How do you define a "Spiritual Program of Recovery"

Recovery
#1

I can't do God, Christ, Jesus, your obvious choice for spirituality.

There are personal reasons for this and I am not looking for someone to convince me that God or Jesus will do anything for me.

The recent sober tips of the day are mentioning spiritual recovery. Maybe I'm doing it without conscious acknowledgement.

I'm having a hard time acknowledging spiritually and need inspiration and ideas on how to do this.

Thank you to everyone who has replied. I appreciate everyone's perspective. And please, add your thoughts.

I am a scientist, maybe I'll just know that eventually it will all be known. I just don't think of it as spiritual, but it is a faith of a sort that it will all be worked out.

And you can't control science.

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#2

Spirituality is what you make of it. I'm not a religious man.
I do believe in a higher power greater than myself.
A higher power is what you choose to believe. It doesn't mean it has to be religious. it's just a power greater than ourselves.
That's how I define spirituality myself.
I hope it helps you to continue working towards sobriety and maintain it.
I'm 36 years, sober, I know in my heart it is achievable.

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#3

Look into smart recovery on line, and the book from Amazon

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#4

I don’t do religion either. But I do practice the A.A. program. It says in the AA literature that you are not required to believe in anything god wise. However, they suggest you believe in something greater than yourself. That can be science, a higher order, the A.A. group.
Over time I have come to adopt a Native American belief in a “spirit of the universe” I adopted from a fellow AA. It’s basically whatever will work for you. As long as we’re not relying solely on self. Because that got us drunk.

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#5

Personally, I go to NA meetings. In NA we suggest that one find a “Higher Power.” Your HP should be loving, caring and greater than yourself, but it is not suggested that it be yourself. It can be the group, spiritual principles, or the God of your understanding . In the hundreds of meetings I’ve attended over the years, nobody has ever questioned my beliefs. Maybe try opening yourself to the possibility? Just try to be open minded. It’ll work out if just try.

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#6

I forgot to say: the word “spiritual” means “that which relates to the mind.”

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#7

My advice would be just to stay open minded. Your spirituality can be a journey and that’s fine. We all have our own path and there will always be things we never fully understand.

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#8

When I was getting sober, AA was my Higher Power and that's ok! I needed to believe on what you said so my HOPE could grow and it did!

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#9

Don't even worry about it. Just think of it practically. Not drinking, hanging out with other sober people, helping others get/stay sober, coming to terms with the past, all this stuff is good for your soul. That's it. Ignore the woo woo that the snake doctors are peddling and just think of it as a better way to live. It's a psychic change, that is much more tangible.

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#10

Thinking in terms of how and why we think things, what we believe about them in terms of good, building momentum in directions we want to go, building virtue. Aristotle may be a good read for ya.

#11

Religion, and the various churches, synagogues, mosques, and what have you, is of human construction and therefore falls far short of the divine knowledge.

I know I am not all knowing of the workings of the universe. I believe nobody has the answer, but I hold firm on the quest for it.

That's the crux of it, innit? We acknowledge there's something bigger than us.

Grant me the serenity...

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#12

You just need to believe in “something” greater than yourself. Be it nature, the universe, a group, etc. It could be anything, as long as it isn’t you. The program helps me get out of “self,” to let go of things I don’t have any control over, and most importantly, to get into acceptance of people and situations in my life. I know, oh believe me, I know how hard it is to get over the “God” hurdle in the program. It kept me away from the program for a very long time, but thankfully something finally clicked for me regarding the concept of a higher power.

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#13

This is a good question, just reading ur post has opened my mind to another perspective I didn’t really think of before..

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#14

Being spiritual and being religious are 2 diff things. I practice Dudeism, just trying to abide!! But that’s just like my opinion man! :v:t3::sunglasses:

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#15

You don't even really need to think of things "greater than you". Not even sure what that really means. Just know that the things you do effect other people, both negatively as well as positively. Being aware of how we effect others is a big deal. The "power greater than you" stuff is a bit hinky in my opinion so I don't really give it much thought.

Hail yourself.

#16

Oh for the love of God. Yes, I said it….God, God, God! Taylor, you are so negative. I believe the person who initiated the post was asking about a spiritual program. You don’t work a spiritual program, so maybe practice some restraint and don’t comment on what you don’t know. No need to be so flippant.

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#17

I wasn't being negative in any way. Mind your own business, sheeple.

#18

Engaging in a spiritual program is sort of like majoring in a subject in college; you can major in anything. If there’s some sort of intellectual point that guides your steps, actively protects you from relapsing just by thinking and putting thought behind it as the emergency backup generator of your recovery, i.e., the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the power of Nintendo, the power of science, Backstreet Boys…our risen Lord and Savior Jon Snow. The list goes on.

As for my “spiritual program”, I’m a hardcore holy roller of God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit. Though, practically, I realize not everyone likes Him based on their own experiences and encounters with people claiming to be of Him and they turn out to be the most judgemental folks in the world.

To steal a quote from Serenity, “I don’t care what you believe in, just so long as you believe in it”.

Good luck in your search. :metal:

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#19

Thanks to everyone who shared. I really needed this today and when I first got sober but better late than never.

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