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Spirituality, Religion, and Mutual Support Programs

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Humanizing Addiction Practice

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Abstract

This chapter debunks the common myth about 12-step programs and discusses the research findings on them. It provides practical tips for facilitating involvement in 12-step programs. It also covers the role of religion and spirituality in addiction treatment and recovery. Practical tools about integrating religion and spirituality in recovery are presented.

“What I really thought about was the result of many experiences with men of his kind. His craving for alcohol was the equivalent, on a low level, of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness expressed in medieval language: the union with God.… Alcohol in Latin is spiritus, and you use the same word for the highest religious experience as well as for the most depraving poison. The helpful formula is: spiritus contra spiritum.”

—Carl Jung in a letter to Bill Wilson, AA Grapevine [1]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Antoine Douaihy & H. Patrick Driscoll

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  1. Antoine Douaihy
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Douaihy, A., Driscoll, H.P. (2018). Spirituality, Religion, and Mutual Support Programs. In: Humanizing Addiction Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91005-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91005-5_6

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