Addiction recovery requires patience, inner-strength and community support. In the medical community, spiritually-oriented group therapy and one-on-one psychiatric intervention represent two classic "roads to recovery" from drug dependency. While often polarized in the media, these methods actually can work together, depending on the patient's own spiritual outlook and cultural background. Despite the controversy around spirituality and religion in modern medicine, many studies suggest that spiritually oriented recovery programs are highly effective.
Addiction and Holistic Care
Substance abuse is a complex issue because it involves physical addiction, repetitive behaviors and underlying psychological motivations that drive the entire process. The search for meaning is fundamental to human psychology, and it is this search that spirituality and religious faith address. A holistic approach to drug treatment incorporates this natural drive for meaning and connection. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a nonfaith-based research organization, recommends viewing addiction as being "rooted in a physical, mental and spiritual imbalance."
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous, or AA, is the program that first challenged the medical model's approach to addiction recovery, and its format has been repeated for drug addiction as well as for secondary drug addiction such as methadone. Staffed by volunteers at the local level, AA offers easy access to group therapy with a nondenominational Christian worldview. The famous "12 steps" help addicts find inner strength through their faith as well as community support.
Other Models
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found in its 2006 study that drug therapy centers increasingly augment patient care with elements of spirituality, from Native American practices to Eastern meditation. Sweat lodges, massage therapy, acupuncture and hypnotherapy are some complementary treatments that connect addicts to their goals and their support communities.
Effectiveness
Combining spiritual care with standard addiction therapies appears to be more effective than either treatment program alone, although this research is preliminary. A 2001 study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that HIV-positive injection drug users recovered more quickly if they had spiritual or religious support. The Betty Ford Clinic suggests that even less-spiritually-minded individuals have more successful treatment outcomes when they are exposed to "12 step" spiritual programs such as AA as well as medical care.
Leading Edge of Care
Although many hospitals do offer complementary care, the divide between spiritually-minded care groups and medical facilities remains wide. Dr. Marc Galanter, a psychiatrist who has studied community-led spirituality groups, notes that psychiatric services should become more sensitive to the spiritual needs of their patients, and recommends that resident doctors attend AA meetings to understand the value these groups provide.
References
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Spirituality Has a Role in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, Maryland Researchers Say
- Psychiatric Services: Alcohol and Drug Abuse--Healing Through Social and Spiritual Affiliation
- Betty Ford Center: Like It or Not, Spirituality Actually Aids Recovery
- Journal of Psychoactive Drugs; "Spiritual and Religious Support in Recovery from Addiction"
