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Compared to the rest of the United States, Oregon is one of the least religious regions of the country. More than 45% of Oregon residents say they don’t have a religious affiliation, compared to the national average of 30%. Despite this number, this doesn’t mean that Oregon residents aren’t spiritual. In fact, nearly 80% of adults in Oregon believe in the concept of a soul, and more than 60% consider themselves spiritual.
Spirituality doesn’t look the same from person to person. Two people could both consider themselves to be “spiritual” and yet have entirely different belief systems and perspectives on what that means. Can something so varied and inherently unique for each individual be effective in the healing process?
In science, especially medicine, definitions are critical to ensuring the same treatment and understanding are utilized across the field. What, then, is the definition of spirituality regarding treatment and healing?
Media and society have shifted opinions on what spirituality means. Many assume it strictly involves religion, while others dismiss it as “woo woo” or unsupported by evidence. As professionals, having a common definition allows us to dispel this misunderstanding and offer the best care possible.
The healthcare chaplain at Serenity Lane, Lydia Beinhauer, had this to say when asked to define spirituality:
“In recovery, spirituality is an intentional effort to look for, connect with, and listen to the voice of love to help shift one’s perception of the world.”
Spirituality has a baseline. It is a belief or moral code that inspires and drives one’s life. The specifics of what spirituality entails are variable, but that’s okay. Our job is to empower people to discover what makes life meaningful, so they want to heal.
The history of understanding substance use and alcohol's impacts varies from culture to culture. When it comes to the history of recovery, the first noted mention of religion occurred in the 1780s. Here in America, it started through Native American cultural movements. These movements were founded on the concept of rejecting alcohol by returning to tribal traditions and culture.
From there, Dr. Benjamin Rush proposed that religion could be the “antidote to alcoholism.” Alongside the religious awakenings that occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, this concept snowballed. In the late 1800s, religious-based communities and facilities began to pop up, designed to heal men who were “afflicted” with alcoholism. Early addiction medicine texts at the beginning of the 20th century had chapters dedicated to how religious conversion is an effective approach to healing.
Up until this point, most of this mentality and understanding lie strictly in religion, especially Christianity. It wasn’t until the 1930s, with the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous, that spirituality began to take priority over specific religious groups. This group is a cornerstone in the understanding of recovery and spirituality, and the history of spirituality in healing only bloomed from there.
Alcoholics Anonymous was originally inspired by the Oxford Group, which was a Christian-based group for recovery. They split off into their own group and began to craft their unique approach to healing in 1939.
While Alcoholics Anonymous, commonly referred to as just AA, isn’t the first group to focus on recovery, one of the primary approaches to recovery was created by it: the 12-step approach.
Based on spirituality beyond a specific religion, the 12-step approach focuses on understanding yourself and being unafraid of finding support through a higher power and community. This practice is still seen in many treatment programs today, and many more treatment approaches have been developed with the 12 steps as their foundation.
Mindset plays a large part in health, both physical and mental, so it should be no surprise that spirituality plays a positive role in overall health. As with any approach to mental health, no one style is perfect for everyone, but understanding the benefits of spirituality helps better shape both treatment and long-term healing.
Here are just a few areas that spirituality has been shown to help with:
Spirituality isn’t exclusive to religion. In the past century, a term has even been coined to refer to those who fall under this category: spiritual but not religious, or SBNR.
The primary difference between a religious person and a spiritual person is where their beliefs and morals stem from. Religion is an organized belief system that includes shared teachings, rituals, and more. Spirituality, on the other hand, is an individual ideal or mindset defined by each person’s own needs and morals.
Just like any mindset, spirituality has the risk of becoming negative. When working on spirituality, it’s important to recognize the differences between shame-based and inspirational spirituality.
But what exactly does this mean?
In the field of mental health, but especially so in the history of recovery treatment, we’ve slowly shifted from a more negative or punishment-based approach to an uplifting one. This same trend can be seen in other fields such as children’s education and even animal training. We’ve learned that positivity has a much greater and longer-lasting impact than negativity.
Even so, the negative approach to healing and spirituality still pops up, usually without us even realizing it. Recognizing the difference between the two can help to craft a spiritual mindset that works.
To put it simply, a shame-based approach focuses on the things you can’t do, while an inspiration-based approach focuses on the things you can. Here are a few examples.
Often, the desired outcome is the same, it’s the mindset that makes the difference.
Like most practices, there will always be “extreme” versions of spirituality. Because of how individual spirituality is, it’s just as easy for two very different concepts of spirituality to clash.
Social media has played a large role in the shifting understanding of spirituality. For some, it has been immensely helpful in finding what spirituality means to them and connecting with others who share similar beliefs. The reverse also happens when social media drives people to think that all spirituality is bad or clashes with their current beliefs.
