A Spiritual Path

Dr. Marvin D. Seppala, Medical Director, CEO
Beyond Addictions

A quote from Herbert Spencer found in the Alcoholics Anonymous text helps to introduce this discussion about the use of spirituality in the treatment of those with addiction. “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation.” Twelve Step programs are based on spiritual principles of healing executed by working the Steps in the context of the fellowship of AA meetings.

The spiritual activities inherent in 12 Step programs and the spiritual emphasis of the written documents used by these programs leave many attendees confused and some frankly resistant. The same can be said for those mental health professionals working with people involved in such programs. Survey research reveals that those involved in AA rate spirituality as the most important aspect of the program. However, most mental health professionals are not trained in the spiritual and some reject it. Many recovering alcoholics and addicts need psychotherapy to address problems associated with addiction or to treat other mental health issues. If the therapist has little knowledge of addiction and recovery using the 12 Steps or if they are negatively biased about spirituality, the potential exists for confusing the attendee, undermining the gains the individual has made in recovery from addiction and even contributing to relapse. Thus, it is essential for mental health professionals to not only have a thorough understanding of addiction but also to have a working knowledge of the 12 Steps.

When therapists include the spiritual, they are enlisting a powerful means of healing. New schools of psychology have recognized this and incorporate the spiritual as essential to understanding the human condition and healing our ills. Even western medicine has begun to use the spiritual in the healing of chronic illness. The addiction field has done so from the onset as a result of the popularity, success and influence of 12 Step programs.

Working in addiction allows me to use my training and experience in psychiatry, neuroscience, psychotherapy, spirituality and the 12 Steps. Using these diverse disciplines I am able to provide care in an effective, eclectic manner to those who seek my help in addressing their addiction and other mental health issues. Knowledge of the 12 Steps allows me to engage people in a holistic examination of their recovery. It also assures them that I understand what they are going through; the crushing despair of addiction, the depth of pain associated with self examination, and the joys of recovery. When someone is struggling with the 4th Step (“Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”) because of their resistance to admitting to an act of great shame, something they vowed never to tell anyone, it can be remarkably helpful to offer a perspective based on intimate knowledge of their plight that helps them move past the resistance and complete the task. We can share in the healing process, with full recognition that we are together on a spiritual path.