Drug Addiction and Sprituality
"Drug addiction is NOT a psychological or pharmacological problem, and CANNOT be solved by the methods of psychology or pharmacology. It is, at root, a SPIRITUAL concern, because it represents a misdirected attempt to achieve wholeness, to experience inner completeness and satisfaction."
~ Andrew Weil, MD
"The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives”
~ William James
Drug Addiction and Spirituality
Learning to love Yourself is the definition of Change...
Many people in our society look at people addicted to alcohol and other drugs as weak and morally inferior.
It was Gregory Bateson, great anthropologist, who suggested differently.
He saw the addict as a person who had a spiritual thirst and a sense of knowing that there is something more. The addict, Bateson said, found that alcohol and other drugs momentarily and partially filled this thirst.
A spiritual journey can begin without ever mentioning the words: God and religion - which often have some negative memory attached to them - rather an opening of the heart to Love, the process of awakening to Love.
Addiction is a compulsive and continuous search for happiness outside ourselves, despite the fact that contentment always eludes us.
Reversing Drug Addiction
We need to challenge the part of the mind which is based on fear and separation...
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Guilt. Guilt is the belief we have done something wrong, bad and unforgivable. It is based on the belief that there is no escape from the past and determines the future.
Shame. As guilt increases we not only believe we have done something bad, we begin to believe we are bad.
Fear. Because of guilt and shame we become plagued with a fear of punishment. For some this translates in the fear of God... for others that they don't deserve Love.
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Guilt, Shame and Fear leave us with anxiety and feelings of emptiness, incompleteness and hopelessness.
The ego keeps us from examining it too closely, by making us believe that guilt and shame are so strong that we could not possibly get beyond them.
Because of fear, we run from looking within ourselves, and we begin to look to people, places, activities and possessions for our happiness.
It is in this external search for peace of mind that the ego pushes us towards our first steps in drug addiction.
Peace of Mind
The addictive thought system never gives us lasting peace of mind. In contrast with the addictive thought system, the love based thought system tells us that our natural state of mind is one of wholeness and peace.
Peace of mind and happiness are interchangeable.
This doesn't mean smiling constantly... It is possible to go through difficult experiences and still have peace of mind... and a sense of happiness.
We did not become incomplete at some point in our lives; we simply forgot who we were, and so began searching outside for happiness.
Love based thinking recognizes a simple fact:
I lack nothing to be happy - right now!
How can we achieve peace?
For me, the best way to find peace with myself is to question my thoughts. Inquiry and meditation on my stressful thoughts. For more on the HOW, please visit www.thework.com.
The Work of Byron Katie is a clear and easy method, which has brought me inner stillness, peace and happiness.
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