How do people
change who have struggled with addictions
Many times people wonder
how can people who has been addicted to alcohol and/or drugs change and be
freed from a lifestyle dominated by dependence on substance abuse. Here are some thoughts based on several
decades of Christian counseling.
1. The personal and sincere acceptance of Jesus
as one’s personal prophet, priest, and king is an important step. The deeper this commitment to the Lord Jesus
and understanding of the need of repentance as part of faith is critical for
this to be an active element in a person’s recovery. A “life insurance” faith in Christ that
simply looks to Jesus to save them from hell without any desire to live by
faith day by day will do little to help a person recover. So a true and committed faith in Christ Jesus
as Lord and Savior and deep repentance concerning sin can be a vital part of a
person changing. This faith would be a
fruit of regeneration of the person by the Holy Spirit and upon that foundation
one can effectively build a life free of addiction. However, this alone will most likely not be
enough to win the battle with addiction in most cases.
2. Going to 90 meetings in 90 days, which focus
on the process of recovery. These can be
Celebrate Recovery groups, small group Bible studies, or 12 step programs. It takes 90 days to break or establish a
habit. Therefore, to be totally free of
the use of alcohol or drugs for 90 days is essential and continual
reinforcement of turning away from the addiction and towards Christ Jesus is
needed. The first 90 days is essential
to establish a foundation for recovery from addiction. After the ninety days a weekly meeting should
become part of the lifestyle of the recovering addict.
3. Seeing a counselor weekly for the first 90
days and then twice a month for a year to help the person deal with the issues
that lead to the addiction. Most
substance abuse is self-medication to deal with some inward emotional pain from
the past. The counselor can provide
accountability, provide recovery tools, and help bring fresh perspective to the
struggles that have led to addiction.
4. Development of a sponsor and accountability
partners where on a regular basis there are telephone calls, e-mails, and
conversations which encourage the person struggling with addiction to continue
to walk in faith with Christ and turn from their dependence on the addiction to
cope with life.
5. Find healthy and holy substitutes that
relieve stress and produce happiness.
This may be a commitment to exercise, regularly donating time to help others
in need, listening to inspiring music, journaling, biblical meditation, and times
of personal worship. This practice of
regular “soul nurture” is essential since it provides physical, emotional, and
mental relief without the use of drugs or alcohol. This will be different for every person and
so they must develop their own unique “soul care” plan that works for
them. The counselor can help them
develop such a plan.
These are what I see as the
most critical aspects that need to be part of a person recovering from an
addictive lifestyle. If you have a
friend or family member struggling with addiction you may want to share these thoughts with them
to help them develop a true and reasonable plan for recovery.
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