Christian Alcohol Rehabilitation
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Christian alcohol rehabilitation is distinct from most mainstream alcohol addiction rehab methods because it
points to Jesus Christ as the specific “Higher Power” referred to by the other 12-step treatment approaches
like Alcoholics Anonymous.
According to the Christian alcohol rehabilitation viewpoint, other rehab approaches that try to please their
client base who are non-believers are actually doing their members a disservice because they are not stating that
it is God alone who has the power to get them out of the vicious cycle of dependency, help them find their way, and
deliver them from their dependency.
Alcoholism is Seen as a Spiritual and a Physical Illness
Several, if not most faith-based, Christian alcohol rehabilitation methodologies perceive alcoholism as both a
physical as well as a spiritual disease.
Just because Christian alcohol rehab protocols stress the centrality of God in the recovery protocol, however,
does not mean that they disregard other valid therapeutic considerations.
To be sure, Christian alcohol rehab methods commonly employ the most efficient behavioral rehab methods, medical
practices, and therapeutic protocols in combination with Biblical scripture in the entire alcohol rehabilitation
process.
Christians understand that mere belief or conviction is, more often than not, not enough to help an individual
quit abusing alcohol and/or drugs. On a fairly common basis, Christian individuals who are dependent on
alcohol are in agony from the results of alcohol-related legal problems, employment issues, family and relationship
predicaments, and/or poor mental and physical wellbeing.
Frequently, these instances get worse little by little the more the person continues drinking and abusing
alcohol.
To put the alcohol rehabilitation process in perspective, many Christian healthcare professionals encourage
Christian individuals who are alcohol dependent to look to the Bible in general and to Job in particular and
discover how he transcended his distress and pain in order to develop a deeper relationship with God. To be sure,
the alcoholic may not feel innocent and may have deep feelings of shame and guilt, but God is always ready to
forgive a person so that he or she can eventually get to the other side of rehabilitation.
Christian Alcohol Detoxification
Christian detoxification is the first step in the drug and alcohol abuse treatment protocol. Seen as a
combination of physical and spiritual factors, Christian detoxification aims to rid the alcoholic’s body of the
physical poisons and his or her soul of the destructive activities that he or she has initiated. For instance,
alcoholics who face severe withdrawal symptoms are given great relief through the employment of doctor prescribed
medications in the Christian detox process.
| Medical treatments cannot "cure" drinking problems, but they can be combined with
other interventions and therapies to produce treatment that is even more effective. |
While it can be stated that the alcohol rehab course of action is not easy, Christian healthcare professionals
conclude that overcoming one’s addiction is feasible because God does not give an individual more than he or she
can handle.
Christian Alcohol Rehabilitation and Recovery
Regarding alcoholism, the problem is that an alcoholic cannot see through the denial and addiction that continue
the cycle of abuse and dependency.
Christian alcohol rehabilitation helps the addict see through his blinders and concede
his powerlessness over the addictive nature of abusive and destructive drinking.
Once this is done, the alcoholic can reinstate his or her “true nature” and relinquish the distress, annoyance,
and pain to God who can heal him or her and give him or her optimism for a dependency-free life in the near
future.
Christian alcohol treatment highlights the need for individuals who are dependent on alcohol to swallow their
pride, gain some humility, and take appropriate, Bible-based action so that God can meet the alcoholic half way and
take him or her back into His house and redeem his or her life.
The Christian treatment course of action employs the 12-step method when engaging in individual and group
counseling sessions and always keeps counseling sessions centered in the belief that it is Jesus Christ who is the
“Higher Power.” Stated in a different way, Christian alcohol rehab methods are rooted in Scripture in
addition to adhering to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Whereas the counselors who are members of Christian alcohol rehabilitation facilities are Christian, it is
interesting to note that some Christian rehab methods utilize Christians who are themselves in rehabilitation.
| "According to a recent research study, people trying to quit drinking who become
involved in both Alcoholics Anonymous and professional treatment programs fare much better than
those who only go to treatment or only go to Alcoholics Anonymous." |
Types of Christian Alcohol Rehabilitation
At least three distinctive kinds of alcohol rehabilitation are found at Christian alcohol rehab clinics:
inpatient, residential methodologies; outpatient programs; and day treatment methods.
