{"id":7419,"date":"2024-05-02T16:25:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T16:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oh17.com\/?p=7419"},"modified":"2024-05-02T16:25:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T16:25:25","slug":"aa-the-missing-piece-the-spiritual-malady-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/?p=7419","title":{"rendered":"AA The Missing Piece: The Spiritual Malady"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mike L., West Orange, NJ<\/b>
\u201cCarry THIS Message\u201d Group, West Orange, NJ<\/p>\n

From \u201cThe Doctor\u2019s Opinion\u201d to the end of \u201cMore About Alcoholism\u201d the Big Book discusses the first part of Step 1, which states, \u201cWe admitted we were powerless over alcohol\u201d. We\u2019ve discussed, studied, and internalized material from the \u201cDoctor\u2019s Opinion\u201d to page 23 to see how we\u2019re powerless over alcohol bodily<\/i>. We\u2019ve used pages 23 \u2013 43 to help us experience how we\u2019ve been powerless mentally<\/i>. Now I\u2019d like to talk about a part of our \u201cdisease\u201d which is seldom discussed in meetings nowadays: the \u201cspiritual malady.\u201d<\/p>\n

We often hear people say something like, \u201cI have a three-fold disease: body, mind, and spirit.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

When you ask them to describe what they mean by that statement, they seem to have a firm grasp on the fact that we alcoholics suffer from \u201can allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind\u201d<\/i> \u2014 that once I put any alcohol in my system whatsoever it sets off a craving for more alcohol. And when I\u2019m stone cold sober, at my very best, the thought will occur to me to take a drink \u2014 or sometimes I think very little about it or not at all, and I come to out of a blackout after having experienced what page 42 refers to as a \u201cstrange mental blank spot.\u201d<\/i> And of course this vicious cycle of my mind continuously taking me back to a drink and my body dooming me to not drink like \u201cnormal\u201d people puts me in a senseless series of sprees and it makes it virtually impossible to stop.<\/p>\n

It is agreed that the \u201cmental obsession\u201d<\/i> is the part of our \u201cdisease\u201d<\/i> which leads to the first drink; and it\u2019s the first drink that triggers the \u201cphenomenon of craving.\u201d<\/i> But, what about the part of my \u201cdisease\u201d<\/i> that triggers the mental obsession in the first place? Why is it that people who have remained abstinent from drinking in Alcoholics Anonymous for 1 year\u2026 2 years\u2026 5 years\u2026 10 years\u2026 and in some cases even 20 years or more, go back to drinking?<\/p>\n

We know the physical craving does not cause these people to drink because it\u2019s been medically proven that after a few days of not drinking the alcohol is processed out of the body. And, if you\u2019ve been in the AA Fellowship for a while, for most people, the mental obsession dissipates. So why is it that after a long period of sobriety many people in our fellowship return to drinking \u2014 EVEN WHEN THEY DON\u2019T WANT TO? What is the third fold of our illness that triggers the mental obsession \u2014 WHEN NOT DRINKING \u2014 HAVING BEEN SEPARATED FROM ALCOHOL FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME?<\/p>\n

Through closely examining our Big Book, along with much experience and practice with our Twelve Steps, as well as vigorous work with other alcoholics, the \u201cmissing piece\u201d<\/i> of Step 1 appears to be what is referred to on page 64 as the \u201cspiritual malady.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Now, let me attempt to discuss the second half of Step 1: \u201d \u2014 that our lives had become unmanageable.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

For a long time I thought my life was unmanageable because of all the crazy insane things I did while drinking \u2014 like the car accidents, hurting people when I didn\u2019t mean to, failed relationships, loss of jobs, family dysfunction, jails, asylums, etc.<\/p>\n

Finally, someone explained to me that those things are not the insanity that the Big Book talks about; nor are those things why the alcoholic\u2019s life becomes unmanageable.<\/p>\n

