The more that I am surrounded by addiction the more I am reminded of the words of my daughter's counselor from treatment and they were "all addiction is a spiritual void." When I first heard those words, I couldn't quite get my head around them, or, shall I say, I didn't quite understand the depth of their meaning at the time. However, as the years have passed and I have come to know more families that are affected by addiction, I have come to explore them and expand upon my own understanding of what they mean.
I am grateful that I have chosen a life of spirituality and God as my guide. When I have gone through challenging periods in my life and I felt alone, it was God that I reached out to and felt the presence of someone greater than myself. Today, when I am uncertain about what to do or where to turn, I call on God to guide and direct my path. That guidance may come in the form of a quote, a book, a song, a call from a friend or an animal who shows up to point me in the proper direction for my highest good. Over the years, I have come to learn that God speaks in many different ways and the more that I am open to guidance the more effortless my life becomes.
Coming back to the title of this blog; Addiction: A Spiritual (Love) Void, I am once again reminded of what I believe the common denominator is amongst addicts: the disconnect with themselves or knowing and loving who they are, the spiritual aspect of themselves or their connection to God or a higher power as some refer to God or the God of ones understanding. I don't think it is important to define God or spirituality here, but rather to begin to create awareness of how addiction affects ones ability to love themselves or to allow love in to their lives.
For me, God represents Love and when I feel loved by someone, I feel the presence of God coming through that person. Some may think that love is a state of being, but I believe that Love is God in action. Love is the highest form of spirituality. Having said that, maybe addiction is a Love void. That is, addiction is the absence of loving one self, opening to the Love of God and ultimately the ability to give and receive love as we cannot give to others what we do not have for ourselves.
With love, light and hope.
Trina Hayes