This is true whether the diagnosed problem concerns alcohol, drugs, or the process addictions of gambling, financial disorders, or sex addiction. Of course, these addictions are often complicated even more by poly addiction, addiction interaction, and comorbidity with a plethora of accompanying mental health or mental illness conditions or diagnoses.
The mental health, mental illness, and addiction landscape is littered with individuals and their families under stress, financial impact, chronic fear, and concern about what the future holds with this bondage to out-of-control behavior. Those of us working on the battlefront of addictions and compulsions must continue to “curse the darkness” and “light a candle” every day for those experiencing bondage and not walking in the freedom and abundant life promised by God and His Word. And, yes, the fields of medicine, therapy, psychology, and solid addiction treatment professionals offer a path from these bondages to true freedom.
I encourage and remind those I work with in therapy and coaching who are battling strongholds, compulsions, and addictions of the following: “We have more help and hope than you have problems.” In Christian counseling, we are privileged, called to, and must be equipped to always present a biblical foundation of addictions and, yes, even addiction treatment.
Genesis chapter three is always a good place to start. Man and woman shifted traumatically from being “naked and unashamed” to “naked and ashamed.” When they made a volitional choice to take matters into their own hands, their eyes were immediately opened to see this world’s shocking vulnerability. So, they made a futile attempt to hide from each other and God. Grabbing fig leaves to try to cover their perceived inadequacies, anxiety, and fear, these original humans set in motion generations of people taking desperate measures to do whatever it takes to numb the pain, confusion, and realities of living in this fallen world.
Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV) appropriately describes addictions this way: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” This passage is a vivid picture of the lives of people I have counseled struggling with various addictions and compulsions. While these addictions are indeed “muddy waters” from broken cisterns, they are at least available and accessible on demand whenever an addict wants to escape reality. We live in such an “on-demand” world today that our brains continue to be wired to abandon all patience and emotional sobriety. To escape, we scroll on social media, use search engines, and demand from people, places, and things what we think we are entitled to by insisting that we obtain it immediately!
The brain’s reward center has been taken hostage—the prefrontal cortex is offline as the brain continues to be rewired, making stopping the use of addictive agents seem nearly impossible. We have become a nation of dopamine addicts, which has impacted our relationships with God. I often tell people I counsel that “G-O-D does not stand for ‘God-On-Demand!’”
When it comes to addiction treatment, detoxification is foundational. Indeed, proper detox, or the lack thereof, can be a matter of life or death. Detox is necessary to help clean the body from the chemicals the addict has used, whether alcohol or drugs. A medically supervised detox aims to help the alcoholic or addict safely go through withdrawal symptoms from these agents. These withdrawal symptoms may be mild or can be severe. Assessing the data regarding which drug of choice was used, how much of it was used, the method of usage, and the length of usage are critical factors in a medically supervised detox. One of the “life or death” issues surrounding detox is the fallacy of alcoholics or drug addicts who try to stop taking their drugs of choice by “going cold turkey.” These attempts can produce delirium tremens (DTs) for alcoholics and be fatal if not treated appropriately with medical supervision and care.
After appropriate medical detox, alcoholics or addicts will begin experiencing parts of their brains recovering. Again, each detox, concerning the type, amount, and frequency of usage, will have variances in the time of recovery and restoration of brain and body health and sobriety.
During the period of stabilization in alcohol and drug treatment, a steady state, or homeostasis, will involve emotional, physical, medical, mental, and spiritual components. The individual will typically attend 12-step meetings (or the like), group therapy sessions, and individual therapy. Ongoing psychoeducation about addictions, recovery, and a new life post-treatment is central to recovery. Examining the history of addictions in their family of origin, the impact of trauma in childhood, and the etiology of addiction in their own lives are central to recovery. The ongoing medical condition of the alcoholic or drug addict, and any comorbidity with mental health or mental illness, will be continually assessed and treated.
This persistent continuum of care is an absolute must for anyone coming out of treatment for alcohol, drugs, or any process addictions. Nehemiah chapter three is all about having people next to you as you are rebuilding “the walls” of your life. In this epic biblical narrative, we see the words, “Next to him,” repeated over and over again. In life, we are wounded from toxic relationships—often acting out in our addictions or becoming isolated—and then need to be healed and recover with healthy, supportive interactions and connections.
Ongoing individual therapy, group therapy, and 12-step or Celebrate Recovery meetings are a must for recovery. The Bible instructs us in 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV): “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Those walking a solid recovery path need to continue working on all levels of sobriety. Emotional, physical, medical, and spiritual sobriety are all facets of a successful recovery plan. Stopping the use of alcohol or drugs is crucial, but living an overall healthy lifestyle increases the likelihood of ongoing sobriety and recovery success significantly.
I regularly recommend 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV) to those I am working with in counseling, whether they struggle with addictions or not. The Apostle Paul gives us one of the more powerful resources and counsel for dealing with any strongholds in our lives. Paul challenges, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Let’s go help set some captives free!
Jim Cress, M.A., LPC, CSAT, CPTT, CMAT, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, and Certified Multiple Addictions Therapist. He is a group leader for Onsite Workshops near Nashville, a national conference speaker with the American Association of Christian Counselors, and a 34-year veteran broadcaster. Jim cohosts the “Therapy & Theology Podcast.”
