Is All the Spiritual Stuff in Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps Really Necessary?

Over time, the effects of drug addiction can turn a normal functioning individual into a shell of a person. Both the body and the mind undergo profound changes as a growing dependency on the drug takes over.

While addressing the physical effects of addiction is essential to overcoming this condition, the effects had on the mind and will can persist long after drug use stops. For these reasons, a good majority of addicts in recovery require some form of outside guidance to maintain continued abstinence on a long-term basis.

The spiritual component of Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps approach works to help those in recovery develop a “personalized” concept of a Higher Power. In effect, the spiritual aspect of Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps enables a person to reconnect with the values and ideals that bring out his or her best self.

For more information on the Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps treatment approach, call our toll-free helpline at 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) .

Drug Treatment and the Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps Approach

One’s Higher Power is a personal choice, and not always religious.

It can be easy to view the physical effects of addictive substances as the driving force behind drug addiction. The effects of drugs no doubt start the ball rolling, but over the course of months or years, the damage done to the mind and spirit become the driving forces behind continued drug use.

Drug rehab approaches do a good job at treating the physical and psychological aftereffects of addiction. In order to address the impact had on a person’s spirit or her values and motivations, rehab programs use the Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps approach.

Spirituality vs. Religion

For many people, the spirituality aspect of Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps can be off-putting due to misconceptions about how this aspect of the program plays out. Rather than adhere to a set of organized beliefs surrounding a deity, the 12 Step approach encourages those in recovery to develop their own conception of spirit and truth which acts as their Higher Power, according to American Journal on Addictions.

In essence, the role spirituality plays has to do finding what inspires a person to be the best he or she can be. For one person, Christianity might work as. For another, nature or love can work as a Higher Power.

Ultimately, developing a Higher Power consciousness provides the type of foundation that allows growth and change to happen in recovery.

How Spirituality Can Help in Addiction Treatment

Reconnecting With the Essence of Who You Are

The effects of drug addiction not only strip away a person’s sense of values and right and wrong, but also his or her sense of self. Any concerns regarding life purpose, self-esteem and caring for others gradually fade away as addiction takes hold.

Reconnecting with these core aspects of the individual is a vital part of recovery. The Narcotics Anonymous 12 Step approach works to bring these issues to the forefront, and in the process, make reconnecting with one’s essence a primary motivation to get and stay well.

An Inside-Out Process

Ultimately, the recovery process happens from the inside-out. While eliminating addiction from your life remains the overall goal, something else has to fill the void or else addiction’s ways will soon resurface, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In effect, the Narcotics Anonymous 12 Step approach is designed to fill that void.

If you’re considering 12 Step program treatment and need help finding a program, call our helpline at 800-781-0748 (Who Answers?) to speak with one of our addiction counselors.