| Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is a complex process, typically requiring multiple layers of intervention involving physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual elements. Although spirituality and addiction recovery have been studied extensively, less has been written regarding the practice of a particular religious faith and its effect on recovery.;This study uses phenomenological hermeneutics to examine the personal experience of 12 recovering alcoholics/addicts who practice the Roman Catholic religion. Seven of the participants had been raised Catholic, and five participants converted to the faith. All have participated regularly in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) during at least some part of their recovery. Participants were interviewed about their experience of addiction recovery and their practice of the Catholic faith, particularly relating to the Catholic Mass. Themes emerging from the interviews were illustrated by the participant's own words, offering access to the unique language particular to Catholicism. The themes then were considered using the disease model of addiction first, then Kohut's self psychological theory both of addiction and religion in general, and finally, Jung's writings on alcoholism and the Catholic faith specifically.;Substances replacing longing for God was a nearly universal theme. The nourishment offered by Mass, symbolic ritual, and mystery appeared clearly as elements enticing lost Catholics to return to their faith and converts to enter into the faith. Those facets were "something more" that were available to participants than in the A.A. program or to the few who had experienced psychotherapy. The field of psychology can learn about the deep nature of religious practice in building recovery on a spiritual and psychological level, and the importance of including a client's relationship with faith in therapy. Psychotherapists may also consider countertransference elements toward any religion as a cultural issue.;Areas of future research could include looking at what qualities would draw a person to the desire for symbolism in recovery; the place of ritual, symbol, or mystery in the recovery process in other cultures; and possible links between neurobiology and recovery to depth psychological theories. |
