Does P/S Addiction prevent spirituality?

[Bird-boy]

Yep, this is my experience too. I want to be sure of God, but I have to take a step of faith to see anything result from it. My struggles with PA are like standing in hardening cement. I'd like to take that step but it feels sooooooo difficult.
So for the last 2 years, my pursuit of God has been intellectual (learning the Bible) but not heart-felt, really.

Hopefully, with the in-person pa SUPPORT I've just gotten into, That cement will crumble and I'll advance past this particular spiritual struggle.

[likeafish34]

I'm a Buddhist and PA has definitely hindered my spiritual growth. In fact my journey down the spiritual path has been stopped dead for the last couple of years, while I've been swallowed up by the addiction.

I try to live my life following Buddhist precepts which are similar to the Christian Commandments. There are 5 main Buddhist precepts. Doing P breaks them all.

I also try to meditate. One form of meditation is mindfulness (focussing on breath) and the other is loving kindness (focussing on offering love to myself and others). While doing P I cannot meditate. My mind is too busy with self loathing, guilt and anxiety.

Since I've started my recovery, I am following the precepts, feel much better about myself and have restarted meditating successfully. Not only has giving up P enabled me to get back to the Buddhist path, but my spirituality is helping with my recovery from addiction.

In my opinion what ever your religion, it is unlikely that you can develop your spirituality while doing P.

Simon

[boris]

Whenever our behavior is in conflict with the standards forth by our Creator (for me, found in the Bible), it hinders our relationship with him. As our creator, God knows what is best for us, and if we disrespect him by ignoring his requirements, then we weaken our relationship with him. If we are sincerely trying to battle our addictions, and stumble along the way, we can still have a relationship with him and have a measure of spirituality in our lives.
However, if we ignore God's standards, then we have in effect, turned our back on him and have walked away from the friendship. If we willfully practice wrongdoing then we have decided not to have a relationship with God and have forsaken our spirituality.

boris

[TYC113]

As a Christian,I feel that there is a brick wall getting in between me and God whenever I sin. I know that he says that I can break free from my addictions, but I don't know how. I need his help now more than ever. Ever since I broke down and MB, I feel so low and down. I really need to get up again after what has happened. I started to fall down to anger at myself and becoming depressed. I realize now that I will never win addiction to P while I am addicted to self-hatred as well. I am going nowhere with this if I am going to continue to hate myself, right? I often feel that I've let God down by doing all of this. But I also need to remember self-hatred is an enemy too. It blocks me from him. I must remember that I am also still loved by God even when I am not doing what's right. All I need to do is run back to start. I was reading this verse from Psalms: 103:8-12

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.



That always helps me whenever I feel distant from God. It helps me realize that he's not angry with me, but angry with my sin.

[Bird-boy]

Ditto, TYC113.
Thanks for sharing that psalm. :)

[TYC113]

Thanks. It is very hard to remember sometimes as well. I get it wrong so many times. And I have been feeling unworthy today, so I needed that verse today. I have to fight those feelings of unworthiness so much.

[Evidence_of_Grace]

No. If anything, it made me humble myself before God and ask Him to come along side of me to help me fight against the addiction.