significant declines in spirituality scores in a three-month follow-up. This and similar studies suggest that spirituality levels increase during the course of substance abuse treatment and that spirituality can help individuals in recovery avoid relapse and feel a greater sense of inner peace and personal growth.

Other research highlighted by Dr. Slaymaker has shown that higher spirituality levels directly relate to improved treatment outcomes and life satisfaction. For example, a study by Robinson and colleagues found a positive relationship among daily spiritual experiences, a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and the subsequent absence of heavy drinking at six months post-treatment.

In her research review, Dr. Slaymaker also noted that drug treatment programs which emphasize spiritual principles and offer spiritual guidance from experienced addiction specialists tend to bring about greater spiritual change in their patients than programs that only provide minimal spiritual training and guidance.

The 12 Steps, which emphasize the importance of turning to a higher power, have proven effective for millions of recovering addicts and alcoholics. As Dr. Slaymaker points out, the Big Book of AA provides “an almost linear model of transformative change that takes a suffering individual from a place of negativity and desperation to one of recovery and improved health.”

Although research in this area is ongoing, it is clear from these and similar studies that spiritual change plays an important role in promoting recovery.

Integrating Spirituality into Substance Abuse Treatment

In order to reap all of the benefits of spiritually based addiction treatment, it is important to find a substance abuse program that fully integrates spirituality and the 12 Steps into treatment. SunHawk Academy is one of only a few long-term drug rehab centers for teens that fully integrates 12-Step work and spiritual principles with residential treatment, intensive therapy, and sober living activities.

In addition to completing intensive 12-Step written assignments and daily AA/NA meetings on- and off-campus, SunHawk adolescents participate in weekly service activities that introduce them to a connection with a higher power and a sense of belonging to a larger community, as well as the concepts of humility, gratitude, tolerance, and a sense of peace and fulfillment. Combined with extensive group work, morning and evening meditation groups, individual therapy, accredited academics, addiction education, and life skills training, SunHawk adolescents learn to live with meaning and purpose, and without drugs or alcohol.

Although no one factor can guarantee long-term recovery, spirituality has proven to aid both adults and adolescents in the process of overcoming addiction. With a strong spiritual foundation, individuals in recovery are more resilient to stress and anxiety, feel more optimistic about life, and experience an enhanced sense of belonging and purpose.