Residential Inpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation
When an individual gets
admitted to a residential inpatient rehabilitation program, he or she gets conversant with the psychological,
spiritual, and physical outcomes of chronic alcohol abuse and alcoholism. This educational course of
action is accomplished mainly through lectures, group therapy, workshops, and personal counseling.
In actual fact, through all of these educational factors, each individual is taught how to effectively identify
and work through the psychological and/or physical hot buttons that more often than not have their consequence in
problem drinking. Stated differently, such a broad-based educational approach helps each person determine and
address his or her own unique relapse warning indicators.
| "According to alcoholism research, men are more likely to remain in alcohol
treatment if they are there under suggestions or threats from their employers. This finding seems
to indicate that intervention that includes participation by employers can be effective in some
instances." |
Outpatient Alcohol Rehabilitation
Although not quite as intensive and comprehensive as the inpatient programs, Christian outpatient alcohol
rehabilitation usually consists of many of the same educational principals and components that are emphasized in
the residential treatment approach. Indeed, through group therapy, workshops, individual counseling, and
education, a person gains insights into the specific high-risk circumstances that challenge their sobriety.
In a word, each individual, via outpatient rehabilitation, learns how to deal more effectively with situations that
lead to relapse.
| Every dollar spent on alcohol treatment leads to a $7.46 reduction in crime related
expenses and lost productivity. When health care savings are added in, every $1 invested in
treatment for addiction yields a total return of $12 saved. |
Day Treatment Alcohol Rehabilitation
Some Christian
alcohol rehabilitation facilities offer a kind of treatment that is somewhat in between the residential and
the outpatient options. Known as day treatment programs, this kind of approach is usually targeted for
local people who need less structure than the demands made by the residential programs.
People commonly enroll in this type of treatment methodology for a period of four to six weeks and usually
attend rehab treatment during normal work hours (i.e., between 9AM to 5PM). People enrolled in such a program
get the same comprehensive educational training and counseling that the residential clients receive.
Since follow-up counseling and education is so important in the alcohol recovery process, people who have gone
through Christian alcohol rehabilitation are encouraged to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in their local
areas when they go back home.
| An important factor in underage drinking is availability, that is, the degree of
effort required to obtain alcohol, as determined by geographic, economic, and social factors.
Consequently, interventions aimed at the individual must be supplemented by policy changes to help
reduce youth access to alcohol and decrease the harmful consequences of established drinking. |
Christian Alcohol Rehabilitation: Conclusion
The entire
philosophy of Christian alcohol rehabilitation can be summarized in this proclamation: through a combination
of academic instruction, the latest medical treatment, counseling, medications, and good old fashion Christian
principles, people who are alcohol dependent, along with God, can conquer their addictive, destructive, and
unhealthy behavior and re-establish their lives in His grace.
To put it briefly, Christian alcohol rehabilitation helps an alcohol dependent individual become free of the
cravings and the destructive thoughts and actions that contradict his or her Christian beliefs system. Once this is
accomplished, Christian alcohol recovery becomes a possibility and a reality.
| Personal factors such as childhood behavior problems or a family history of alcohol
use disorders can help to identify high–risk youth and may suggest direction for interventions.
Evidence suggests that the most reliable predictor of a youth’s drinking behavior is the drinking
behavior of his or her friends. |
| Family factors, such as parent–child relationships, discipline methods,
communication, monitoring and supervision, and parental involvement, also exert a significant
influence on youthful alcohol use. Accordingly, family–based prevention programs for youth have
been developed. One example is Iowa’s Strengthening Families Program, which significantly
delayed initiation of alcohol use by improving parenting skills and family bonding. The
beneficial effects of this program on student alcohol involvement were still evident 4 years after
the intervention. |
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