Alcohol and Spirituality
Tracy Logan
How far can spirituality help alcoholics stay sober? In Health Check this week Tracey Logan looks at two non-medical approaches which use spiritual growth to combat alcoholism.
listen now… or download [mp3 audio, 26.5 minutes, ~6.4 MB]
AA
Alcoholics Anonymous is the world’s biggest self-help group with meetings in 85 different countries.
Research has shown that it helps more people than conventional treatments and counselling.
It was originally inspired by a form of evangelical Christianity in 1930s America, and its 12-step programme emphasises a God or Higher Power, as well as taking responsibility and helping others.
But AA is very flexible, and its Higher Power isn’t fixed, which means the group has flourished among non-Christians and atheists.
Vipassana
In India in 1975 Vipassana, or mindfulness meditation was introduced into a prison in Jaipur.
This 10 day intensive meditation course helps people to understand what’s happening in their bodies; to accept their cravings, but not to act on them.
It’s now used in many of the country’s jails, including Tihar in Delhi.
Scientists in the US have been studying the effectiveness of Vipassana to help prisoners who are dependent on drugs and alcohol, and have shown it can be used to help people give up alcohol, or cut back on their drinking.
An increasing number of studies have shown the benefit of spirituality.
Volunteers who have a faith have withstood more pain when contemplating religious icons, or chanting spiritual mantras.
But the problem for the scientific community has been the difficulty in defining what spirituality is.
In AA it means something different to each member.
Weblinks:
- Prof Keith Humphreys
- AA website
- Doing Time Doing Vipassana
- Prof. Kenneth Pargament
- Prof. Alan Marlatt
- Dr. Miguel Farias University of Oxford