The human soul is the spiritual element in all of us, the part that lives on forever in space, time, and people’s memories.  It is intangible, sometimes hard to define.  It makes people distinctly unique and can make a lifelong impression on others.  When the soul is crushed or otherwise broken, a woman can become very vulnerable to drug addiction.

The Human Soul Holds Meaning

For this post, I’ll use the words “soul” and “spirit” somewhat interchangeably.  Also, the soul has various meanings in different religions.  To remove any confusion about this, I’ll talk about the human soul or “spirit” in a way that is not specifically religious.

A healthy robust soul is well-fed with positive thoughts, enriching experiences, and warm relationships.  A person’s spirit celebrates joy and flourishes when a person uses their personal talents well.  Also, the soul is what drives a person to persist in the face of challenges, devastation, and exhaustion.

The soul is the keeper of deep meaning for a person.  When someone experiences something powerful, it becomes part of their spirit.  After a while, a person with a defeated spirit is open to wandering and confusion.  What do they really have to stand up for?  What is their identity?  What do they have to lift them up?  If the answer is “not much”, then this can be too painful to bear every day.

The Broken Soul is Open to Addiction

A person with a broken spirit or soul is vulnerable to many dangerous temptations.  Covering the pain or escaping from it becomes desirable.  with the wrong kind of friends or key opportunities, a person in this condition could easily begin an addiction.

An already deep sense of self doubt or worthlessness will often be magnified by a drug addiction.  It may seem to temporarily diestract the person from the pain, but it only adds more problems to the pile.  How could they ever live sober, knowing what kind of useless existence they face?  Hope of a truly better life may seem impossible. (more…)