The Spiritual Malady
Striving to quench our thirst for wholeness
“When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out mentally and physically.”
From the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous
Although the idea of the spiritual malady came to me through reading about Alcoholics Anonymous, I believe it is a concept any person can connect with whether or not they suffer from addiction.
Haven’t we all wondered if life has any meaning? Haven’t we all, on occasion, been overcome with a feeling of emptiness at the thought of our life and the fact that it will end?
For some, these feelings embed themselves like a parasite in our hearts, making us sick. We feel alone, sad, angry, anxious, or guilty, and can’t quite figure out the cause. These emotions are felt in our bodies, making our neck and shoulders tense, tightening our chest and throat, constricting our breathing, and elevating our heart rate. This is the spiritual malady.
The spiritual malady and addiction
In the case of the addict, alcohol (or some other substance or activity) is used as a medication to treat the spiritual malady. Drinking alcohol is found to provide relief, and turned to…
