Christian Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
If you identify as Christian and are struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, then a Christian rehabilitation center might be the right choice to help you overcome your substance abuse issues. For some, faith can serve as the backbone of recovery. Christians struggling with alcohol and drug addiction often look to their faith for the strength to change. Christian treatment centers can help people discover, or rediscover, their faith in God while also helping them build a life of sobriety and purpose.
What Is a Christian Drug or Alcohol Rehab?
Christian treatment centers are not very different from secular rehab. Many accredited Christian rehab centers use the same types of evidence-based treatment as other facilities. The difference is that these treatment approaches are framed by spiritual awareness. Counselors and staff members at Christian facilities will typically share your same faith.
You will be encouraged to strengthen your relationship with Jesus through daily prayer, Bible study, and worship. You will also participate in proven addiction treatment methods, which may include detoxification, individual counseling, group therapy, 12-step programs, and other therapies based on the substance of misuse, severity of addiction, and other individual factors.
What to Expect at Christian Rehab Centers
As with other addiction treatment programs, Christian-based rehab will generally follow a 4-step process:1
- Patient assessment: Incoming rehab patients undergo a complete medical and psychiatric evaluation so that clinicians can determine the most appropriate course of treatment. A successful treatment program will take into consideration factors such as family history, substance of misuse, severity of addiction, and any medical or mental health issues that could affect the patient’s recovery.
- Detox: The length and ease of the detox process will vary significantly depending on the substance of abuse and whether your body has become physiologically dependent on that substance. Detox from opioids, cocaine, methamphetamines, benzodiazepines (benzos), or alcohol can produce intense, and sometimes dangerous, withdrawal symptoms in patients who are dependent on those drugs. In some of these cases, rehab center staff may prescribe medications to ease your symptoms and prevent medical complications.
- Addiction treatment: Most inpatient and outpatient rehab centers provide a combination of individual counseling, behavioral therapy, and group counseling to treat addiction. These methods will help you identify the problematic patterns of thinking and behavior that led to addiction and give you the tools you need to cope with temptation, triggers, and the various other factors that contributed to your substance abuse. You might also participate in 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous to receive the support of peers who are going through similar experiences.
- Aftercare: Before leaving rehab, you will work with your therapist to develop an aftercare plan to enable long-term recovery. Aftercare may include further addiction treatment at an outpatient facility, Christian support groups, 12-step programs, or individual therapy.
What makes Christian rehab centers different than other treatment programs is the spiritual guidance and support that you will be offered along your journey to recovery. Many Christian drug and alcohol treatment centers have priests, ministers, or other religious mentors on staff. These spiritual leaders can help you develop the strength to stay sober by strengthening your relationship with God.
Types of Christian Addiction Treatment Programs
As mentioned earlier, the level of addiction treatment care that a person undergoes will be based on various factors at the time of initial intake and evaluation. Residential treatment for drug and alcohol addiction can be an important milestone on the road to recovery from substance use disorders, especially for Christians who are dealing with severe addiction-related issues as well as dual diagnosis mental health conditions.
Inpatient/residential treatment centers provide 24/7 supervision and care while you reside at the facility for the duration of the program. Hospital-based inpatient programs offer around-the-clock medical care from healthcare professionals.
Outpatient addiction treatment is different than inpatient in that patients are allowed to leave, maintain their work and school schedules, and sleep at home. Outpatient care offers a level of flexibility that inpatient does not and can in some cases be more cost-effective.
There are also partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP), as well as standard outpatient visits with a counselor or clinician that you may want to consider. Many non-hospital-based residential programs also facilitate access to medical services when needed.
Christian Addiction Recovery Curriculum
The Christian addiction recovery curriculum will vary depending on the treatment facility you attend. However, you can expect to receive addiction treatment that is consistent with Biblical Principles.
While attending a Christian rehab center, you may participate in educational classes, group and individual therapy, as well as group fellowship activities that allow you to focus on your recovery while maintaining your relationship with your faith. Curriculum typically integrates the words of Christ throughout the program, which can help patients relate their challenges with addiction and beyond to scripture and work on overcoming shame and stigma.
Many Christian rehabs will have similar learning objectives based on 12-Step literature, scripture, and more. Patients may work to achieve these learning objectives individually and with the help of others. The curriculum may include activities that take place at the facility or off-site. Some Christian rehab programs may partake in outings to local churches or community organizations. Some may offer onsite Sunday service so patients can remain at the facility. In addition to a faith-based curriculum, patients can expect to receive evidence-based treatment to further their recovery.
Christian Mental Health Treatment
There are a lot of addiction treatment programs out there. So how do you find the one that’s right for you? There are many factors to consider, and no single rehab program works best for everyone. Some programs focus more on mental health and co-occurring emotional disorders. If you turn to drugs and alcohol because of anxiety or depression, you might prefer a program with deep mental health or dual diagnosis focus.
Spiritual guidance can play a role in recovery, but it must be combined with evidence-based therapeutic treatment. You may find it helpful to research addiction treatment approaches so that you know what to expect. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one common approach to the treatment of addiction. Alcohol and drug abuse can take a major toll on families, so you might be interested in a treatment program that offers family therapy in addition to individual treatment. Family therapy can not only help you recover, but it can also help your children, parents, or partner.
Dual Diagnosis Programs at Christian Rehabs
Some Christians could suffer from both substance misuse (such as drug or alcohol addiction) as well as mental health disorder (such as depression, bipolar and anxiety). A tailored program can be created to help with the treatment of both, which is commonly referred to as dual diagnosis treatment.
Dual diagnoses require integrated and comprehensive care to fully address and rectify both conditions. This type of treatment is offered by rehab centers that provide treatment for substance abuse and help with mental health-related issues.
Find Addiction Treatment Centers for Christians
If you want to find a Christian rehab near you, it’s important to carefully consider the various types of treatment programs available to ensure your needs are met. The best and most effective treatment is that which is tailored to your individual needs, whether it’s short- or long-term, residential inpatient, outpatient or dual diagnosis programs.
Depending on your location, you may find there is not an appropriate addiction treatment program for Christians in your area. However, if there are programs nearby, consider the pros and cons of being admitted to a local program versus traveling out of state.
Our rehab directory can help you search through treatment providers throughout the United States. Call and speak with an admissions navigator today about your health insurance coverage levels and Christian addiction treatment options.
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