Though spiritual struggle is generally thought to arise as a result of significant adversity, spiritual struggle due to non-traumatic stressful events could serve as a diathesis for PTSD to a subsequent traumatic event. Additionally, although the mean time between the index event and assessment of struggle and symptoms was four months, some participants may have experienced their event so recently that time was insufficient for the event to have observable effects (Maxwell & Cole, 2007). The present study aims to advance understanding of how spiritual struggle relates to PTSD symptoms. The prospective design illuminates how spiritual struggle in response to a trauma, as compared to a non-traumatic stressful event, relates to the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms.
Prior studies have not assessed subscales of spiritual struggle separately to isolate possible differences in relationships with PTSD symptoms, and subtle differences exist among expressions of spiritual struggle, which may result in unique relationships with PTSD symptoms. Moreover, studies of spiritual struggle and PTSD to date have been cross sectional, precluding the inference of causal direction in the relationships among trauma, PTSD symptoms, and spiritual struggle (e.g., .Bradley, Schwartz, & Kaslow, 2005). Like negative post-traumatic cognitions about the self, others, and the world, the construct of spiritual struggle represents negative religious cognitions about the self, God, and the world, and may thereby lead to PTSD symptoms. Spiritual struggle consists of maladaptive religious cognitions about the cause of, responsibility for, and future implications of stressful events, paralleling secular cognitions known to be factors in the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms (e.g., Brewin & Holmes, 2003). In fact, spiritual struggle has been linked to PTSD symptoms in a variety of trauma-exposed samples (e.g., Aflakseir & Coleman, 2009; Conners, Whiteside-Mansell, & Sherman, 2006; Harris et al., 2008); however, knowledge in this area thus far is limited to cross-sectional findings. I need booze to medicate my inner turmoil, tortured mind and my broken heart.
thought on “The Spiritual Malady of Addiction”
Other cognitions that may predict spiritual struggle include pre-trauma self-appraisals (R. A. Bryant & Guthrie, 2007), attributional style (Gray et al., 2007), and coping self-efficacy beliefs (Benight & Bandura, 2004). Perhaps the most important limitation of this study is that the types of trauma experienced by this sample of college students, and the relatively low PTSD scores that were reported in reference to those events, were not representative of the types of events and degree of PTSD seen in clinical practice. Although the present study may provide a window through which to view relations between religious cognitions and PTSD symptoms, they may be very different for a sample of combat-exposed veterans who go on to develop chronic, debilitating PTSD. Table 2 summarizes mean differences by trauma group in potential mediator and outcome variables.
- We have the subawareness shadow part of our physiology that tends towards a defense bias and trigger.
- These things are out of whack and not aligned.“ The process of recovery is useful to remedy this problem.
- In threat, we can be mobilized towards aggressive or reactive defenses or we can be immobilized into passive or submissive defenses.
- Indirect effects and variance accounted for in the present study are of small magnitude (Cohen, 1992), but the correlations between spiritual struggle and PTSD symptoms are consistent with effect sizes reported elsewhere (e.g., Ano & Vasconcelles, 2005).
We can experience emotional attacks, assaults, accidents, or abuse that affect our physiology similar to a physical threat or injury. Social threat and injury are other forms of spiritual threat and injury that are particularly toxic to humans. Things like isolation, disenfranchisement, discrimination, and injustice not only influence our mental health but our physical health, as well. In step 10 of AA, the “world of the spirit” allows those with alcohol use disorder to move beyond the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of life, eliminating the ego and spiritual malady rather than remaining spiritually blocked from engaging with a higher power as you see it. Thankfully, the “spiritual malady” is no longer a “missing piece” of Step One for me.
BIG BOOK CHAPTER 5
This study also isolated components of spiritual struggle and their individual relationships with trauma and PTSD symptoms. Reappraisals to a punishing God, reappraisals of God’s powers, and expressions of spiritual discontent partially mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. In contrast, reappraisal of the event to evil forces was unrelated to PTSD symptoms. It may be that attributing the event to evil forces provides an unsettling but satisfactory explanation for some trauma survivors, perhaps because it distributes blame away from self or God to a being already understood as malevolent (e.g., Pargament et al., 2004).
However, given the times we are in, I find myself compelled to vault forward to the spiritual. The alcoholic who evolves spiritually receives inner wisdom – an intuition and understanding – a noetic mindset that goes beyond the traditional five senses. They also experience an ineffable quality from becoming spiritual – one where their feelings go beyond mere words. Spiritual struggle as partial mediator of the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms, controlling for baseline PTSD symptoms. A potential difficulty with measuring spiritual struggle is its relative infrequency. However, studies have shown that spiritual struggle is common among college students (Astin et al., 2004; A. N. Bryant & Astin, 2008), indicating that studying spiritual struggle, even in samples that may not identify as highly religious, is feasible.
Recovery Starts Here.
The thoughts we have as alcoholics are often insidious in such a way that we can’t tell what is true or false.The AA Big Booktalks about this delusion we develop in active addiction. Thoughts like we can eventually manage our lives while in active addiction. Most of us hate to deal with negative thoughts or emotions—it just doesn’t feel good. The summation of physical threats, spiritual threats, shadow threats, and existential threat is our total threat load.
- Sometimes, when feeling ill, patients are uncertain what words to use to describe their state and will choose words that they feel attract the attention of their doctor or their family.
- It is therefore imperative that we evaluate and understand threat well.
- Some clients may benefit from treatments designed for spiritual struggles (e.g., Cole & Pargament, 1999; Murray-Swank & Pargament, 2005).
- Among the mechanisms that may predict PTSD symptoms is spiritual struggle, a set of negative religious cognitions related to understanding or responding to stressful events.
According to AA, spiritual malady is often fueled by resentments and renders life unmanageable. So, what is the cure for physical, mental, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ emotional, shadow, social and spiritual illness, and disease? It is simply to move people away from threat and towards safety.
Events
Care must be taken to assess clients’ personal feelings toward their spiritual struggle and support personal growth while challenging maladaptive cognitions. Some clients may benefit from treatments designed for spiritual struggles (e.g., Cole & Pargament, 1999; Murray-Swank & Pargament, 2005). Effectiveness of such treatments may lie in allowing victims to alter the meaning of their trauma in order to view the world, themselves, and a higher power in more benevolent and flexible ways. This study presents spiritual malady ways in which spiritual struggle reflects negative personal meanings for stressful events and provides evidence that struggle can facilitate the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. Specifically, spiritual struggle may be part of victims’ maladaptive cognitions and emotions about the causes and implications of traumatic events. Future research should examine whether a meaning system that is retained but altered in this way is more adaptive than losing the meaning system altogether.
