Although enormous strides have been taken in the last decade or more to understand addiction and recovery, there are still a wide range of misconceptions held by the general public. In addition, there can also be widespread disagreement within the recovery community itself as to how to best address addiction and recovery. To complicate matters, there is a growing understanding that there is an extremely strong link between addiction and mental health issues, but there is not doubt that this link is still in the process of being discovered and explored.
In spite of this, however, there is one area that has finally become almost universally agreed upon and that is that addiction is not simply some type of moral failing. While the mainstream Christian community at one time had a tendency to shame individuals struggling with addiction, there is a growing acceptance that addiction is much more complicated than previously believed. Today, a number of recovery centers use Christian-based therapies to help integrate spiritual principles and practices into the recovery journey.
What should I expect from Christian recovery centers?
By now, most people are familiar to at least some degree with the 12 steps, which use the concept of a “higher power” to help aid recovery. While there are many non-faith-based centers that still use the 12 steps in some capacity, there are also many centers that have veered away from introducing any type of spiritual element into the recovery process. Christian recovery centers, however, have generally moved in exactly the opposite direction.
In a Christian recovery center, you may be expected to attend daily devotionals and possibly even daily or weekly chapel services. In most cases, these devotionals and services will be non-denominational but a recovery center operated by a certain denomination may incorporate elements into their specific denomination. For instance, at a Catholic recovery center, you may perhaps engage in spiritual practices such as communion or confession, while at a Lutheran or Methodist run recovery center, they may incorporate the liturgy into their chapels or devotionals.
Is a Christian recovery center right for me?
Whether or not an individual can benefit from a Christian-based recovery program will have a lot to do with their own background or history with religion. For some, religious practices may have always provided comfort and solace and they may have always felt welcomed and accepted into Christian community. For these people, participating in a Christian-based recovery program can be highly beneficial.
For others, however, growing up in or participating in Christian community may have brought a great deal of shame. This can particularly happen when individuals struggling with addiction are also struggling with issues of sexual identity. For those that do not have a positive association with church-based groups, Christianity or religion in general, trying to seek recovery in a Christian-based program may actually do more harm than good. This is particularly important to understand if you are trying to help someone else seek treatment.
While faith or religion may play a strong role in your life and may be a place you have always found comfort and security, the same is not true for everyone. It is an unfortunate fact that religious abuse is a very real thing and can actually be an underlying factor in many substance abuse disorders. So, while religious practices may provide a source of comfort and strength for one person, they can actually be quite harmful to another. This is why it is very important to seek the right kind of treatment center for the specific individual in need of treatment.
Will my insurance cover a Christian recovery center?
While more and more insurance programs are covering various drug and alcohol treatments and programs, there is still a wide discrepancy between which treatments or centers one insurance company will cover versus others. While many states require all rehab centers to be licensed, some do not, which means that whether or not an insurance company will cover a stay at a particular rehab center may have more to do with the licenses they hold rather than their religious affiliation or lack thereof.
If you are ready to find help or help for someone you love, give us a call today at 844-903-2111.. Our counselors are available 24 hours a day and can help you explore all the various treatment options to help you or someone you love find the best treatment options for their needs.
