Being an alcoholic can have devastating effects on your life, your relationships, and even your profession or career. Most of us are drawn into consuming alcohol as it is one of those legal substances that can easily be sourced and purchased and as long as you are above 18 years old is not regulated. No law regulates the amount of liquor that a person can purchase in a given day, month, or year. Alcoholic drinks are the staple of bars, celebrations, parties, and having a good time with friends or relaxing after a hard day’s work. Even in churches, wine is served in thanksgiving and praise and worship, and the liturgy. As alcoholic drinks are entrenched in the consciousness of each person, no one would think that it is wrong to drink them it is even encouraged. The huge number of bars, clubs, and even restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages are proof that drinking alcohol is not frowned upon in this society. Without regulation and the poor enforcement of laws against it, drinking alcohol seems to be the norm rather than the exception, and drinking even starts during adolescence and for some even younger than that. Some people are closet alcoholics who are very good at hiding their alcohol dependence, they can keep pretending that they are ok and that they do not need any help, not until they reach rock bottom. It is usual for addicts to reach a point in their addiction that they will almost lose their life, or lose everything important in their lives. Studies show that it is only when they have reached this point that they are jolted into realizing that they need to change if they wanted to continue living. When this happens, they will either voluntarily go to a rehabilitation center, or agree with their family that they need help and go to a private clinic. Rehabilitation centers abound in every state since addiction has become a perennial problem in this country. But there are few Christian alcohol rehab centers since they are mostly attached to a church or a nonprofit that is funded by a church. Also, these rehab centers cater to church members or those who still have faith in their religion or who can still be regarded as spiritual and prayerful. 

What are Christian alcohol rehab centres? 

Christian alcohol rehab centers are facilities that cater to alcoholics or those with substance abuse disorders with alcohol as defined by psychiatrists and psychologists. The center focuses on providing support, treatment, and counseling to those who are suffering from alcoholism and do not know what to do to control their impulses and struggles. Moreover, these centers provide group counseling sessions much similar to the Alcoholics Anonymous program and equip their patients with the strategies to control their desire to consume alcohol and to keep them safe and well in the process. Alcohol seems innocent enough and yet it can destroy lives, families, marriages, homes, even occupations, businesses, and one’s future. The Christian alcohol rehab center also utilizes the principles of faith and religion to curb alcoholism, and for helping the recovering addict stronger and find purpose in their lives through God’s intervention. If you are looking into gaining an understanding of alcoholism and what have led you to it, not just because your body was craving for the alcohol or because your body has become addicted to alcohol that without it you cannot function well, then the alternative approach offered by Christian alcohol rehab centers might make more sense to you. 

What are the advantages of a Christian alcohol rehab centre? 

The way alcoholism is viewed as a substance abuse disorder presupposes that alcoholism has to be understood as a disease, and just like any other disease, it can be given proper treatment that will help cure or eradicate alcoholism. It also says that as a disease it is brought about by certain propensities in one’s genetic make-up, or traits and intelligence can be inherited from parents and ancestors. Whether our cavemen ancestors grappled with alcoholism remains to be answered, the biomedical model of alcoholism tells us that we are not to blame for being an alcoholic, that circumstances beyond our control have led us to be addicted to alcohol. The problem with this model is that it takes away human agency or our free will, no one forced us to drink alcohol and most alcoholics would seek out the drink on their own. While it is true that as the body has built a tolerance for alcohol, the body will need more and more alcohol for it to have the desired effect, it is still within the reason and choice of the person. The Christian alcohol rehab centers focus on bringing back free will into the equation of addiction. We are responsible for our actions and it is our decision and willingness to consume alcohol that has brought us to this point. By focusing on one’s ability to decide and act on it, as a God-given grace, then we can also decide to choose to become a better person and stop consuming alcohol. Also, with Christian alcohol rehab centers, one can focus on forgiving oneself and asking forgiveness from loved ones and others who might have been hurt because of alcoholism, it brings to the forefront the belief that God forgives those who ask for forgiveness and repents. Being an alcoholic means that you have gone astray and have forgotten to pray to God and that there is nothing wrong with you, because, you can with utmost repentance go back to God and your prayers will be rewarded. The center will also have addiction counselors who will help you deal with all those guilt feelings and negative emotions without judgment and accept you wholeheartedly as you are. With a Christian alcohol rehab center, you regain your dignity as a person and your spirituality and faith, rather than being just another sad story or statistic. You can become better because you are accountable for the next chapter of your life as a recovering alcoholic.

Adam Mulligan did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.