|
|
| Spirituality Increases as Alcoholics Recover |
|
|
|
|
One program that has been shown conclusively to aid alcoholics in achieving
and maintaining sobriety is AA, which has spiritual components including
invocation of a higher power. The new study, however, shows that the
relationship between spirituality and likelihood of recovery was independent
of whether a person took part in AA or not.
Description - Summary
Many measures of spirituality tend to increase during alcohol recovery, a
new study finds. And those alcoholics who experience increases in day-to-day
spiritual experiences and their sense of purpose in life are most likely to
be free of heavy drinking episodes six months later.
Newswise - For decades, recovering alcoholics and those who treat them have
incorporated spirituality into the recovery process - whether or not it's
religious in nature. But few research studies have documented if and how
spirituality changes during recovery, nor how those changes might influence
a person's chance of succeeding in the quest for sobriety.
Now, a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan Addiction
Research Center sheds light on this phenomenon. In the March issue of the
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, they show that many measures of
spirituality tend to increase during alcohol recovery. They also demonstrate
that those who experience increases in day-to-day spiritual experiences and
their sense of purpose in life are most likely to be free of heavy drinking
episodes six months later.
"While people's actual beliefs don't seem to change during recovery, the
extent they have spiritual experiences, and are open to spirituality in
their lives, does change," says lead researcher Elizabeth A.R. Robinson,
Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the U-M Medical School's Department
of Psychiatry and member of UMARC. "This effect was also independent of
their participation in Alcoholics Anonymous which has a strong spiritual
aspect."
The researchers report data from 154 adults with a diagnosis of alcohol
dependence or alcohol abuse who entered an outpatient treatment program.
At the beginning of the study, and again six months later, the researchers
assessed 10 different measures of the participants' spirituality and
religiousness using standard research questionnaires. These included their
views of God, religious practices such as prayer or church attendance,
forgiveness, spiritual experiences, using religion or spirituality to cope,
and existential meaning. The researchers also assessed participants' alcohol
use, and problems related to their alcohol use, before the study began and
after six months. All of these responses were combined with information
about gender and AA participation, and analyzed using statistical
techniques.
In all, the study shows, half of the measures of spirituality changed
significantly in the six month period, including daily spiritual
experiences, the use of religious practices, forgiveness, positive use of
religion for coping, and feelings of purpose in life. But the measures that
assessed individuals' core beliefs and values about God or religion didn't
change. At the same time, use of alcohol decreased significantly, and 72
percent of participants did not relapse to heavy drinking.
The researchers then looked at how changes in spirituality related to the
likelihood that a person had relapsed to heavy drinking. Those who had
experienced an increase in their daily spiritual experiences were less
likely to participate in any heavy drinking, as were those who had
experienced an increase in their feeling that there was a purpose to their
lives. Changes in the other measures of spirituality were not statistically
associated with the likelihood of sobriety.
Robinson and her colleagues write that their results suggest that "proactive
and experiential" dimensions of spirituality, rather than cognitive ones,
were contributing to the recovery and decrease in drinking in the first six
months.
They note that this pattern is consistent with two AA slogans: "Bring your
body, your mind will follow," and "Fake it 'til you make it."
In other words, changes in core beliefs and values don't have to occur in
order for someone to be more open to spiritual experiences or to take part
in more spiritual activities.
These findings suggest that including spirituality of all kinds into the
delivery of recovery services for alcoholism may indeed help. Many
individual faiths or religious institutions have offered recovery services,
and some advocates have suggested that faith-based recovery is most
effective for all. But Robinson notes that the spirituality seen in the
study was not necessarily a matter of believing in one interpretation of
God, or even belief in a God of any kind.
Each individuals own spirituality, and the ability to experience growth in
that spirituality, appears to be paramount, the authors suggest. So, each
individual alcoholic might do best by searching for a recovery program that
best matches his or her existing belief system.
One program that has been shown conclusively to aid alcoholics in achieving
and maintaining sobriety is AA, which has spiritual components including
invocation of a higher power. The new study, however, shows that the
relationship between spirituality and likelihood of recovery was unrelated
to whether a person took part in AA or not.
Some alcoholics may derive help from the spiritual aspects of AA, but others
may not, says Robinson. "There's more than one way to feed your spiritual
self," she notes.
The U-M research team has begun a new phase of research involving people who
are taking part in three different alcohol treatment programs, and
alcoholics not currently in treatment. This study will follow more than 360
people over three years.
They are also analyzing the data from this 154-person group more in-depth,
including looking at how the individuals defined and described their own
religious and spiritual preferences and practices.
The study was funded by the Fetzer Institute, which sponsored the initial
workshop on spirituality and alcoholism that led to the current study, and
by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In addition to
Robinson, the study's authors are Kirk Brower, M.D., an associate professor
of psychiatry and executive director of U-M Addiction Treatment Services;
James Cranford, Ph.D., of UMARC and the U-M Substance Abuse Research Center;
and Jon Webb, Ph.D., formerly of UMARC and now of East Tennessee State
University.
For more information go to:
http://www.jsad.com/jsad/article/SixMonth_Changes_in_Spirituality_Religiousness_and_Heavy_Drinking_in_a_T/2120.html
|
|
|
|
|
| No Feedback Yet. |
| Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback if you have registered with TxDirector. If you have not yet registered, click here. Registration is free. |
|
Related Links
|
|
|
|
| About These Links: The links above are dynamically generated. Some links may be more relevant than others. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
© 2005 TxDirector.com - Maintained by Lanstat Incorporated - Design by Cumuli Design
Page Load Time: 0.149 secs
|
|
Disclaimer: TxDirector.com cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site. TxDirector.com has no control of how you may use information you get from this site and does not attest to the validity of any information found within. Much of this information comes from third parties (newsletter readers and other contributors). Use advice found in our newsletters and on our site with common sense and at your own risk. If you see something in our newsletters or on our site that you disagree with, please let us know. Our goal is print only valuable information and advice. If you find any information on TxDirector.com or in our newsletters that is either erroneous and/or potentially harmful to others, please Contact Us, immediately.
|
|
|
