Connecting with Faith Helps Overcome Addiction
The Recovery Place Christian Recovery Program
Addiction is a debilitating disease that can destroy the life of the addict or alcoholic, and in so doing devastate families and harm communities.
For Christians who suffer from addiction, the wounds from addiction pierce the soul and threaten their relationship with Jesus. To fully recover from this disease as a Christian, drug and alcohol recovery must embrace Christ as a fundamental part of one’s new identity as a sober, productive member of the community.
Among its varied programs, The Recovery Place offers a special, voluntary Christ-centered treatment track for Christians. This program recognizes that Jesus is one’s Lord and Savior, and through one’s belief in Jesus and commitment to His Word, one can regain sobriety and health. Prayer and meditation become one’s coping skills, replacing abused substances and negative behaviors.
When Addiction is at Odds with Faith
Sadly, the disease of addiction often shakes one’s faith. For some, a crisis of faith coincides with the beginning of addictive behaviors.
A client who lost several family members to deaths from cancer began to question God’s mercy, and soon thereafter turned to drinking to deal with the pain of loss. Her belief in God was sorely tested.
Through the intervention of a family member who saw her suffering, she came to The Recovery Place’s Christian Program. Her need to reconnect with her faith was as great as her need to overcome her addiction. Healing of her mind and body came with the healing of her soul.
Others have come to the Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program out of desperation. They have been through multiple treatment programs, relapsed multiple times, and sought out something that would help them to finally win the battle against this disease.
Filling a void within, they were led to seek out a recovery program that would give them a deeper sense of meaning in life, a moral compass that would guide them through their struggles against addiction. The Christ-centered approach at The Recovery Place called out to them. God does indeed “work in mysterious ways.”
Compassion and Effective Treatment Combine in TRPs Christ-centered Treatment Track
We at The Recovery Place are very fortunate to have Charlotte Day on our team. Charlotte leads the Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program, working daily with clients who choose to be in the program.
The program draws on Charlotte’s deep Christian faith and knowledge of the Bible. It endeavors to provide clients with a balance between Christianity and recovery, offering a multifaceted approach that combines Christian teachings with the traditional support systems available to recovering addicts.
The Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program at The Recovery Place includes Christ-centered group therapy, individual Christian counseling, and appropriate therapeutic milieus that are tailored to individual clients.
Clients in the program attend Bible study classes three nights a week, worship at local Christian churches, and attend outside groups such as Celebrate Recovery and Christian-focused Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) groups.
Charlotte also incorporates “New Life Perspectives” into some of her group therapies.
To assist with post-addiction treatment support, The Recovery Place works with clients to find Christian sponsors in AA or NA who embrace Jesus in their lives and their recovery.
Christian-Approach to 12-step Recovery
Charlotte has developed a unique Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program that derives its core from the Scriptures.
Charlotte typically combines Bible verses with more secular tools for recovering addicts, using quotes from the Bible to illustrate a Christian approach to the “Twelve Steps” of addiction recovery.
For example, Step 2 of the12-step process of AA and NA states that:
We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. A parallel Bible text is found in Philippians 2:13:
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.
As Charlotte translates for her clients, “That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God Himself willing and working at what will give Him the most pleasure.”
In a typical group session, Charlotte may quote Matthew, 11:28-30:
Come onto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
As Charlotte explains to clients in the Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program, “This is a promise that when we come to Jesus we will find rest. This is so much needed to save us from the insanity of our addiction that we admitted in Step 1 of the 12-steps”:
We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors that our lives had become unmanageable.
“We have carried the yoke of slavery of our addiction for a long time,” explains Charlotte. “Jesus promises a different type of yoke, one that is light and easy, one in which we can find rest and peace. How blessed is such a promise from the One who does not lie.”
The Christian Drug Addiction Treatment Program at The Recovery Place is a powerful resource for Christians seeking to recover from the disease of addiction. It equips clients with the tools needed to win the battle against the disease, binding their recovery to a reaffirmation of their acceptance of Jesus in their lives.
Loving God leads one to love oneself, and caring for one’s body in a healthful, non-addictive way is caring for the temple that holds the light of Jesus within.
When asked how she came to dedicate her life to working with Christians in recovery from drug addiction, Charlotte stated simply “When I prayed and meditated upon this career, I felt a clear calling to do God’s will in this way.”
Charlotte volunteered that what she likes most about this calling is that “I really enjoy being able to live my faith each day while helping others to develop a Christ-centered identity in recovery.” Charlotte was almost giddy when she added, “I feel like I get paid to love people…this is not a ‘job’ to me.”
It would seem that Charlotte is indeed living her faith in her work!
The Recovery Place is pleased to be able to offer this dedicated Christ-centered program to those seeking recovery from drug addiction.
The philosopher Lao Russell wrote, “God will work with you but not for you.” In the Christian Drug Treatment Recovery Program Charlotte Day will work with you to help you bring Christ into your recovery.
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