Role Of Spirituality In Recovery Research Articles

Spiritual experiences are related to engagement of a ventral frontotemporal functional brain network: Implications for prevention and treatment of behavioral and substance addictions.

Background and aimsSpirituality is an important component of 12-step programs for behavioral and substance addictions and has been linked to recovery processes. Understanding the neural correlates of spiritual experiences may help to promote efforts to enhance recovery processes in behavioral addictions. We recently used general linear model (GLM) analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging data to examine neural correlates of spiritual experiences, with findings implicating cortical and subcortical brain regions. Although informative, the GLM-based approach does not provide insight into brain circuits that may underlie spiritual experiences.MethodsSpatial independent component analysis (sICA) was used to identify functional brain networks specifically linked to spiritual (vs. stressful or neutral-relaxing) conditions using a previously validated guided imagery task in 27 young adults.ResultsUsing sICA, engagement of a ventral frontotemporal network was identified that was engaged at the onset and conclusion of the spiritual condition in a manner distinct from engagement during the stress or neutral-relaxing conditions. Degree of engagement correlated with subjective reports of spirituality in the scanner (r = .71, p < .001) and an out-of-the-magnet measure of spirituality (r = .48, p < .018).Discussion and conclusionThe current findings suggest a distributed functional neural network associated with spiritual experiences and provide a foundation for investigating brain mechanisms underlying the role of spirituality in recovery from behavioral addictions.

Homeless No More

Caring for vulnerable and marginalized populations is a central tenet of professional nursing, and of Christian service. Due to the scope and complexities of problems associated with homelessness, nurses may feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to serve homeless individuals. Strategies for ending homelessness largely include resource-intensive, publicly supported housing and comprehensive physical and mental health services. The role of spirituality in recovery from homelessness has not been widely examined. This article describes one homeless shelter's successful Christ-centered, comprehensive approach to helping individuals recover from homelessness. The integral role of the nurse in the multidisciplinary team and practical nursing interventions are described.

‘The Way of Abstinence’: Stigma and Spirituality in Danshukai, a Japanese Self-help Organisation for Alcoholics

ABSTRACTStigma associated with alcoholism is common in Japan, and individuals who suffer from alcoholism often feel that it is a taboo to discuss their problems with alcohol in the general public. This paper describes the way in which the self-help group called Danshukai offers a model for recovery for people suffering from alcoholism in Japan. Since 2006, the authors have been involved in various meetings and conducted conversational and semi-structured interviews with leaders and rank-and-file members of Danshukai. In Danshukai, recovery is viewed as a spiritual process offering the potential for a new life compared to models offered by medical treatment that place little emphasis on the role of spirituality in recovery. While medical models seek to reduce alcohol-related stigma by viewing it as a treatable ‘disease’, rather than a personality weakness, Danshukai encourages members to embrace their identity as a Danshukai member and to engage with a ‘way of abstinence’ that includes a lifelong commitment to Danshukai activities and helping others with similar problems.

Spirituality and Recovery from Familial Aspects of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems: Analysis of an Online Al-Anon Meeting

ABSTRACT Al-Anon World Service Office recruited nine experienced Al-Anon members to hold an online Al-Anon meeting in a chat room on the Web site of the primary author. A transcript of this meeting with commentary by the authors is published in its entirety in this article. This transcript offers first-hand data about the process of a Twelve Step meeting and the use of the Internet for the purpose of supporting recovery from addiction. The theme of the meeting, the Second Step of the Twelve Steps of recovery from addiction, illustrates the role of spirituality in recovery from addiction. This theme is also reflected in the group's process.

Assessment of spirituality and its relevance to addiction treatment

The prominence of Twelve-Step programs has led to increased attention on the putative role of spirituality in recovery from addictive disorders. We developed a 6-item Spirituality Self-Rating Scale designed to reflect a global measure of spiritual orientation to life, and we demonstrated here its internal consistency reliability in substance abusers on treatment and in nonsubstance abusers. This scale and the measures related to recovery from addiction and treatment response were applied in three diverse treatment settings: a general hospital inpatient psychiatry service, a residential therapeutic community, and methadone maintenance programs. Findings on these patient groups were compared to responses given by undergraduate college students, medical students, addiction faculty, and chaplaincy trainees. These suggest that, for certain patients, spiritual orientation is an important aspect of their recovery. Furthermore, the relevance of this issue may be underestimated in the way treatment is framed in a range of clinical facilities.

Gilead revisited: Faith and recovery.

The role of spirituality in recovery from mental illness has gained increased attention in recent years. In this article, the authors present an update on previous work exploring the role and function of religion/spirituality in the lives of people participating in a psychiatric rehabilitation program (Bussema & Bussema, 2000). Fifty-eight (58) participants age 18 to 64 completed a spirituality survey based on Pargament's five coping functions of religion. Chi-square tests for independence and independent groups t-tests were performed. Seventy-one percent of the respondents reported that their spiritual life has played a significant role in their recovery. Reported religious coping strategies are discussed within the framework of a recovery model of service delivery.

Spiritual Exiles in Their Own Homelands

Summary Clinical considerations and comparisons are explored in direct relationship to the role of spirituality in recovery for gays, lesbians, and Native Americans with an emphasis on American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Considered are the development stages of identity, common prejudices experienced by these minority groups, the influence of Christianity and the role of the church and synagogue, alcohol incidence rates, and the historical context of ‘exile’ from homeland. Comparisons occur among these groups which could aid the worker in a greater understanding of this clientele, thus directly impacting the success of client/worker contact in the recovery and healing process.

The Role of Spirituality in Recovery From Chemical Dependency

The Role of Spirituality in Recovery From Chemical Dependency