Addiction can affect anyone, regardless of their job, their background, their past, or their faith. Addiction doesn’t discriminate, and the struggle of a Christian going through addiction can be particularly hard, as they may see it as being at odds with their religion. This can facilitate denial, and delay seeking help.
Christians and addiction
Faith has been studied as a mechanism for both preventing addiction and recovering from addiction and is effective for both. Spiritual beliefs are associated with much lower rates of substance abuse, and people who experience a spiritual awakening during recovery are far more likely to remain abstinent one year later. This means that having a strong faith is an advantage when battling addiction – it’s a powerful resource to draw upon that can provide courage, strength and meaning when engaging in addiction recovery.
Community and belonging significantly boost recovery rates – addiction thrives in isolation and loneliness. Christians struggling with addiction mustn’t feel that they have to go through recovery alone.
Addiction should not be a source of shame for anyone. If you’re a Christian who is struggling with addiction, you aren’t alone and you don’t have to suffer in silence. Christian-inclusive rehab services exist, and the help you need is available.
Why might members of the Christian community avoid going to rehab?
The reasons that Christianity is protective against addiction may be the very reasons that Christians struggling with addiction don’t reach out for help. The ability of faith to act as a protective mechanism can mean that some mistakenly believe Christians are immune to addiction and that addiction is a failure in the individual Christian. But a protective mechanism is not something that guarantees immunity – addiction can and does happen to anyone, and it does not mean that your Christian faith is invalid.
Several reasons why members of the Christian community might avoid going to rehab include:
- Stigma: There might be a stigma associated with addiction within some Christian communities. Addiction can be viewed as a moral failing rather than a medical condition, leading individuals to feel ashamed or judged if they seek help for their substance abuse issues.
- Reliance on faith alone: Some individuals within the Christian community may believe that prayer and faith alone are sufficient to overcome addiction. They might resist seeking professional help or treatment outside of their religious practices.
- Lack of understanding or awareness: There might be a lack of understanding about addiction as a disease and the effectiveness of professional treatment options among some members of the Christian community. This lack of awareness could lead to reluctance to seek rehab services.
- Fear of losing community support: Individuals may fear that seeking help for addiction could lead to judgement or rejection from their Christian community. They might worry about how their peers or church leaders will perceive them if they admit to struggling with substance abuse.
- Concerns about treatment approaches: Some Christian individuals might have concerns about the treatment approaches used in secular rehab facilities. They may prefer a rehab programme that integrates their faith and values into treatment.
- Financial constraints: Access to rehab facilities, especially those that cater to specific religious or spiritual beliefs, can be expensive. Financial constraints might prevent some individuals within the Christian community from seeking the help they need.
Despite this, Christians may feel deep shame if they are struggling with addiction. They might feel like their struggle with addiction shows a weakness in their faith and be resistant to admitting their struggles even to themselves. To counteract this, another Christian virtue can light the way – compassion. Compassion for yourself so that you seek out the help that you need, and compassion for others so that they don’t have to see you in so much pain.
Addiction programmes often include redemption and renewal, encouraging people to see their journey through recovery as an opportunity for growth, strength and new beginnings. Spiritual growth and a renewed relationship with God are possible through recovery, and you may find that your relationship with God deepens as a result of your work on beating your addiction.
Rehab for Christians
Christianity is highly compatible with rehab treatment. Fellowship, faith, prayer, gratitude and compassion are all powerful recovery tools, and you will find elements of these in both secular and faith-based recovery.
Belief in a higher power is a concept that appears repeatedly in addiction literature. It is central to programmes dedicated to recovery, such as Narcotics Anonymous and 12-step programmes. Belief in a higher power in the context of addiction has even been studied scientifically, and researchers have found that faith in a higher power is a powerful tool in facilitating recovery from addiction.
These studies are agnostic about what this higher power consists of, but as a Christian, you already have a powerful well of faith in a higher power to tap into. From this belief, you can seek strength, comfort and guidance throughout your recovery.
Why is Christianity-inclusive rehab important?
As a Christian, you might be worried that addiction recovery will have an overly secular focus and that faith may be looked down upon, judged, or side-lined. This is not the case – faith can be integrated very successfully into addiction recovery, and there is a long and successful history of faith-based addiction recovery.
For someone whose Christianity is important, and a core part of their identity, they may feel like addiction is at odds with their faith – and admitting an addiction calls their faith into question. This isn’t true – addiction can affect anyone and is blind to faith. Suffering from addiction does not make anyone any less of a Christian – and overcoming your struggle with addiction can reaffirm and renew your relationship with God.
Key therapies in rehab for Christians
In Christian-based rehabilitation, therapies often integrate spiritual principles with evidence-based practices to address various issues such as addiction, mental health disorders, and behavioural problems. Here are some key therapies commonly used in Christian rehab:
- Prayer-based meditation: All meditation forms aid addiction recovery by fostering stillness, mindfulness, and clarity, whether through secular mindfulness or spiritual practices like prayer. Prayer-based meditation fosters gratitude, a potent recovery tool dubbed ‘recovery capital,’ integrated into programmes like Narcotics Anonymous to enhance strength and promote reflection in leading a sober life.
- Religion-adapted cognitive behavioural therapy (R-CBT): CBT, a common therapy in addiction recovery, targets negative thought patterns by identifying, challenging, and reframing them, aiding individuals in shifting from addictive mindsets. It can integrate religious aspects effectively, proven by studies, enhancing the therapeutic bond, treatment compliance, and coping skills, which is particularly beneficial for those with religious beliefs.
- The 12-step programme: The 12-step programme offers a faith-based route to addiction recovery. It is particularly beneficial for Christians grappling with addiction, aligning with biblical principles of surrender and redemption. While rooted in religious faith, it has been effective for those without belief in God. Its spiritual emphasis makes it particularly suitable for Christian recovery, with sponsorship offering additional fellowship and support from like-minded individuals.
- Group therapy and support groups: Group therapy sessions provide a supportive environment where individuals can share their experiences, struggles, and victories with others who share their faith. These groups often incorporate elements of fellowship, prayer, and scripture study to encourage mutual support and spiritual growth.
What to expect from Christianity-friendly rehab treatment
In a Christianity-friendly rehab treatment, you can expect a programme tailored to align with Christian beliefs and values, integrating faith-based practices and teachings into the recovery process. This might include incorporating prayer, scripture readings, and spiritual counselling sessions into therapy sessions. The treatment environment is likely to foster a sense of community among individuals who share similar religious beliefs, providing support and encouragement from both peers and staff members. Overall, a Christianity-friendly rehab treatment provides a supportive and spiritually enriching environment for individuals seeking to overcome addiction within the framework of their faith.
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(Click here to see works cited)
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- de Abreu Costa, M. and Moreira-Almeida, A. (2021). Religion-Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review and Description of Techniques. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01345-z.
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