Alcoholics and Meditation

Writing about alcoholics and meditation might appear weird without context and an understanding of recovery from alcoholism. Also, having a little knowledge of Alcoholics Anonymous’s 12 Steps will help, especially Step 11:

Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

The world is much more secular in 2016 than in the 1930s when the Steps were written, but even then there was controversy over the use of “God”, prayer, “His will”, etc. The compromise was God as each individual understands, or perhaps doesn’t understand,  God/god. The “we” in the step meant the founders as each understood “God” at the time AA was started. There’s no official understanding of God or god. There are even Free Thinkers, Agnostics, Atheists AA meetings in many cities. Most AA meetings in larger cities don’t have a religious tone, but in the Bible Belt and Midwest you’ll find meetings that have a religious flavor. AA is wide enough and deep enough to accommodate the belief or lack of belief of any alcoholic. The point is the principles embedded in each Step, and for the purpose of this post, meditation is the point.

Many people think of meditation as a clearing of the mind, but the original meaning of the word had more to do with deep, serious mindfulness. In recovery from addiction, it helps to take time from each day to listen to thoughts/emotions, to consider life/purpose/spirituality/understanding more deeply. Sometimes it’s good just to clear the mind so that deeper thoughts and emotions can arise out of all the hubbub. Meditation is an individual thing — some people prefer more formalized methods, and some prefer to just let what happens happen. It’s up to the individual, but most people who try it say that it helps tremendously.

When the recovering alcoholic makes contact with a deeper part of the self, that deeper self usually doesn’t want to go toward destruction but rather toward healing and personal growth. This is an excerpt from alcoholrehab.com:

Using Mindfulness in Recovery from Addiction

When people are in the early months of recovery, they often experience a kind of mental fuzziness. They may struggle to think clearly as their mind adjusts to life without substance abuse. This is also a time when their emotions are erratic. Those who fail to cope with these challenges in early recovery are more likely to relapse. Mindfulness meditation can be a great tool at all stages of sobriety. It gives people more control over their emotions and increases mental clarity.

Mindfulness Meditation Defined

Mindfulness involves purposely paying attention to the present moment. It also involves being aware of thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they occur without being carried away by them. Mindfulness is a non-judgmental form of observation.

Apart from alcoholics and meditation, I think anyone can benefit from meditation — it’s a great break from all the noise, if nothing else.