Women in AA: “Sharing Experience, Strength and Hope” The Relational Nature of Spirituality

Abstract

This article examines how specific practices within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) assist women to develop an understanding of spirituality that promotes and sustains sobriety. AA's conceptualization of alcoholism as an illness that only a spiritual awakening can conquer seems outdated and irrelevant to many especially with the pharmacological advances that have been made in the addiction recovery field (Sanders, 2006). Using data from a qualitative exploratory study of women's experiences in AA, this paper reports that for some women in the program it is the spirituality learned and experienced through the relationship of sponsorship that has allowed them to achieve sobriety (Sanders, 2006).

Concept Analysis of Spirituality: An Evolutionary Approach

“…Many authors on spirituality have referred to transcendence as a dimension of spirituality (Albaugh, ; Banks‐Wallace & Parks, ; Barker & Floersch, ; Barney & Buckingham, ; Bradley, ; Buck, ; Buck & Meghani, ; Chiu et al., ; Coyle, ; Crossley & Salter, ; Daly, ; Delgado, ; Gall et al., ; Griffith et al., ; Hodge & McGrew, ; Lowry, ; McSherry & Jamieson, ; Markani, Yaghmaei, & Fard, ; Miner‐Williams, ; Molzahn et al., ; Morrison‐Orton, ; Newlin et al., ; Oh & Kang, ; Papathanassoglou & Patiraki, ; Penman, Oliver, & Harrington, ; Pesut, ; Rican, ; Rich & Cinamon, ; Tanyi, ; Van Dover & Pfeiffer, ; Walton, ; Woodgate & Degner, ). Self‐transcendence has been defined as the ability to see beyond the boundaries of the self, the environment, and present limitations (Reed, ).…”

“…The final antecedent that emerged from this concept analysis was the experience of a difficult life event such as illness or death. It was evident within the literature that participants who experienced a difficult life event described a stronger sense of spirituality (Albaugh, ; Barney & Buckingham, ; Bradley, ; Lowry, ; McSherry et al., ; Molzahn et al., ; Papathanassoglou & Patiraki, ; Penman et al., ; Walton, ; Walton & Sullivan, ; Woodgate & Degner, ). However, a difficult life event is not a prerequisite to spirituality, rather it influences it.…”

The process of promoting spiritual health in iranian muslim adults: A grounded theory

“…Traumatic and life-threatening diseases can make the spiritual dimension more attentive. [ 33 34 35 ] Other backgrounds such as demographic factors, family/cultural/social, and value/philosophy have also been considered as factors affecting the promotion of spiritual health. The flourishing of self and soul requires an appropriate social and cultural environment.…”