What is Spiritual Therapy?
Living with a drug or alcohol addiction is known to significantly impact a person’s health and well-being in various aspects of an individual’s life. While most people have heard about the physical and mental health impacts that substance abusers will face, there is also a loss of spiritual health and well-being while you are in the midst of your substance abuse. That is why an effective addiction treatment program will incorporate methods of spiritual therapy that will help to reestablish your sense of purpose and identity through spiritual connection and beliefs.
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Spiritual Therapy supports patients in exploring a sense of a higher power or a belief system that is greater than yourself. For some individuals that are experiencing drug or alcohol addiction, you may have had a strong sense of religion or spirituality that has been lost throughout your active addiction or you may be searching for a way to connect with your own body and mind through mindfulness, spiritual or religious practices. Spiritual therapy can incorporate a variety of therapeutic methods and treatments that will help you connect with a higher power or god. This form of therapy will typically incorporate non-traditional therapy methods that go beyond talk therapy and encourage patients to engage in hands-on therapy methods that connect you with yourself, nature, and holistic therapy methods. Spiritual therapy can include faith based scripture reading such as the bible or koran, connecting your feelings with music or creative expression, meditation, or experiential or nature therapy methods. The goal of spirituality therapy is to enable individuals to find your sense of purpose and develop healthy ways of coping to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle within your body, mind, and spirit.
Why Spiritual Therapy Is Important in Addiction Treatment
Drug and alcohol addiction impacts a person’s life deep within your soul. You know the person you are outside of your addiction and recognize the impacts that your substance abuse has had within your life and want to find yourself again without the influences of drugs and alcohol. In the midst of your addiction, it is common for substance abusers to feel as though they have lost everything including a sense of self and purpose in life. Addiction feels as though it rips away your true morals and values the more your addiction deepens. As you prepare to begin your addiction treatment, you want to find hope and light within your life again which is why addiction treatment will support patients in finding ways to connect with oneself and spirituality again through spiritual therapy methods incorporated within your addiction treatment plan.
Spiritual therapy can act as a form of motivation for some patients to continue on your path toward addiction recovery. It has been shown that the risk of relapse significantly decreases for those individuals that find a spiritual or religious belief system and engage in faith based or spiritual practices. Having a belief in a higher power or God will often work to encourage individuals to remain sober not only for themselves for a power greater than themselves that is guiding their life. There are many addiction treatment centers that will incorporate a level of spirituality within patient treatment plans by including forms of the 12-step programs within treatment programs. 12-step programs such as alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous will encourage those in addiction recovery to follow a set of steps that will support you in overcoming your addiction by connecting with a higher power. Patients in a 12-step program are encouraged to find and identify a higher power that you connect or relate with and lean on your higher power for guidance and strength throughout your recovery journey. Connecting with a higher power will support individuals to find a sense of purpose while providing motivation to maintain a life of addiction recovery to continue to discover the gifts in life that can occur as you achieve a life of sobriety. Spirituality has been found to support individuals in letting go of the need to control every aspect of their life which often fuelled your addiction and allows you to remain peaceful and calm with life as you lean into your faith to get you through the highs and lows of life.
Using Spiritual Therapy To Find a Sense of Self
For many living with substance use disorders, the emotions and thoughts that are rooted underneath your addictive behaviors are often centered around feelings of shame, depression, guilt, or anxiety. As you encounter these difficult emotions, many will turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to mask these emotions or numb yourself from feeling them. However, the longer you attempt to self medicate with substances to avoid these feelings, your addiction becomes more severe and individuals begin to lose touch with your true, authentic self. Addiction treatment that includes methods of spiritual therapy has been essential for patients that are looking for ways to find themselves again outside of your addiction and become confident and happy with the person that you are.
Spiritual therapy provides an opportunity for you to begin to look within and begin to forgive yourself for your past and release the negative emotions of shame or guilt through spiritual practices. Spiritual practices such as meditation allow for individuals to be able to process your emotions and release the negative impacts and shift your perception of self. Spiritual therapy in addiction treatment can also include practicing daily gratitude expressions. Expressing and identifying the positives and strengths in your life that have and continue to shape who you are will allow you to feel connected to yourself and those around you. Individuals that deepen their spiritual connection also find that they are able to connect with a larger purpose or community that shares in your belief system allowing you to feel important, and valued, while providing a sense of purpose or direction within your life.
Finding Yourself After Addiction at The Detox Center
At The Detox Center of LA, we strongly believe that your drug and alcohol addiction does not define you as a person. You are so much more than your addiction and our team is dedicated to supporting you to see yourself beyond your addiction and become inspired to find yourself again after drug and alcohol addiction. Our treatment center offers treatment programs that are individualized to meet your personal needs and goals for addiction treatment and recovery. Our addiction clinicians offer a comprehensive treatment plan that includes evidence based therapy methods, solution focused direction for recovery programs, and provide opportunities for spiritual therapy and connection. Each patient that enters our recovery center has their own unique history and story of drug or alcohol addiction. Treatment programs need to be focused on the individual circumstances of each patient, especially for spiritual therapy as each person’s beliefs are authentic to the person. Our team will take the time to get to know you and your goals for addiction treatment including the levels of care and spiritual components that you wish to have incorporated within your treatment program to ensure you get the most out of your healing journey. Call us today and allow our team to provide you with any information you need to help you get started on your road to recovery today. You can find yourself again after addiction and our team is here to help you rediscover yourself again through our supportive treatment programs.
