When looking for drug and alcohol treatment for dads, you might question the efficacy of programs that mention spirituality as a component of success. It’s little wonder in today’s climate. Extreme science fans claim there’s no room for spirituality. Extreme religions may contradict or counter scientific discovery.
For most of the Earth’s recorded history, people believed in gods, and spirituality was indelibly linked to religion in the collective consciousness. Today, society is so divided that we think anyone with a different opinion or approach is not only wrong but that their motives must be harmful.
Yet, a higher power can mean different things to different people. And there’s something for everyone, no matter how you believe the Earth came to be or if there’s an afterlife. Spirituality is accessible to everyone. Here are some popular myths about spirituality debunked:
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Myths
Myth 1: Spirituality is learned through a specific program or approach.
A higher power can mean God, nature, the betterment of society, or your higher self pushing you toward personal growth. It can also be a community of people with the same goal, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). It is a connection to something bigger than yourself that brings out the best in you.
With that in mind, the truth comes in varied forms. Kindness, for example, is a desirable attribute among people of all faiths and people without faith. It’s society’s expectation of how we should treat the people around us and ourselves. It doesn’t matter where you learned about kindness. It is a universal expression of love. It’s in the application that things get complicated across different cultures.
Choosing a source of information and inspiration is very personal. It is also critical for success. It is the connection that’s most important. When you feel smaller than your addiction, a link to something bigger will give you the courage to keep fighting.
Myth 2: Spirituality is an escape from the challenges of recovery.
Unfortunately, addiction is a lifelong challenge. You are never completely cured, and using again, even once, will revive your addictive symptoms. Some triggers will still make you think of using drugs or alcohol ten, twenty, or even fifty years later.
It does get easier to stay sober over time, however. Now, your addiction is an overwhelming compulsion that drives your every decision. It’s like a shark on the hunt, taking what it needs to stay alive, no matter who gets hurt. It has a killer instinct, rows of replaceable razor-sharp teeth, and no sympathy.
Whenever you refuse to give in to temptation, you steal a tooth. At first, there are plenty to replace it, and the shark’s bite is just as deadly. However, the more you decide to stay sober, attend meetings, work with your therapist, connect with supportive people, and stay the course, the faster you pull teeth. He eventually runs out of teeth. You just need to check his mouth regularly to get the baby teeth before they come in. That doesn’t mean he won’t try to bite. It just won’t draw blood.
The same works in reverse. When you stop going to meetings, connecting, and using your aftercare plan, the shark has time to grow more teeth. Ignore the shark long enough; he regains his full bite and is just as deadly as he ever was.
Spirituality doesn’t hide you from any of that. It strengthens you for the fight. It offers comfort and support. It’s a tool to help you reach your goal through the challenges, one of several. Consider it a pair of pliers for teeth pulling.
Myth 3: Spirituality is only for the good people. I don’t have access to spirituality if I’ve made serious mistakes.
Not so. There isn’t a perfect person on the planet. Not one. If perfection were the criteria, no one would have access to spirituality.
Everyone has weaknesses in them. Everyone has anger, selfishness, pride, wrath, greed, lust, fear, and insecurity. We also have courage, honor, joy, generosity, humility, kindness, discipline, and resilience.
Spirituality is connecting to something bigger than ourselves that makes us want to do better. It calls out our noblest virtues a step at a time until we’re proud of who we see in the mirror every day. You decide what that looks like and who you want to be, and use spirituality to achieve your goals.
Spirituality can be a great tool in your arsenal against addiction. Finding a faith-based drug rehab facility is one way to access it. Spend time in nature. Listen to music that lifts you. Surround yourself with people who support you in your sobriety. Stick with the program until you see the miracle changes in yourself.
For more information on how to find a men’s residential drug treatment program near you, call us at 855-736-7262.