Christian Alcohol Treatment

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Christian alcohol treatment is different from most conventional alcoholism treatment approaches because it focuses on Jesus Christ as the explicit “Higher Power” discussed by the other 12-step treatment protocols such as Alcoholics Anonymous. According to the Christian alcohol treatment perspective, other treatment methodologies that try to placate their client base who are “non-believers” are essentially doing their clients a disservice because the treatment staff does not state that it is God alone who has the power to help alcoholics find their way, get out of the vicious cycle of dependency, and relieve them from their addiction.

Alcoholism is a Physical and a Spiritual Disease

Many, if not most faith-based, Christian alcohol treatment methodologies perceive alcoholism as both a physical as well as a spiritual disease.

image: doctor telling female alcoholic about her test results Just because Christian alcohol treatment approaches stress the centrality of God in the treatment process, however, does not mean that other important treatment factors are ignored. In fact, Christian alcohol treatment programs commonly employ the best behavioral therapies, counseling approaches, and medical practices in combination with Biblical scripture in the overall alcohol treatment process.

Christian therapists understand that belief alone is typically not enough to help an individual quit abusing drugs and alcohol. Indeed, even though they may “believe,” many Christian alcoholics suffer from the consequences of poor health, relationship problems, legal issues, employment difficulties, and family issues. More often than not, moreover, these alcohol-related problems get progressively worse the more the individual continues to engage in irresponsible and excessive drinking.

To place the alcohol treatment process in perspective, many Christian therapists encourage Christian alcoholics to look to the Bible in general and to Job in particular to see how he transcended his pain and suffering in an attempt to develop a deeper relationship with God. Indeed, the alcoholic may experience deep feelings of shame and guilt but they need to realize that God is always ready to forgive an individual so that he or she can get successfully undergo and complete treatment and start the recovery process.

Christian Alcohol Detox

image: female teenager in distress over alcoholic boyfriend Christian detox is the first step in the alcohol treatment process. Viewed as a combination of spiritual and physical components, Christian detox aims to rid the alcoholic’s body of the alcohol and his or her soul of the harmful behavior and actions in which he or she has engaged.

For example, alcoholics who suffer from severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms can receive substantial relief through the employment of doctor-prescribed medications via the Christian detox process.
Although the alcohol treatment process is difficult, Christian therapists believe that overcoming one’s addiction is possible because God does not give an individual more than he or she can manage.

The Christian Alcohol Treatment Process

Perhaps the key issue involved in alcoholism is that the alcoholic cannot see through the dependency and the denial that continue the cycle of addiction. Christian alcohol treatment helps the addict see through his or her blinders and helps the person admit his powerlessness over the addictive nature of abusive and excessive drinking. After this is accomplished, the alcohol dependent person can regain his or her “true nature” and relinquish the pain, frustration, and the suffering to God who can heal the alcoholic and give him or her hope for an alcohol-free existence after treatment.

Christian alcohol treatment emphasizes the need for alcoholics to swallow their pride, gain some humility, and start to take “proper action” so that God can meet the alcohol dependent individual half way and take him or her back into His house and restore his or her life.

The Christian treatment approach employs a 12-step procedure in individual and group counseling sessions, always with a focus on the belief that it is Jesus Christ who is the “higher power.” Stated in another manner, Christian alcohol treatment methodologies have foundation that is Scripture-based while adhering to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

While the therapists who are members of Christian alcohol treatment facilities are Christian, it is enlightening to mention that some Christian treatment programs employ Christians who are themselves in rehab.

Types of Christian Alcohol Treatment

At least three different types of alcohol rehab are found at Christian alcohol treatment facilities: inpatient, residential programs; outpatient programs, and day treatment programs.

Most alcoholics with cognitive impairment show at least some improvement in brain structure and functioning within a year of abstinence, though some people take much longer.

Residential Inpatient Alcohol Treatment

image: young male teen in Christian alcohol treatment When an individual becomes admitted to a Christian residential inpatient treatment program, he or she gets educated about the spiritual, psychological, and physical consequences of long-term excessive and abusive drinking. This educational process is accomplished mainly through lectures, group counseling, individual therapy, and workshops.

Throughout all of these educational components, moreover, each individual is taught how to successfully identify and work through the psychological and/or physical “hot buttons” that frequently trigger drinking problems. One of the real benefits of such a comprehensive educational approach is that each individual receives help in determining and addressing his or her own unique “relapse warning signals and signs.”

If you have tried to quit drinking - swore to yourself that you would never drink again - and found yourself a few days or a week later drinking again, you probably have a problem. If you have tried to quit and cannot do so, you are no longer in control; alcohol is in control of your life.

Outpatient Alcohol Treatment

Even though not as comprehensive and intensive as the inpatient program, Christian outpatient alcohol treatment typically consists of many of the same educational components and principals that are employed in the residential treatment programs. Indeed, through individual counseling and group therapy, an alcohol dependent person gains insights into the specific high-risk situations that can challenge their sobriety. In short, via outpatient alcohol treatment, each alcoholic learns how to deal more effectively with circumstances that commonly lead to relapse.

People who begin to drink at a young age are at much higher risk of developing a problem with alcohol later in life. According to one research study, it was found that 45 percent of the people who began drinking before the age of 14 developed later alcohol dependence, compared with only 10 percent of those who waited until they were 21 or older to start drinking.

Day Treatment Alcohol Programs

image: businessman in pain in day treatment for alcoholism Some Christian alcohol treatment facilities offer a kind of treatment that is somewhere in between the outpatient and the residential options. Known as “day treatment programs,” this kind of approach is typically targeted for local individuals who require less structure than the more rigorous demands made by the residential, inpatient programs.

Individuals usually enroll in Christian day treatment programs for four to six weeks and typically attend therapy during normal work hours (9AM to 5PM). Individuals enrolled in such programs receive comprehensive educational training and counseling similar to what the residential clients receive.

Due to the fact that follow-up education, training, and counseling are so important in the alcohol recovery process, individuals who have gone through Christian alcohol treatment are encouraged to attend local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings when they return home.

People who have been drinking large amounts of alcohol for long periods of time run the risk of developing serious and persistent changes in the brain. Damage may be a result of the direct effects of alcohol on the brain or may result indirectly, from a poor general health status or from severe liver disease.

Christian Alcohol Treatment: Conclusion

The essential philosophy of Christian alcohol treatment can be summed up in this way: through a combination of the latest medical treatment, education, counseling, doctor-prescribed medications, and good old fashion Christian principles, alcohol dependent individuals, along with God, can conquer their damaging, destructive, and addictive behavior and restore their lives in God’s grace. In a word, Christian alcohol treatment helps an alcoholic become free of the cravings and the destructive thoughts, actions, and behaviors that contradict his or her Christian beliefs.

In the fourth and final stage of alcoholism, the alcoholic manifests an utter disregard for everything, including shelter, family, food, and job. These occasional flights into oblivion are best described, ironically, as drinking to get away from the problems caused by drinking.

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Most people realize that heavy, long–term drinking can damage the liver, the organ chiefly responsible for breaking down alcohol into harmless byproducts and clearing it from the body. But people may not be aware that prolonged liver dysfunction, such as liver cirrhosis resulting from excessive alcohol consumption, can harm the brain, leading to a serious and potentially fatal brain disorder known as hepatic encephalopathy.

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