HJNO Sep/Oct 2022

DRUG ADDICTION 28 SEP / OCT 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   recovery. Spirituality can include religion for some and not for others. Religion and spirituality can walk hand-in-hand or stand on their own. Religion can be the spiritual vehicle for connection to a higher power for many, and for others, due to personal beliefs or religious wounding, this can be a barrier for connection to a higher power of their understanding. Within addiction, the higher power has been the drug of choice in which their willfulness has been turned over to the limbic part of the brain and turning their life over to appeasing the addict part of the brain at all costs. Spirituality gives the addict another choice. Within the tru- est nature of spirituality, the choice arises in the neuro process located in the prefron- tal cortex or mindful section of the brain. 18 Healthy spirituality is about mindfulness, the bigger picture, long-term rewards, connecting with like-minded and healthy people, being of service, and other ways of connection. People in recovery will often talk about turning their will over to a higher power of their understanding, step three in the 12-step program. 19 The value here is tak- ing a pause from decision making and reac- tive behavior, running the data being pre- sented through your spiritual filter, and then responding accordingly, while not reacting impulsively. An example of this would be that someone receives neuro data that they in order to give a stable base for substance and emotional sobriety. This does not mean that life is simple or an easy walk in the park. Environmental stressors are always present: finances, health, relationships, job, romance, weather, mental health, geopolitical actions, cultural conflicts, racism, sexism, and the list of things that can throw a person off the rails of sobriety goes on and on. With a solid recovery program, these issues can be navigated withmore ease and not magnified due to active addiction. Emotional sobriety allows hope to be an active motivator and not just a passive emotion on which to rest one’s laurels. Hope as an active motivator generates passion for continued success, which enables continued action toward steady sobriety. As someone scaffolds throughMaslow’s Hierarchy of needs, more and more time can be spent in a space of connection rather than isolation. The four- quadrant foundation for recovery gives an addict the opportunity to move through basic needs, safety needs, belonging and love, self-esteem, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, self-actualization, and into transcen- dence. Becoming a self-realized and con- scious individual is the hope for all people. To accomplish sobriety and to nurture hope takes work. It is less work than stay- ing comfortably or uncomfortably miser- able within the hopelessness of addictive need to use their drug of choice. They run it through their higher power filter, such as, “will the action be good for me, for others, or the earth?”After running it through this filter, they come up with the answer “no,” and as a result call their sponsor, be of ser- vice, or discover some other activity before the craving (and the addict) take over and relapse happens. A strong spiritual practice is also a dis- cipline in taking time to connect through reading, meditation, quiet time, prayer, and other ways to feel connected to something larger than oneself, allowing for a place of serenity. If someone is only interested in the science aspect, spirituality is just as important as it allows that person to view the world through their prefrontal cortex, setting up neuropathways of kindness, con- nection, community, and service. No matter if someone is an atheist, agnostic, or reli- gious, spirituality is highly important and can be manifested in a pragmatic or theo- retical manner (possibly both). This sets the foundation for stepping into the unknown from a place of faith in that higher power of their understanding. 14 COMBINING THE FOUR QUADRANTS The key to recovery is integrating all four of these quadrants into a person’s life “Knowledge can be the generator of power in recovery and the personal passion to continue with the demands and disciplines of a sober life. Learning new skills, going to school, participating in social events and service, conversing in interesting topics, journaling, finding different cultural outlets, reading, and exploring what intellectually brings curiosity to the brain helps give motivation and vigor.”