Spiritual Attachment as a Predictor of Addictive Behaviors: A Pilot Study

Abstract

In the past, researcher~ have demonstrated various correlations between many aspects of religion and psychology. Addiction treatment is perhaps one of the most widely recognized, and due to past studies that have revealed the positive effects of spirituality, many programs have incorporated this spiritual aspect in order to treat recovering drug addicts. However, a theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between addiction and spirituality is largely missing in existing literature, and attempts to measure the relationship have had varied success in the past. The purpose of this study was to present a model for understanding the spiritual component of addiction based on early patristic writings. To do so, a pilot survey was created as a spiritual method of instrumentation that could. be beneficial to clinicians and counselors while working with individuals coping with a wide range of addictions. The model helps to conceptualize addiction as a problem of inordinate or disordered attachment to external objects, thoughts, feelings and attitudes that can pervade every aspect of life and lead to a loss of inner freedom, an experience that lies at the heart of most addictions. While the pilot survey was formulated.and created at Valparaiso University (in conjunction with Kalamazoo Col~ege), the study remains untested, and therefore, incomplete. It has been hypothesized, however, that based on future participant answers, there will likely be a correlation between answers rated high on the spiritual attachment questionnaire as well as number of addictive behaviors reported during self analysis.