springtolife.net - Returning To Church After Completing Christian Addiction Treatment Drug addiction threatened your health and your faith for years, but you're finally ready to beat it by attending a Christian addiction treatment center. We know this is a difficult decision, but its the best one you could possibly make and God is smiling down on you for it. However, you're a little concerned about returning to church after you've finished with your recovery. You feel like you've sinned and are worried that others will look down on you for it. That's simply not the case, as Christians understand that we all sin and are willing to forgive for it. Besides, your church is your community and the people there love you and care about your needs. …show more content…
Your addiction recovery will challenge every aspect of your personality and can often leave you exhausted. Social contact may seem difficult during this period, especially in the large and friendly atmosphere of a church service. Ask yourself the following questions to gauge whether or not you're emotionally prepared to attend church: Are you scared to talk to people who don't know about your recovery? Do you feel any type of spiritual uncertainty that may make church attendance difficult? Have you confessed your sins to a priest or reverend? Is your guilt about your addiction heavy and hard to face? The answers to these questions can be difficult, and if you don't feel you're quite ready, talk to your spiritual leader about it. They can give you advice, listen to your confession, absolve you of your guilt, and help return your spiritual faith. Being reminded that drug addiction is a disease, not a sin, is often an important part of recovery for many …show more content…
It also gives you the chance to ingratiate yourself with the church community again and to reap the major benefits that come from these social and spiritual centers. Reconnecting With Church Friends Beyond the spiritual aspect of church is the way it brings together people, families, and friends. For centuries, religious services have been the social bond that has held communities together. Your church is no different and you likely have multiple friends who you care about and who care about you. Even if you don't see them outside of church, these relationships are vitally important. Bible.org discussed the importance of church in society and the myriad of ways that it helps people. It discussed the political and spiritual elements, but had this to say about the social element of church: “(some people) see the church’s importance as a social institution. It helps meet the physical needs of the poor and the emotional needs of the lonely and distraught. It ministers to people at the pivotal times of life: birth, marriage, death, and times of
Although we are given free will and choice it is the choice to relinquish ourselves to God and His grace. May (1988) argues that addiction attempts to gain control over the behaviors that lead to shame and guilt. This book may be implemented into counseling to help those struggling between release of addiction and increasing spiritual growth. Ultimately, May (1988) argues that there are three simple ways in stopping addictive behavior results in “don’t do it, refuse to do it, and keep refusing to do it” (p. 178). When clients are able to face the truth of addiction, in their abilities, and longing for God they can begin to fall in love with themselves and the desire to love
Work Cited May, G. (1988). The Species of the World. Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addiction. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Author Information
It is hard to put into words the exact reason a person becomes addicted to something such as drugs, alcohol or even gambling. Addiction can be described as becoming so dependent on something that their tolerance could be raised to dangerous levels. When an addicted person needs larger doses, it is because the amount that they originally started with does not provide that “reward” that it once used to. This could lead to a dangerous downfall including disability or even death. One of the hardest parts of the addiction is when the user is in complete denial that there is even a problem.
Hansen, M., Ganley, B., & Carlucci, C. (2008). Journeys From Addiction To Recovery. Research & Theory For Nursing Practice, 22(4), 256-272.
You no longer have to stress about your daily life issue, such as work, family, relationship problems, because you know as long as you pray to God, and ask him to provide, he will do just that. Trust also Is important in the church, some things you share with your brothers and sisters and church leaders can be
According to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the transtheoretical model of change, “for most people with substance abuse problems, recurrence of substance use is the rule not the exception” (Enhancing Motivation for Change, 1999, p. xvii). Relapse can and most likely will occur in recovery, and should be recognized as well as anticipated by substance abuse recovery counselors. The significant challenges to counselors are bringing a client successfully and securely through a relapse and eventually preventing relapse from occurring at all. For many, helping a client find faith in a higher power is an essential piece of the puzzle for overcoming addiction.
Most of the thousands and thousands of substance abusers in early recovery, that I have crossed paths with over the past four decades, have had a great deal of trouble understanding who they are early on in their sobriety. One common factor that all substance abusers share in early
However, walking into that little church I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the members were. They were regular people that take time out of their busy lives to meet briefly to talk about their history of alcohol abuse and the consequences it has had on their lives. One man in particularly was extremely glad that we were there and encouraged us to take advantage of the experience. He told me how important this meeting was to him and how it has helped many people overcome their addiction. Meeting this man and hearing other members’ stories reviled to me the true enemy of addiction, it is not the individual struggling, but the addiction itself.
As believers we make up the body of Christ and without one part it cannot function. Also, as believers in Christ He is the vine and we are the branches, we as a community need Him to sustain us and make us grow. No matter the length of a communal Christian encounter, we can only be a Christian community when founded on Christ and His truths. According to Bonhoeffer, having community with other Christians is of the highest privilege. When in community with fellow believers we are actually living out God’s intentions for His creation.
By committing to your recovery, you can overcome your addiction, take control of your life again, and start a fresh chapter in your life. Committing to these life changes can be a challenging, so it is important for you to remember why you want to do this for yourself and to have a supportive people around you.
First of all, church has greatly influenced many different aspects of my life and caused me to be the person I am today. I have always been taught to treat others with respect and to treat them how I would want to be treated. This has caused me to try to be considerate of others' feelings and thoughts as much as I can. I also respect other people's property and take care of it just as I would my own. I have also been taught at church to respect those in authority including my parents, teachers, and elders. I also have participated in church activities such as choir and video production. This has helped me to improve my social skills by interacting with other people. These things have influenced me and made me the person I am today.
Introduction Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, is referred to as a major contributor in the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the 12-Step tradition (Schoen, 2009). His main contribution was bringing forth the principle of surrender to a higher power founded on his understanding of archetypes. Jung (1959/1970) hypothesized that good and evil are psychic realities greater than the ego complex. He observed that whenever the ego is pitted up against something greater than itself, whether it is “divine or devilish or just ‘fate’” (p. 462), the individual has a “numinous” (p. 462) experience, which is an experience of divine awe.
You do not like the fact that it is slowly taking over your life. So you have decided to get it sorted. Get rid of your addiction. It is obviously going to be a difficult journey, there might be period of lapses, because you are only human.
The church is a place in which many come to find a sense of belonging, comfort, and purpose. It's through these three qualities which have drawn and maintained many church goers throughout the years.
In conclusion drug addiction is a very terrible and challenging problem. It affects individuals, families, and the people around them. It is important that drug addicts realize that they must want to stop and seek help for the problem. The drug addict needs the support of friends and family, so they can make it through this process. The process to recover from drug addiction can take a lifetime. There is hope for a drug addict who wants to change their life for the better.