Author: contributor

One of the biggest challenges that families and friends can face is having an addict among them. It can be hard to be on the same page because the behavior, thoughts, and habits of an addict are quite different from a sober person. This is one of the reasons why addicts and their loved ones are always in conflict.  

If you have a loved one struggling with addiction, and you want them to become sober, here are some tips to help you.

Get educated on addiction and recovery

To help your loved one recover from addiction, you need to learn more about the concept of addiction and how they can recover. It is important to note that addiction is a disease that affects the normal functioning of the brain.

You also need to know that when an individual recovers from addiction, they might relapse if care is not taken. When you learn more about addiction, it becomes easier to put yourself in their shoes because you have an idea of what they are going through.

Actively listen to them

While you are trying to help your addicted loved one become sober, ensure you listen to them when they want to open up to you.

Sometimes, addicts need someone to talk to but everyone might seem to desert them, by not showing interest. When an addict talks to you, repeat some of their words to them, and ask questions. This will show them that you are interested in helping them get better.

Don’t isolate yourself from them

It is important not to isolate yourself from your addicted loved one especially if you think that their situation will affect you. Ensure that you are always there for them, and also look out for yourself to ensure you don’t engage in habits that might make you addicted.

Avoid having unrealistic expectations from them

When it comes to addiction and recovery, it is best not to expect too much from the addict. Be patient with them, and allow them to gradually complete the process of recovery.

Addiction is not something church members are immune from; it is possible to have addicted church members.

The aim is to help them get better and recover, and this can be done through different means. The church can guide a person unto recovery from addiction.

Remember, that drug or alcohol addiction can come from external factors like peer pressure, addicted relatives, stress, and trauma, etc.

Whatever it is, the first step is to know the causes and signs of addiction. Then, you can use the following steps to help an addicted church member get better.

These steps include;

• Compassion and Love

The addicted church member should not isolate from the church. Being in the fellowship with other believers is a good place to recover. The love and compassion expressed would help heal any negative emotions that led to drug or alcohol addiction, without condemnation.

• Counselling

The addicted church member can seek counselling in church. The church is fully equipped spiritually and professionally to provide adequate counselling for people in need of it. So, addicts can trust the church to provide proper counselling to address any feeling they have.

• Medical Help

Apart from opening up to the church, the addicted member should also seek medical help. Yes, the church can help with counselling and prayers, but addiction still requires medical evaluation. Dependence on chemical substances affects the functioning of the brain.

Therefore, the addicted member needs medical evaluation and consultation.

• Christian Support Group

As a church member, it is vital that an addict gets support from the church. The people around an addict are vital to his/her recovery. Therefore, being around a Christian support group helps an addict get better.

A Christian support group not only care the sobriety of the addict, but also about the spiritual standing and well-being of such person.

You can attach some church members to the addict, who would help him/her remain accountable to their recovery, and committed to the things of God. A person will find new hope and life in Christ.

In summary, the church is instrumental to the recovery of an addict member. The addicted member has a role to play in his/her recovery. Some of these have been highlight above, even as the church continues to pray and express God’s love to such person.

Addiction is a disease that requires professional help, but not one that a family member or church member cannot help with.

Beyond the general perspective, the church can take steps which would help an addict member recover. It may not be easy, but it isn’t impossible.

Before such person became an addict he/ she was a member of the church, and probably still is a member.

So, certain people in the church has influences over such an addict member, and can help the person fight off addiction. But these steps by the church have to be deliberate and specific.

Some of these steps include;

• Identifying an Addict Member

Not everyone who skips church service is an addict. There are many reasons why people might skip services.

But the church needs to know how to identify an addict member. You look out for people withdrawing from everyone else and constantly irritated at everything.

• Expressing Love

It is vital that an addict experiences support, especially from people they have a bond with.

So, one way the church can help an addict member is to show love. Just simply express the love of Christ to the person, knowing to God still loves him/her regardless of their current illness.

So, regard than keep pushing the person to repent or change, which can be frustrating for the addict member and possibly push the person away.

The church needs to express love to the person, showing forth the love of Christ. The person may be stubborn, deny, and push back; but the church needs to be patient in love.

• Counselling

Some causes of addiction are stress, trauma, depression, anxiety, and other negative feelings. To help an addict member, the church can counsel him/her to help them overcome such negative feelings with the word of God.

Once these feelings are tackled, then the addict member can now address the addiction fully with professional help.

In summary, these are some ways in which the church can help an addict member. The church plays a major role in people’s lives, so members shouldn’t be pushed away due to drug or alcohol addiction.

But we should draw them closer in love, pray for them, and help them overcome such illness to the glory of God.

One of the reasons why people remain addicted is because they do not have enough help. When help is given to addicted individuals, it would be easy for them to combat addiction and live healthily. Addiction exists in the church even though it is a spiritual place.

One fact people need to understand is, addiction is a brain disease. So, your spiritual status does not protect you if you do not do the right thing.

It is possible for a highly spiritual person to be suffering from addiction. And it would be because, he or she failed to put some important measures in place.

To help addicted people in the church, one of the important factors is counseling. In the addiction process, counseling is one of the primary components.

There are many reasons why counseling is important but one of the reasons why it stands out is because, it explains the concept of addiction.

Often times, people get addicted because they do not understand how it works. Usually, addiction starts off as an abuse before it becomes a full-fledged addiction.

However, with counseling, it becomes easy to understand how addiction works, how it can be combatted and how it can be avoided.

When you have knowledge of how something work, it gives you a good perspective. There are some people who are enjoying the addiction without being aware of the damage done to them.

With counseling, you are exposed to the potential adverse effects of addiction. And this would spur you to take action.

Counseling addicted individuals in the church comes with the inclusion of Biblical principles. For sure, addiction is a sin and it draws people away from God.

While the counselor is encouraging people to come out of their addiction problem, it is also an opportunity to preach the message of salvation to them.

With the place of professional counseling in the church which would typically come at no cost, individuals would be able to live healthily and free of addiction.

The addiction problem is powerful enough to affect people irrespective of their race, religion, financial status and the likes. If care is not put in place, it can affect the church.

In the real sense, there are some people in the church who do not know they are addicted. While there are some who are aware.

Treating the concept of addiction in the church is usually treated from a different perspective.

Now, a church is a spiritual place that inculcates several biblical principles such as free giving, forgiveness, holy living and the likes. Also, you would find professionals from all walks of life in the church.

If there is a counselor in the church, he would not collect fees for giving professional advice. However, in the secular world, he would collect fees from clients. This is one of the benefits that the church stands to gain from having professionals who also come to worship.

The same applies to a healthcare professional who handles addiction cases. He or she can freely give tips and advice in the church. And you can be sure that they would come at no cost. However, if anyone of them needs treatment, it would be discussed professionally.

Discussing addiction in the church is very crucial. The fact is, a good number of addictive habits makes one sin against God, and they must be combatted.

Addiction is powerful and it can take someone far from God. In order to forestall this, it is important for the church to be actively involved in fighting addiction.

When the church helps its members to truly understand how addiction works and how they can help themselves, they would lead healthy lives.

Also, when addicted individuals enter for treatment, it is important for the church to show their support by sending some people to attend some group sessions.

Addiction is very powerful but provided the church is well-informed, they will be able to defeat it.