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. |
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| 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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