I'd Like to Call for Help, but I Don't Know the Number: The Search for Spirituality in Everyday Life

by Abraham J. Twerski

Do you have to be religious to be spiritual? Can you have a spiritual life and not believe in God?

These and other profound questions are explored by Dr. Twerski in I'd Like To Call For Help But I Don't Know the Number: The Search for the Spirituality in Everyday Life. He shows us how to open ourselves up to the deeper aspects of our lives that are often obscured by concerns about success and material wealth.

True spiritual discovery, Dr. Twerski suggests, involves more than overcoming selfishness or dependency; it also requires a journey of self-improvement, character development, and respect for others. Inspired by the Alcoholics Anonymous groups he encountered in his clinical practice, Dr. Twerski outlines a twelve-step program for spiritual growth through self-awareness, service, and self-management. He illustrates his program throughout with true success stories he has witnessed over the years.

"Abe Twerski provides us with an understanding of our spiritual side . . . It's like a conversation with a warm and trusted friend." - Betty Ford

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality

152 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

Abraham Joshua Twerski (Hebrew: אֲבְרָהָם יְהוֹשֻׁע טווערסקי‎) was an Israeli-American Hasidic rabbi, a scion of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty, and a psychiatrist specializing in substance abuse.

Reviews

[May Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Great book about how to live a more spiritual life. It does not have any sort of religious bias in what is being said.

p. 22 It talks about the importance of self-reflection and how most people don't do it. It then goes on to talk about people are not comfortable with themselves. HEnce, just taking that alone time to be at one doing nothing is a big step for a lot of people.

p. 27 Spirituality demands that one continue to grow

p. 48 Animals do not direct their energy toward a concept of growth. this is uniquely a human thing.

p. 89 You can not figure out your deal with the abscense of being around others. Self Reflection often requires you be around other people to figure out your deal.

p. 121 - The best way to pray is without a lot of formality. Have a casual conversation with God like someone who is a friend. He gives an example that illustrates what he means by that.

p. 131 - God distancing himself b/c that is how you grow spiritually. If was all on top of you giving you what you needed all the time, you would not grow.

p. 137 - They talk about the fine line between healthy and unhealthy emotions. It's really the quantitate of it. That's also true of the ego.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author uses the format of the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Step Program to explore spirituality which he believes to be the difference between other animals and humans. He acknowledges that one can be spiritual without being religious although he obviously believes that belief in God is the way to go. He clearly states that a spiritual person must be concerned with the way that his actions and choices impact others. If he choses to act in ways that harm others, his spirituality is damaged. He also explores the difference between religion and religiosity which in my opion, seems to explain a lot of what has been happening in the U.S. for the last several years.

[Judy]

A rabbi turned pyschiatrist has successfully adapted with the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) 12-step program. He distinguishes between spirituality and religion. "Great emphasis is placed on the pivotal role of spirituality in recovery from addiction...It is my hope to demonstrate that spirituality need not be dependent on religion. It is interesting that this emphasis on spirituality is not widely encountered in treatment of emotional disorders, other than addiction. If, as I hope to demonstrate, spirituality, whether of a religious character or otherwise, is indeed a necessary component of emotional health, this omission is to be deplored. p. 6 ..."this need not implay that spirituality can be acheived only thruggh religion." p. 7
"We have no documented and verified evidence that once a person has developted the disease of alcoholism, there is no way he can ever return to normal or safe consumption of alcohol." p. 32
" A spiritual awakening is no guarantee of a spiritual life." p. 53
"Spirituality is not a 'thing', not an object that can be identified as something one possesses. It is a process, a growth experience." .. Ironically when someone thinks he has achieved spirituality, he has lost it." p. 53