Spirituality/Religion and Addiction Correlation (in the brain):

• Religion can have same effect on the brain as taking drugs, study finds. (The Independent).

• Believing in God can trigger the same reward regions of the brain as taking drugs. (Wired).

• Religious thoughts trigger reward systems like love, drugs. (CNN).

• Reward, salience, and attentional networks are activated by religious experience in devout Mormons. (Journal of Social Neuroscience). This is the study some of the coverage above is based on, see journalistic coverage, above, for a laymen's explanation.

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The Efficacy of A.A.:

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• Alcoholics Anonymous vs. Other Approaches: The Evidence Is Now In (New York Times coverage).

• Alcoholics Anonymous most effective path to alcohol abstinence. (Stanford).

• Alcoholics Anonymous Is Most Effective Treatment for Addiction, Researchers Say. (Healthline coverage).

• Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12‐step programs for alcohol use disorder. (The actual study most recent coverage is based on - see journalistic coverage to better understand the raw data).

• Secret of AA: After 75 Years, We Don't Know How It Works. (Wired) Journalistic coverage of a variety of studies observing reduced synaptic plasticity (exactly why our behavior was insane), is effective at treating PTSD (though by no meant to replace professional medical help), as well as evidence that one's level of involvement in A.A. is correlated with one's success with the program. It also touches on other tenets of the program and is an objective (though respectful) evaluation of A.A. Mercifully, the low overall effectiveness of A.A. as reported by a study at the time of this 2010 article have been trumped by new data, and is an excellent read on other less-discussed issues.

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Recovery Organizations Covered:

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For a further look into these (great) programs, you can check out my two-part blog on this subject entitled "Alt Recovery". Please note: many of these programs are spiritual, not religious. 

 

• AA.ORG  https://aa.org/

• Celebrate Recovery. (2018, April 05). Celebrate Recovery - a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, pain or addiction of any kind.  https://www.celebraterecovery.com/

• Recovery Dharma.  https://recoverydharma.org/

• Refuge Recovery.  A Buddhist Inspired Path to Recovery from Addiction. https://refugerecovery.org/

• Women for Sobriety. 13 Steps, https://womenforsobriety.org/ This program is based on 13 Steps, and can be spiritual or secular, depending upon one's approach.

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Other 12-Step Programs

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• ACA – Adult Children of Alcoholics for those who were raised in alcoholic and other dysfunctional families

• Al-Anon/Alateen, for friends and families of alcoholics, associated with AA

• CA – Cocaine Anonymous

• CLA – Clutterers Anonymous

• CMA – Crystal Meth Anonymous

• Co-Anon, for friends and family of cocaine addicts, associated with Cocaine Anonymous

• CoDA – Co-Dependents Anonymous, for people working to end patterns of dysfunctional relationships and develop functional and healthy relationships

• COSA – a friends and family group associated with Sex Addicts Anonymous

• COSLAA – CoSex and Love Addicts Anonymous, for friends and family of people with a sex or love addiction, associated with SLAA

• DA – Debtors Anonymous

• DRA - Dual Recovery Anonymous, For recovery from addiction along with mental illness.

• EA – Emotions Anonymous, for recovery from mental and emotional illness

• FA – Families Anonymous, for relatives and friends of addicts

• FA – Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

• FAA – Food Addicts Anonymous

• GA – Gamblers Anonymous

• Gam-Anon/Gam-A-Teen, for friends and family members of problem gamblers

• HA – Heroin Anonymous

• MA – Marijuana Anonymous

• NA – Narcotics Anonymous

• N/A – Neurotics Anonymous, for recovery from mental and emotional illness

• Nar-Anon, for friends and family members of addicts

• NicA – Nicotine Anonymous

• OA – Overeaters Anonymous

• PA – Pills Anonymous, for recovery from prescription pill addiction.