Of course those things can be classified as \u201cunmanageability\u201d<\/i> \u2014 but they are external unmanageability. The unmanageability that the 1st Step is pointing to is the INWARD unmanageability of our lives \u2014 the restlessness, irritability, and discontentment that most alcoholics have even BEFORE they ever picked up their first drink. There are many names for this \u201cinward unmanageability\u201d<\/i>. Some refer to it as \u201cuntreated alcoholism.\u201d<\/i> Others use the term \u201cbedevilments\u201d, which comes from page 52 of the Big Book (which I\u2019ll be discussing in a moment). Page 64 simply refers to this \u201cinward unmanageability\u201d as \u201cthe spiritual malady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our book promises us that \u201cWhen the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.\u201d<\/i> The mental and physical factors of alcoholism are put into remission AFTER the \u201cspiritual malady\u201d is overcome \u2014 which means I\u2019m still in danger of drinking until I have a spiritual awakening \u2014 whether I think so or not.<\/p>\n

Two key points I\u2019d like to focus on from this point forward:<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What really is this \u201cspiritual malady\u201d<\/i> and how, if left untreated, can it drive an alcoholic back to drinking?<\/li>\n
  2. What is the remedy for it? (By the way, our Big Book answers both of those questions in masterly detail in Chapters 4 \u2013 11.) What is this \u201cspiritual malady\u201d<\/i> we alcoholics suffer from and how can \u201cuntreated alcoholism\u201d cause an alcoholic to return to drinking \u2014 EVEN WHEN HE\/SHE DOESN\u2019T WANT TO?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Imagine three layers. The first layer is our bodily reaction to alcohol when we ingest it \u2014 the physical craving. Under that is the second layer: the insanity of the mind just before the first drink \u2014 the mental obsession. Under that is the third layer: the inward condition that triggers the second layer, which in turn triggers the first \u2014 the \u201cspiritual malady.\u201d<\/i> Symptoms of this \u201cthird layer\u201d as described in the Big Book include:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. being restless, irritable, and discontented (page xxvi),<\/li>\n
    2. having trouble with personal relationships,<\/li>\n
    3. not being able to control our emotional natures,<\/li>\n
    4. being a prey to (or suffering from) misery and depression,<\/li>\n
    5. not being able to make a living (or a happy and successful life),<\/li>\n
    6. having feelings of uselessness,<\/li>\n
    7. being full of fear,<\/li>\n
    8. unhappiness,<\/li>\n
    9. inability to be of real help to other people (page 52),<\/li>\n
    10. being like \u201cthe actor who wants to run the whole show\u201d (pages 60-61),<\/li>\n
    11. being \u201cdriven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity\u201d (page 62),<\/li>\n
    12. self-will run riot (page 62),<\/li>\n
    13. leading a double life (page 73),<\/li>\n
    14. living like a tornado running through the lives of others (page 82), and<\/li>\n
    15. exhibiting selfish and inconsiderate habits.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      These name just a few of the symptoms of the \u201cspiritual malady\u201d<\/i>that\u2019s described throughout our text. But still in all, these are just symptoms of the \u201cspiritual malady.\u201d<\/p>\n

      What is it really? What is the driving force of the symptoms described above?<\/p>\n

      On page 62 the text explains that \u201cSelfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.\u201d<\/i> This \u201cSELFISHNESS-self-centeredness\u201d<\/i> (or the \u201cego\u201d, as some people refer to it) drives us to respond to life situations with the above \u201csymptoms\u201d as well as disorders and addictions other than alcoholism.<\/p>\n

      If this selfishness-self-centeredness continues to manifest in an alcoholic\u2019s life \u2014 EVEN IN SOMEONE WHO IS NOT DRINKING AND CONTINUES TO ATTEND MEETINGS \u2014 and the ego is not smashed and re-smashed by continuous application of all twelve steps, the sober (or \u201cjust not drinking\u201d) alcoholic is sure to drink again eventually\u2026 or even worse, continue to live miserably being \u201cundrunk\u201d (better known as a \u201cdry drunk\u201d). This is why we see people with 10 years in AA wind up in mental institutions \u2014 AND THEY HAVEN\u2019T HAD A DROP TO DRINK!<\/p>\n

      You see, if I continue to act out with selfish \u2014 self-centered \u2013 ego-driven behaviors I will continue to experience the symptoms of the \u201cspiritual malady.\u201d<\/i> If I continue to experience this inward unmanageability, eventually my mind will seek out the \u201csense of ease and comfort\u201d it thinks it can receive from taking a drink. Or, my ego can deceive me into thinking I\u2019m doing perfectly fine. (i.e.: Fred\u2019s story in Chapter 3\u2026 Fred drank when there wasn\u2019t \u201ca cloud on the horizon\u201d.)<\/p>\n

