Drug and alcohol addictions are plagues on the soul that drive a wedge between good people and their loved ones. Faith-based addiction recovery programs are emerging as a highly effective treatment method because they go much further than merely treating the symptoms. These often Gospel-centered methods work to create a surrounding Fellowship between those in recovery and help reconnect addicts to the family love that lives at the center of God’s principles. Those connections can be powerful tools to help put the disease known as addiction into remission.
Faith for the Faithless
It’s not difficult to make a connection between people suffering addictions and a lack of Faith. Leading a secular life doesn’t have an internal safety net when things take a seemingly bad turn. Lose a loved one or employment and the isolation of atheism can compound someone’s worldly problems.
Materialism is no replacement for a connection to God. The basic idea is that if there is nothing more to life than what you can see and touch, then life’s challenge can make it unbearable. Addiction becomes a secular escape option.
Other people have their Faith shaken and need support to regain that light. Some feel that God and family have neglected them. Life takes a downturn and they look for a sign or support to get through. Again, they turn to the quick fix of drugs and alcohol for immediate gratification and that turns into long-term dependency.
Faith-based treatments are designed to foster confidence and trust in religious teachings. In terms of Christian recovery, they often focus on the Teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament Bible. Other religions would look to their particular texts. By asserting or re-asserting Faith into an addict’s life, they can find the peace and serenity of heart and mind that acts as a foundational support tool.
Community support and outreach is an important component to Faith-based connections with addicts and those who are in vulnerable states. Community organizations often provide or refer recovering substance-troubled people to homeless shelters, crisis counseling and work with teens and adults who are at-risk. Addiction takes no prisoners and can afflict people of all races, economic category and social status.
Understanding Faith-Based Treatment
Faith-based treatments present an opportunity to engage people in learning, worship, Fellowship and to strengthen bonds with friends, family and community members. That multifaceted support system helps to build a foundation for addicts to lean on. Once in place, that network helps to alleviate the feeling of loneliness and abandonment.
As devout Christians understand, we are not alone. That’s an important concept for addicts to embrace and take into their hearts.
There are a wide range of Christian-based programs that are tailored to the unique needs of each sufferer. Inpatient or outpatient treatment can be determined by the severity and immediate needs of the addict. A combination of group and one-on-one therapy sessions are usually employed in the short-term. This may transition to long-term group therapy that helps create Fellowship, reinforce personal responsibility and spiritual connectedness.
Why Faith-Based Recovery Works
The first hurdle in forcing an alcohol or substance abuser into remission involves lighting the Faith within. That inner strength will generally be coupled with traditional medical treatments such as detox and psychological therapies among others. Some of the addictions and disorders Christian-oriented methods treat include the following.
- Alcohol Abuse
- Heroin Habits
- Cocaine Use
- Prescription Drug Dependency
- Sexual and Pornography Compulsions
- Compulsive Gambling Disorders
- Methamphetamine Addiction
- Food and Spending Disorders
Once people realize they are truly not alone and put their Trust and Faith in God, they are armed with a powerful weapon to help them defeat addiction. That first step begins with a willingness to accept responsibility for their actions and the fact that they have a problem.
In Faith-based settings, addicts begin to understand that they have a treatable disease that needs to be combated every day. There is no cure, but a clean and sober life are possible through determination and Faith.
Christian treatment centers and support programs often provide spiritual sponsors that may have first-hand experience with addictions. The connection to someone who has walked in the same shoes can be very powerful.
Pastors, priests, nuns and other church members help to provide spiritual support and guidance. Lastly, community ties, Fellowship and rebuilding the bonds of family love help reintegrate addicts into a positive place in society. The feeling of being part of a greater whole grows exponentially in Christian recovery.
Faith-based addiction treatments have proven to be far more successful than their secular counterparts. Church leaders are often able to help addicts and their families with appropriate programs and referrals.
~ Christian Patriot Daily