Spirituality-Based Recovery From Drug Addiction in the Twelve-Step Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous

Galanter, Marc; Dermatis, Helen; Post, Stephen G.; Sampson, Cristal

doi:10.1097/adm.0b013e31828a0265

Cited by 49 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…While the nuances of the Sikh model exist, parallels can be noted with other religious frameworks of change, highlighted in this special edition and put forward by other theorists. There are, for example, a growing number of spirituality-based "Twelve Step" informed pathways to sobriety such as Narcotics Anonymous [30] and "Free N-One", a drug and alcohol Black Christian support group in the U.S. [31]. These pathways, however, are not limited to the 12-step process, as shown in the Sikh spiritual framework; there are also through groups such as Women for Sobriety [32], characterized by a 13-statement "New Life" program for change.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing Sikh Spirituality in Recovery from Alcohol Addiction

Morjaria-Keval

Keval

2015

Religions

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This paper situates Sikh identity, spirituality, and recovery from alcohol addiction within a nexus of complex social, psychological, and cultural factors. The way in which affected people in Sikh communities in Britain are able to locate and utilize unofficial recovery trajectories, often successfully alleviating suffering, presents both academic research and service provision with potential puzzles. While Sikh communities have been long settled in the UK, there is still a dearth of extensive, multi-method, and analytically rich research investigating the role of spirituality and Sikh identity. We present existing models of recovery process and locate them against an individual psychological and sociological backdrop, so that through the use of spirituality, recovery along this route is interpreted as having both otherworldly as well as materially grounded formations. It is this duality, we argue, that is prominent socially, culturally, and psychologically as important in the recovery from addiction. The multi-factorial nature of this mechanism of change raises important questions for not only addiction recovery, but also notions of continuity and change in Sikh identity. We aim to contribute to this growing body of work in order to re-situate the role of spirituality and identity in alcohol addiction recovery.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing Sikh Spirituality in Recovery from Alcohol Addiction

Morjaria-Keval

Keval

2015

Religions

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“…In addition, it has been a focus in the peer-reviewed literature. [1][2][3][4][5][6] We have reported previously on the role of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in addiction recovery 7,8 and on the relatively small portion of attendees (35%) at NA meetings who were referred to NA by professionals; 7 this suggests that there may be a population of veterans whose substance use and PTSD were addressed in the fellowship of NA and not necessarily through professional referral. An evaluation of community-based veterans' use of NA for symptom relief may, therefore, provide useful information on a way of enhancing existing treatment programs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…This is evident even in studies of the value of interpersonal support in mitigating such symptoms. [8][9][10] In light of this, we solicited Narcotics Anonymous World Services to cooperate in accessing NA groups across the United States that NA staff knew might have at least some members who were veterans, thereby allowing for evaluating veteran and non-veteran members who participated together in the fellowship.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Narcotics Anonymous: A Comparison of Military Veterans and Non-Veterans

Galanter

Dermatis

Sampson

2014

Journal of Addictive Diseases

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Substance use disorder, which is often comorbid with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a problem confronted by many veterans. To determine the potential utility of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) for veterans, 508 NA attendees were studied. Veterans (n = 172) were more likely to have been referred by a professional than were non-veterans (77% vs. 27%, respectively); 70% had been hospitalized for alcohol or drug problems, and 51% had been treated for non-substance psychological problems. The 70% of veterans who reported at least 1 of 3 service-related stressful experiences were more likely to report PTSD-related symptoms. NA can serve as a recovery resource for certain veterans with substance use disorders, with or without PTSD.

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“…As suggested by Scott A. Teitelbaum in his book "Addiction: A family Affair (2011) since there is no known "cure" for addiction, it is imperative that prevention must start with the family. Finally Galanter et al [85] reported that patients more oriented toward a spiritual than a formerly religious affiliation toward other 12-step members (a spiritual awakening) associated with lower rates of substance seeking behavior. Evidence continues to emerge regarding our understanding of brain function especially the reward circuitry and all addictive behaviors and clinicians are encouraged to review some of the select molecular neurogenetic literature [86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105].…”

Section: Beyound Vaillantmentioning

confidence: 99%