In recent years, Christian rehab centers have become safe havens in the lives of drug addicts and alcoholics who may have failed to thrive after traditional programs of recovery. The spiritual angle to recovery has saved the life of many an addict who felt they had fallen too far into the abyss of substance abuse to ever recover. They were wrong. These particular addicts and alcoholics thrived in an environment where a more spiritual approach was taken to their problem. If you’re intrigued by Christian rehab principles, you might be wondering if 12 step programs are a part of these recovery centers.
12 step programs are usually recognized as being the offspring of Alcoholics Anonymous. What many people don’t know about AA is that it was itself an offspring of a Christian group called the Oxford Group. Over the years, spiritual principles were toned down to leave out a reliance on God and open doors for atheists and those who just weren’t sure about their faith, but the fact remains that 12 step programs originated on a basis of spirituality, and these 12 step groups often find a home in Christian recovery programs.
Christian Rehab Basics
If your Christian faith is a very strong part of your life, but you’ve developed a drug or alcohol addiction, it could be that a Christian rehab center will be able to help you on two fronts. First, you’ll get the help you need for your substance abuse problem, and you’ll be able to recover from drug and/or alcohol addiction surrounded by doctors, nurses, and counselors who also have a faith-based approach to recovery in mind.
When someone develops a substance abuse problem, they often lose their life a little bit at a time. You may lose a job, then your health, and then your treasured relationships. A relationship with God is first and foremost the most important thing in the life of any Christian. This fractured relationship can be recovered soundly in an environment of professionalism, compassion, and faith at a Christian rehab center. 12 step programs may even be part of this recovery, depending on the center you choose.
A Different Approach to Recovery
Christian recovery is a little different than another recovery in that it has your fractured relationship with God in mind, too, but that’s only one component of recovery. Traditional 12 step techniques can be applied in a Christian rehab as well, although you won’t find many people talking about a “higher power” there. For people in Christian recovery, the higher power is the God you believe in, one that is there for you in times of trouble.
So while there are 12 step programs sometimes in Christian rehabs, they will not skirt around the fact that your higher power is your Christian God. And that’s a great thing for people who have lost so much of their lives to substance abuse. By making sure that God stays in any 12 step programs, people are free to express their faith and grow in their faith as they heal from the terrible consequences of substance abuse.
How 12 Step Programs Help
Not every Christian rehab will have 12 step programs available, and if they do, God will be loud and clear within the recovery menu. You won’t have to hide the fact that you’re a Christian, and you’ll recover alongside people who don’t just want to recover from drug addiction but also from the faith that it kills along the way. In an environment where God is freely talked about and respected, it can be extremely freeing for an addict who at some point along the way lost their faith to their condition.
There are many Christian rehabs who have their own 12 step programs that are absolutely similar to things like AA but aren’t quite AA. These alternatives to AA truly help Christians who want to get better but don’t want to skirt around the fact that they have a strong faith in God. When God is the focus of recovery, miracles truly do happen, and so many people have discovered that a Christian recovery program is where they feel most at home, loved, and safe. The spirit of recovery is a little bit stronger when you inject a Christian program into it.
If you’ve lost your way or know someone who is suffering from substance abuse and wants to regain their faith, our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call 844-903-2111.
