Spirituality, Drugs, and Alcohol: A Philosophical Analysis

Abstract

Spirituality has long been associated with recovery from the socially constructed “addictive disease.” Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its analogs have enjoyed widespread acceptance as a spiritual approach for achieving recovery. AA or its derivatives are the predominant approaches in treatment programs even though a wide array of evidence-based approaches are now promoted by governmental sources in the United States. This philosophical analysis contrasts the state of science about addictive disorders with the reliance on a spiritual approach that is heavily grounded in Christian theology. We present four problems that need consideration before accepting the applicability of 12-step spiritual practices as the backbone of addiction treatment or recovery.

Keywords :

• recovery
• spirituality
• addiction

Notes

that perhaps attempt to destigmatize but may end up institutionalizing moral feelings into medical conditions with legal consequences. Every diagnosis is, indeed, a classification…a nosology…a label, but not every label is a diagnosis. Editor's note. ⁴“Evidence based/informed” has become a mantra. The reader is referred to Keil's concept of an “illusion of explanatory depth;” a superficial understanding of how complex systems work while feeling that we do understand…until we are asked to explain how it works…confronting us with how little we actually know (Keil, 2006). . Editor's note.

5 The reader is reminded that “recovery” has only been associated with abstinence-based programs and not with other treatment ideologies (e.g., harm reduction. quality of life, conflict resolution, well being). Editor's note.

6 The reader is asked to think about the following recently created concepts: (1) truthiness: “the quality of preferring concepts or facts one wishes to be true rather than concepts or facts known to be true.” Word of the Year in 2005, according to the American Dialect Society, and which was popularized by Stephen Colbert in the first episode of “The Colbert Report” (2) proofiness: “the art of using bogus mathematical arguments to prove something that you know in your heart is true—even when it's not” (Seife, 2010), and (2). Infopinion: presenting and/or mingling unreliable and misleading opinion as validated information. Editor's note.

7 The reader is referred to a view and process challenging “disease”: Moynihan and Henry (April 2006). Editor's note.

8 The reader is referred to Benzon and Hays (1990), for a stimulating exploration of this process. Editor's note.