      Typically, we\u2019ll tell ourselves and others, \u201cWell, at least I\u2019m not drinking.\u201d<\/i> All of a sudden, I can experience a \u201cstrange mental blank-spot\u201d \u2014 otherwise known as a \u201csober blackout\u201d \u2014 and before it even hits me I\u2019m pounding on the bar asking myself \u201cHow\u2019d this happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

      So, ask yourself if you\u2019re suffering from the \u201cspiritual malady\u201d<\/i> \u2014 particularly if you haven\u2019t had a drink for a while. What condition is your \u201cinner life\u201d in, currently? Are you experiencing any of the symptoms listed previously?<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Has it been a while since you\u2019ve taken another alcoholic through the Steps?<\/li>\n
      • Has it been a while since you have gone through the steps?<\/li>\n
      • Have you ever taken all of AA\u2019s Twelve Steps?<\/li>\n
      • Have you done more than one 4th Step inventory?<\/li>\n
      • Have you completed all your 9th Step amends wherever possible?<\/li>\n
      • Is there something wrong in your life that you will not face and make right?<\/li>\n
      • Is there a habit or indulgence you will not give up?<\/li>\n
      • Is there a person you will not forgive?<\/li>\n
      • Is there a wrong relationship in your life you will not give up?<\/li>\n
      • Is there a restitution you will not make?<\/li>\n
      • Is there something God has already told you to do that you will not obey?<\/li>\n
      • Are you working with the disciplines and practices of steps Ten and Eleven (self-examination, meditation and prayer)\u2026 consistently\u2026 EVERY DAY?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Page 62 says, \u201cAbove everything, we alcoholics must be rid of this selfishness (\u201cthe ego\u201d). We must, or it kills us! God makes that possible. And there often seems no way of entirely getting rid of self (ego) without [God\u2019s] aid.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

        Page 25 tells us, \u201cThere is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings, which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at out feet. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

        This \u201cfourth dimension\u201d<\/i>, which we find out in the 10th Step is the \u201cworld of the Spirit\u201d<\/i>, takes us beyond the physical, mental, and emotional dimensions of life \u2014 and eliminates the selfishness (ego) of the \u201cspiritual malady.\u201d<\/i> The term \u201cspiritual malady\u201d does not mean that our \u201cspirit\u201d is sick. It simply means we are spiritually blocked off from the Power of God, which enables us to remain sober, happy, joyous, and free.<\/p>\n

        To conclude, it\u2019s not my body \u2014 my allergic reaction to alcohol \u2014 that\u2019s going to take me back to drinking. It\u2019s really not my mind \u2014 the mental obsession \u2014 that is the underlying root of what will take me back to drinking. It\u2019s the \u201cspiritual malady\u201d, as manifested by my EGO (selfishness-self-centeredness), that can eventually lead me back to drinking or sometimes even suicide.<\/p>\n

        On pages 14 and 15 Bill W. writes, \u201cFor if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If he did not work, he would surely drink again, and if he drank, he would surely die. Then faith would be dead indeed. With us it is just like that.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

        Thankfully, the \u201cspiritual malady\u201d<\/i> is no longer a \u201cmissing piece\u201d<\/i> of Step One for me. It is a reality of my powerlessness and unmanageability and enables me to see why I so desperately need to seek a Power Greater than myself. And unless this malady is recognized, and a course of action (the Twelve Steps) is taken to enable God to remove it, the root of our alcoholic illness can lie dormant and burn us when we least expect it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Mike L., West Orange, NJ\u201cCarry THIS Message\u201d Group, West Orange, NJ From \u201cThe Doctor\u2019s Opinion\u201d to the end of \u201cMore About Alcoholism\u201d the Big Book discusses the first part of Step 1, which states, \u201cWe admitted we were powerless over alcohol\u201d. We\u2019ve discussed, studied, and internalized material from the \u201cDoctor\u2019s Opinion\u201d to page 23 to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7419\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewelryon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}