This is because social media is one large game of telephone. The message changes as more people hear it, sometimes to the point of it being unrecognizable. Instead of seeing spirituality as an approach to life that changes based on the person, some think it’s a set belief system, more akin to religion.
Spirituality is just one facet of a well-rounded treatment program. Depending on the needs during treatment, spirituality can be used in various ways to bolster healing.
The substance use and mental health healing space is very different from the physical healing space. When someone gets a physical ailment, there’s a pretty strict path forward, even if that path has multiple options. For example, if someone catches a cold, rest and hydration are the backbone of effective healing.
The same isn’t true of mental healing. Every aspect of our lives shapes who we are, changing our values, morals, reactions, preferences, and much more. These are all important components that influence mental health treatment and what will work best to reach healing.
Spirituality is adaptable and personal, making it perfect for all approaches to substance use and mental health recovery. In addition, its effectiveness is also backed by evidence. Not only has spirituality been connected to a higher commitment to treatment, but other studies have also shown the key role spirituality can play in long-term recovery.
Throughout the years, research has identified 5 main components of a recovery journey that consistently benefit long-term success. These components include:
The most significant factor amongst all of these is the client-centered approach. This means understanding that not everyone has the same healing pace, that stages of care may vary over time, and that communication is key. No one wants to be left out of such a monumental step in their lives. By having an open line of communication between treatment providers and those in treatment, the process becomes beneficial for all involved.
As we touched on earlier, mental health and substance use aren’t one-size-fits-all conditions. On top of that, many people have preconceived notions about spirituality. This means there isn’t one set way that the topic of spirituality should be approached.
While spirituality is an effective tool for healing, research also shows that some feel uncomfortable discussing matters of spirituality with their physicians. This same study also highlights the positive, negative, and neutral outcomes of spirituality in recovery.
The biggest takeaway is that spirituality shouldn’t be forced upon someone, nor should spirituality have set guidelines. Spirituality is deeply personal, and connecting through understanding and compassion can play a large role in long-lasting sobriety.
Long-term recovery and sobriety are possible through support, proper stress management, and emotional regulation, to name a few.
Spirituality offers all of this.
“I think spirituality is essential for everyone in recovery,” healthcare chaplain for Serenity Lane, Lydia Beinhauer, notes. “It transforms relationships—with others, the world, and oneself—creating space between perception and action, which is crucial in recovery.”
Research backs this up, too. On average, finding a spiritual approach that truly clicks reduces the chance of engaging with alcohol and other substances by over 80%. This isn’t exclusive to a specific religion or spiritual mindset, but rather the concept of spirituality as a whole. It’s a powerful tool that can be shaped to any person’s lived experiences to help them further their path forward to healing.
While not every person will utilize spirituality in their recovery journey, a mindset change is always part of the healing process, and this is possible through spirituality.
At Serenity Lane, our evidence-based approach to treatment, backed by our expert staff, offers a spiritual component. Our spiritual center offers a sanctuary for connection, and our healthcare chaplain works hands-on with anyone who walks through our doors. We craft personalized treatment plans and spiritual pathways because we truly understand how unique spirituality is for every person.
One of the primary staff members who drives our spiritual program is Lydia Beinhauer, our healthcare chaplain. With a bachelor's in psychology and philosophy, as well as a master's in divinity, her insight and guidance help craft a healing plan. “It is important to honor experiences, stories, and ways of experiencing life,” she explains. “I provide a non-judgmental space to share, without trying to change their views or make excuses for their experiences. We then explore new ways they might envision a higher power.”
Jimmy H.’s story is just one example of how our spiritual program impacts lives.
“Before Serenity Lane, I was sick physically, emotionally, and mentally. When I walked through these doors, this place met me where I was and offered me all the opportunities I needed to get to where I am today. A key piece of my experience was in finding a way to accept a spiritual life. Through regular conversations with Serenity Lane's spiritual advisor and programming, I was able to find my way to sustainable sobriety and wellness. A higher power opened up access to a sober community, and with all of these tools, I have a year and a half of sobriety, a life again, and my health has improved immensely,” he shares. “I believe it was the extras that helped this stick. The pieces beyond the counseling. With an ability to connect spiritually, I am able to find my center when life is guaranteed to do what it does, get rough sometimes.”
Serenity Lane offers a weekly Spiritual Spotlight lecture, Women’s Spirituality and Seeking Spirituality groups, a Two-Way Prayer Group, and one-on-one meetings with the chaplain. All of these groups invite patients to come as they are and engage from their experience rather than from a prescriptive religious perspective.
Our team at Serenity Lane is proud to utilize a spiritual approach to long-lasting healing and sobriety. No matter your experience with substance use or untreated mental health conditions, our team is here for you. Learn more about what we offer by calling 800-543-9905 today.
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