This biases our system towards threat physiology and plays a significant role in our health and wellness. As we are an inherently spiritual species, we frequently fear a spiritual death as much as a physical death. Failure to recognize the effects of all of our existential worries, big and small, leads to all kinds of mishaps and trouble for our species. One is a mobilization response where we approach, bond, empathize, love, reproduce, seek resources, share resources, problem-solve, discover, create, sing, dance, play, laugh, and experience interpersonal connections. This is frequently referred to as ‘breed and feed” physiology, although it is clearly much more than just that. The other safety phenotype is one of relative immobilization where we relax, repair, recovery, digest, defecate, contemplate, daydream, sleep, dream, and experience spiritual connections.
Also, tornados, hurricanes, droughts, fires, global warming, and war threaten us physically. Lack of clean soil, water, air, and lack of nutritious food are a threat to us. There are a lot of physical threats that can flip our physiology into a defense state. For a long time I thought my life was unmanageable because of all the crazy insane things I did while drinking — like the car accidents, hurting people when I didn’t mean to, failed relationships, loss of jobs, family dysfunction, jails, asylums, etc. Precisely because literature enables us to understand life, it tells us what can be, but also what could have been.
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Once you’ve found something that you can believe in, it’s important to remember that your Higher Power is there for you when you need it. When things get tough, take a moment to pray, meditate, or just sit quietly and think about your Higher Power and what it means to you. Allow yourself to feel the strength and support that comes from knowing that there is something bigger than yourself out there rooting for your success. It’s also important to remember that your understanding of a Higher Power can change and evolve over time. As you grow in your sobriety and learn more about yourself, you may find that your concept of a Higher Power changes as well.
Consequently, you feel pain (and joy) to a greater degree than others. If this is the case, it’s important that you learn about your needs, in whatever way possible. For example, do you feel too stimulated by your environment (and is that distracting you from processing your grief)? Perhaps you need to take a vacation or create a space in your living area that is free of clutter. Perhaps you need to take a break in order to work through your complex grief first. You can read our articles on being an empath and a highly sensitive person for more guidance.
Signs You Might Be Experiencing Complicated Grief
After reading ‘The Doctor’s Opinion,’ ‘Bill’s Story,’ and ‘There is a Solution,’ in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, we came to an understanding that we have no control whatsoever over alcohol or drugs. When we have the first sip of a drink, or whiff of a drug, it is then controlling our bodies. I experienced all of the above signs of Complicated Grief but I can now see that I’m at the other side of it. Yes it is hard to live without my baby we had an amazing relationship but I feel stronger and able to move forward. If you are a deep feeler who has always been sensitive, you might be an empath and/or HSP.
When people become too self-reliant, they may stop working on their program entirely. This complacency can then lead to a sense of entitlement which is extremely dangerous for people in recovery. Entitlement leads to unrealistic expectations, which often leads to disappointment and resentment. Self-reliance can also be dangerous because it can lead to pride. Whenever you find yourself feeling irritable discontent bored with your life or depressed it is likely that you may have skipped meditation or prayer. In these situations, I feel further from God than normal and then I wonder who moved me or God and the answer is always me.
Final Thoughts on Living the Spiritual Life and Recovery
I am also an empath and HSP so that makes things harder, but I know now that loving myself, working through emotions and sitting with them and just letting them go will help me heal. There are a few other resources I am looking into that will help too, thank you so much for this article, it will help me so much in the future. I’ve tried to become more spiritual but all I think now is that I don’t want to stay on this plane of life anymore. That I don’t want to slowly loose everyone I love and become alone. I’ll try following the steps here but I don’t know of I can so it. Simply pick up some pens and a piece of paper and draw however you feel.
Even if you feel nothing at first, prayer helps you to access a glimmer of hope, a hint of light on the horizon. Prayer is also a way of reaching out for help and guidance, which is an act of self-love and healing in and of itself. Please approach this activity gently as it can release a lot of emotions.
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It is important that when we embark upon this quest to alleviate our spiritual malady that we are not too harsh on ourselves. No one is perfect at first when attempting to live a spiritual life, especially when we are coming back from a long spiritual hiatus. What is important though is that we strive to be a little better every single day and never give up on our spiritual journey in recovery. Our spiritual malady never just goes away and stays away on its own, it requires a constant spiritual connectivity and effort on our parts in our programs to keep it and the subsequent alcohol and drug abuse at bay. So long as we make an active effort to address our spiritual malady every day, we will find relief from it, one day at a time. This spiritual malady, or spiritual disconnection, is the driving force behind our addiction and self-destructive behaviors.