• RA – Racists Anonymous

• SA – Sexaholics Anonymous

• SAA – Sex Addicts Anonymous

• SCA – Sexual Compulsives Anonymous

• SIA – Survivors of Incest Anonymous

• SLAA – Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous

• SRA – Sexual Recovery Anonymous

• UA – Underearners Anonymous

• WA – Workaholics Anonymous

• Courage International, Catholic ministry which ministers to homosexuals

• Family Services Addiction Recovery Program, program affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that uses twelve-step principles

• GROW, a peer support and mutual aid organization for recovery from, and prevention of, serious mental illness

• Homosexuals Anonymous, group of people using a modified version of the twelve-steps to help each other to live an ex-gay lifestyle

• Pagans In Recovery (PIR), for neopagans recovering from various compulsive/addictive behaviors

• Parents Anonymous (PA), for parents who have abused children

• Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA), for people who are affected by schizophrenia

 

 

Secular Programs

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• Smart Recovery: Self Help Addiction Recovery Program: Alternative to AA.  https://www.smartrecovery.org/

• Women for Sobriety. This program is based on 13 Steps, and can be spiritual or secular depending upon one's approach https://womenforsobriety.org/ 

• SOS - Secular Organizations for Sobriety is a secular approach to addiction recovery. http://www.sossobriety.org/

• LifeRing Secular Recovery: is an abstinence-based, anonymous organization. https://lifering.org/

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If you are in the Plymouth/Canton, MI, area there is a recovery club that houses meetings for many of the programs above:

 

Plymouth-Canton Alano Club

 

Open to the public with Covid safety precautions & policies in place. 

PCA houses a large recovery bookstore and giftshop in addition to

meetings and hundreds of free pamplets.

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AA, ACA, Al-Anon, DRA programs are scheduled. NA: literature only.

8669 Lilley Road, Canton, MI 48187 

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You can also visit them online at PCAlano.org

Or call 734.335.7042 for more information. 

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National Treatment Resources

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• FindTreatment.Gov 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

• SAMSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a subsidiary of the Department of Health and Human Service). 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

• SAMSA: Find help for specific conditions, broken down by specific needs here.

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Books & Resources:

I have italicized favorite sources.

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• Alcoholics Anonymous: The big book (4th ed.). (2001). New York City, NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

• Alexander, J., Gilmore, N., & Nilsson, J. (2020, July 08). Alcoholics Anonymous. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2015/12/aa/

• Alexander, J., Gilmore, N., & Nilsson, J. (2016, April 23). A Skeptical Journalist. Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2016/01/skeptical-journalist/

• Anonymous. (2010). The book that started it all: The original working manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous. Center City, MN: Hazelden.

• America's Changing Religious Landscape. (2020, July 27). Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

• Dodes, L. M., & Dodes, Z. (2015). The sober truth: Debunking the bad science behind 12-step programs and the rehab industry. Boston: Beacon Press.

• Fahmy, D. (2020, May 30). Americans are far more religious than adults in other wealthy nations. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/07/31/americans-are-far-more-religious-than-adults-in-other-wealthy-nations/

• Friedman, R. (2014, May 05). Taking Aim at 12-Step Programs. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/06/health/the-sober-truth-seeing-bad-science-in-rehab.html

• In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. (2020, June 09). Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/

• Lipka, M. (2020, May 30). Religious 'nones' becoming more secular. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/11/religious-nones-are-not-only-growing-theyre-becoming-more-secular/

• Miller, J. (2019). US of AA: How the twelve steps hijacked the science of alcoholism. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press.

• NEWBERG, A. (2020). NEUROTHEOLOGY: How science can enlighten us about spirituality. Place of publication not identified: COLUMBIA UNIV Press.

• Practical experiences and sobriety support. (2020, October 31). Retrieved December 03, 2020, from https://lifering.org/

• Szalavitz, M. (2017). Unbroken brain: A revolutionary new way of understanding addiction. New York: Picador St. Martin's Press.

• Sheff, D. (2014). Clean: Overcoming addiction and ending America's greatest tragedy (1st ed.). Boston, MA: Mariner Books.

• Singal, J. (2016, May 31). The Tragic, Pseudoscientific Practice of Forcing Addicts to 'Hit Rock Bottom'. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.thecut.com/2016/05/the-tragic-pseudoscientific-practice-of-forcing-addicts-to-hit-rock-bottom.html

• Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. (2017, November). Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/

• Why We Should Treat, Not Blame Addicts Struggling to Get 'Clean'. (2013, April 05). Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/addiction-mythbusters-understand-what-triggers-addiction-and-how-to-manage-the-disease

• White, W. L. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2020, from http://www.williamwhitepapers.com/chronologies/

 

I am including an extra (peripherally-related) title here because I like the scientific exploration of spirituality (specifically, mysticism):

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• Horgan, J. (2004). Rational Mysticism: Spirituality Meets Science in the Search for Enlightenment. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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