Beth Osmer

How Shamanism Helps Addicts Find Healing

Shamanism

noun  sha·man·ism  \ˈshä-mən-ˌni-zəm\

Programs claiming to cure addiction often fail because they begin with the wrong mindset, seeing addiction as either a problem to be cured or a disease to put up with. An accurate understanding of addiction is crucial for an effective program to address an addiction-and it is here that Shamanism starts.

Shamanism views addiction not as a disease, but as a symptom of an injured spirit. Addiction manifests itself as behaviors offering temporary relief but long-term negative consequences that one is unable to give up. These behaviors are an imbalanced and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to fill the emptiness caused by the injured spirit.

The spirit can be wounded or broken through abuse both physical and emotional, trauma, stress, negative self image, or fear. The wound can be triggered through relationships, loss, transitions, stress, and fear. When the spirit is wounded it can often leave the body or get “stuck” in the original trauma or upset.

This leaves the person feeling a hole, and nature hates a vacuum. The unpleasantness created by feeling this part of our spirit missing can cause us to grasp unhealthy ways to fill that hole. For some, it’s drugs, alcohol, or gambling. When these behaviors are consistently repeated, we cannot give up the need to do them, we become addicts. While we may know the addiction is causing us more harm, giving up the addiction is painful because it involves experiencing that emptiness of an injured spirit. The shaman can be a great resource to empower individuals to remedy this emptiness by reuniting them with their lost spirit pieces.

shamanism, addiction, spirit, soul, body, therapy
Shamanism’s success lays in addressing the spirit, soul, and body when facing addiction.

To accomplish this, a shaman can perform a healing ceremony known as Power and Soul Retrieval. In some cases, the spirit can reintegrate easily and this is where the shaman’s work ends. With most individuals, however, they will still need to address the original trauma. A deep physical cut does not heal overnight-and it’s the same with a deep cut to one’s spirit. The shaman can assist the individual through this healing process, so by the end the individual’s spirit will be fully healed. Individuals will feel the comfort and peace that comes along with a healed spirit, and will no longer feel the hole. The grasp addiction had on them will in turn be broken, resulting in a permanent conquering of the addiction.

Refind is a great resource to engage with shamanism as part of your recovery from addiction. We offer programs with a variety of lengths and focuses tailored to help you where you need it. Contact us today for a free 30-minute consultation session. To book your appointment, click here.

2 thoughts on “How Shamanism Helps Addicts Find Healing”

  1. Hi, I am here for the first time. I found this post really useful and it helped me out so much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.

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