Excerpt from new book – in progress.

Depression, addiction and spirituality

Some very talented people struggle with different types of addiction. Some committed churchgoers or practitioners of religions and even monks or priests struggle with addictions. Generally, there is some degree of depression involved, and sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the depression comes first or the addiction. So sometimes a person who is very capable, organised, and has a strong sense of morality may succumb to addiction as well as depression. There is a view that oversensitive persons who seek perfection in many areas may be easily subject to negative moods, when they believe they have not performed or achieved whatever it is they are supposed to do or achieve.

It can be worse for someone who believes that they have found some source of mystical belief, and has had an experience of God or a Higher Power. Then addiction and depression can feel like or seem like a fall from grace, an idea or belief itself, which can compound the problem. In another perspective, we could say that addictions or depression may drive the search for truth and sanity, and lead to spiritual practice or religious participation.

Eventually also we are told that we will become perfected beings. Whoever is writing or whatever the scripture, there seems to be an exhortation to hold onto faith as that will lead us onwards and upwards and out of our “messes”. Whether that is true or not is something else. Faith may just be a support to hang onto, and spirituality may be a hope giver and purpose or context provider.

There is an issue about the difference between religion and spirituality. That is whether one or the other is more likely to help or cure even. Alternatively, whether from another opposite perspective, to cause problems.

In depression, there is poverty of mood and the lure of something which gives a mood burst is very tempting. Nobody wants to feel dead even if in the depression one can want to be that. The addict gets, momentarily, times of feeling not just alive but super alive, only to plunge down in the comedown. In addictions at some point there can be moments when one feels the presence

Now we have considered the term spirituality, it’s time to look at the use of spiritual based programmes in mainstream public services.

Alcoholics Anonymous is to forerunner here but many variations have now come into play including for behavioural addictions and mental health issues.

It’s all about using a 12 step programme.

(Next blog will be about a 12 step approach)