An Altered Spirit: The Twelve Steps And Ebenezer Scrooge

Author: Anna Fruehling

While in the throes of addiction, Anna Fruehling felt hopeless, afraid, lonely, and ashamed.   In short, Anna was spiritually dead, just like the fictional character, Ebenezer Scrooge, an addict who only thought of money and was driven by impulse to constantly seek more.   In a creative presentation, Anna compares the twelve steps of addiction recovery with the characters of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, a timeless tale that has both haunted and buoyed her since she began her recovery in fellowship on March 19, 1989.

With the intent of highlighting the power of each of the twelve steps interlaced with valuable spiritual principles, Anna leads others through Scrooge’s internal struggles as Marley reminds him that “these are the chains you forged in life,” introduces him to three ghosts, and provides him with hope that he can escape his fate and become all his higher power intends him to be.   An Altered Spirit  is a love story and gratitude offering that relies on a timeless tale to help others view the twelve-step process to recovery in a new way to ultimately realize a transformed life.