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conferenceseries
.com
Volume 8, Issue 4 (Suppl)
J Addict Res Ther
ISSN: 2155-6105 JART, an open access journal
Alcoholism 2017
July 03-04, 2017
July 03-04, 2017 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
7
th
International Conference on
Addictive Disorders and
Alcoholism
The role of spirituality in long-term sobriety: The power of the collective & life purpose
Michelle S Fondin
Author and Ayurvedic Practitioner, USA
Statement of the Problem:
Long-term sobriety from alcohol addiction is a difficult goal to obtain. According to the National
Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, only 14.6 percent of people with alcohol abuse and dependence ever receive
treatment. Of those 14.6 percent only a small percentage make it beyond the 90-day mark of total abstinence. If long-term
sobriety is evasive to most, what makes some people successful? Researchers have studied people in recovery for 150 years and
lack conclusive evidence on what makes a person get and stay sober. While statistics show that a majority of attendees in 12-
step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), have a dropout rate of 95% in the first year of sobriety, success is achieved
for the other 5%. Alcoholics Anonymous, a spiritually-based program, with over two million members, has several draws for a
longitudinal study on long-term sobriety; the longevity of the program itself, the global access to everyone regardless of income
level, and members in long-term sobriety.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation:
I attended over one hundred hours of AA meetings and interviewed those who
had between 2 and 36 years of sobriety. I interviewed a control group of ten recovering alcoholics with at least two years of
continual sobriety. The criteria for the intensive interviews were three-fold. The alcoholics in the control group had to have
alcohol as their primary drug of choice. They had to be attending at least one 12-step meeting per week and they had to
have had continual, uninterrupted sobriety for at least two years. In addition, those selected needed to be alcoholics (alcohol
dependent) and not simply heavy drinkers. And they had to be in active recovery rather than being “dry drunks”.
Findings:
The info graphic above shows the findings of alcoholics in continual long-term sobriety for more than two years. The
formula for long-term recovery, according to the control group, is largely dependent on several actions leading to a spiritual
path and way of living. While each of these factors contributed to sustained sobriety not everyone participated in every single
category, all the time, with the exception of one category. One hundred percent of the control group stated that their long-term
sobriety was a direct result of their relationship with a Higher Power.
Conclusions & Significance:
Not a single person in the control group was pre-selected based on any question regarding
religious or spiritual beliefs. The criterion for selection was uniquely based on abstinence, attendance in a 12-step group, and
alcohol as the primary drug of choice. The interviews were geared toward determining the factors for sustained sobriety. Living
a spiritual life including belief in a Higher Power, prayer, meditation, and service to others as well as connection to a spiritually-
based group appear to be a significant formula for long-term sobriety.
Biography
Michelle S Fondin is the author of
“Help! I Think My Loved One is an Alcoholic: A Survival Guide for Lovers, Family, & Friends” (2016), “The Wheel of Healing with
Ayurveda: An Easy Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle”
(New World Library, 2015), and upcoming books
“7 Days to Chakra Healing and Enlightened Medicine”.
She is a
writer for Deepak Chopra’s website, Chopra Lifestyle and is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Meditation, and Yoga Teacher.
mfondin@me.comMichelle S Fondin, J Addict Res Ther 2017, 8:4 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2155-6105-C1-030