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Group of men listening to an explanation of S2L Recovery's Christian addiction recovery curriculum

How to Host a Faith-Based Intervention

Addiction Industry, Alcohol and Drug Rehab, News, Recovery

How to Host a Faith-Based Intervention

By HortonFebruary 27, 2023No Comments

Watching a family member or a loved one struggle with addiction can be tough. For many people, it is hard to know when to get involved and how to bring your loved ones back to their faith and start them on their journey of recovery. A faith-based intervention is often the first step. Here is how to go about hosting one and the key information you should know. 

What is an Intervention?

Living with someone addicted to drugs or alcohol is challenging every single day. Many family members and loved ones find it hard to get through to the person and convince them to choose a different path. That is when an intervention can help. 

An intervention is a carefully planned, structured event that allows family members and friends to offer the person they are concerned about an opportunity to make changes. Most interventions are planned together with a medical professional or a licensed substance abuse counselor. Others are conducted under the guidance of a professional interventionist. 

Interventions involve confronting your loved one about their addiction and showing them a way toward seeking help.

Why is a Faith-Based Intervention Different?

Rather than being led by medical professionals or secular counselors, faith-based interventions are guided by a member of your faith and put the Word of God at the heart of the proceedings. 

During the intervention, family members, friends, and spiritual advisors will confront your loved one with the consequences of their addiction. They will give specific examples of how the addictive and destructive behavior has hurt the family and others in the person’s environment. 

The goal of a faith-based intervention is to convince the addict to accept help by committing to a recovery program. Interventions also show the person at the center what each family member will do if they do not agree to seek help. 

How Can I Prepare for a Faith-Based Intervention?

Start by seeking help from a spiritual counselor or a faith-based recovery program such as S2LRecovery. Our team is deeply experienced in handling difficult situations, and we’re here to help you help your loved ones. 

Preparing an intervention usually involves several steps:

  • Plan the intervention together with a spiritual advisor. This will help you navigate emotional situations without letting things spiral out of control.

  • Get together an intervention team. This could be family members but also others who can help keep the discussion focused on addiction and faith-based recovery. Make notes of what you want to say, and don’t be afraid to rehearse your speech. In fact, it is important to stick to constructive language during the meeting.

  • Decide on the solution you want to offer the person struggling with addiction.

  • Decide on realistic, actionable consequences in case your friend or family member refuses the offer of help. Stand firm on these consequences. 

What Happens After the Intervention? 

Ideally, the intervention ends with a firm commitment to enter a recovery program or seek structured help in another way. Even with this commitment in place, the intervention team should make a plan to follow up on the actual intervention meeting. 

Check if your loved one has made arrangements to enter into rehabilitation and set deadlines. You may also need to consider making changes around the home to make destructive behaviors harder and putting in place some form of recovery support.

Remember, recovery doesn’t end when a person leaves a facility. They are in a better place now, but they will still need love and spiritual support to stay on their new path. 

Where Can I Get More Information? 

Not all approaches to drug and alcohol rehabilitation are the same. Whilst the 12-step program certainly has its place, we found that putting the Word of God at the center of our approach has been tremendously successful. 

Leaning on a hopeful future and a community-based model for immediate aftercare has helped us change addicts’ lives. If that sounds like an approach that could work for your loved one, contact our team today. We’re here to help you from the moment you decide to organize a faith-based intervention all the way through to solid aftercare.

 

Signs of Drug Use

Addiction Industry

Signs of Drug Use

By HortonJanuary 08, 2023No Comments

Drug abuse may start slowly, but it is hard to conceal from family members and friends for long. The sooner an addict receives the help they need, the simpler their journey back to health and a meaningful life will be. Here is a short guide to recognizing the signs and symptoms of drug use. 

How to Recognize Signs of Drug Use

The impact of drug abuse on the life of addicts and their loved ones is dramatic. Whether a person is abusing alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs, their addiction can rarely stay hidden for long. 

Family members and friends will notice changes in behavior, but there will also be physical signs. Although signs and symptoms vary, many have one thing in common. They point toward a lack of control by the addict. 

Common Signs of Drug Use

If you believe a family member, friend, or loved one may be suffering from drug abuse but are unsure, look out for these signs. The longer the abuse persists, the more noticeable the signs will become as the drug becomes more important than anything else in the addict’s life.

Physical Signs

Physical signs of drug abuse can vary widely, but one of the most obvious places where drug abuse shows are a person’s eyes. Drug addicts often have bloodshot eyes and their pupils may appear enlarged or very small. 

A generally unkempt look is another tell-tale sign of drug abuse, especially when it’s accompanied by unusual odors on the body itself or the person’s breath. Uncoordinated movements are another sign of potential drug abuse. 

You may also notice sudden weight changes, such as weight gain or unexplained weight loss. Many drug addicts start focusing on their need for drugs entirely, neglecting other physical functions of their bodies. 

Behavioral Signs

When it comes to behavioral signs of drug abuse, you are mainly looking for sudden, unexplained changes. Addicts may suddenly have different friends or spend their time in places they did not frequent before, for example. 

They may also be more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors. Think about a person’s driving style -are they suddenly prone to reckless maneuvers? And what about their responsibilities at college, at work, or at home? As the need for the drug becomes more important than anything else, normal duties may take second place. 

Risk-taking behaviors could also include having unprotected sex, getting into legal trouble, and even getting arrested. If behaviors like those are starting to happen more regularly, your friend or family member may need help. 

Psychological Signs

The third group of signs to look out for is signs related to psychological changes. Is your friend or family member becoming more irritable or more anxious than normal? Are they suddenly inattentive to your needs or displaying a general lack of motivation even in relation to activities they used to love? All these could be signs pointing toward drug use and abuse. 

Look out for unexplained changes in someone’s personality or in their attitude toward others. Drug addicts may try to withdraw emotionally and mentally from others, giving you the feeling that you are not getting through to them. Others display sudden mood swings that may leave their loved ones puzzling over what caused the change. 

When to Seek Help

When normal drug use, for example taking prescription drugs to deal with an illness, turns into drug abuse, the consequences can be devastating. These consequences will not only affect the addict. They have the potential to break down their entire family in the process. 

If you feel that this is happening to you, a family member, or a close friend, it is time to seek professional help. At S2L Recovery, we take a unique approach to rehabilitation. The word of God is at the center of our addiction recovery program for adult male addicts. 

We believe that our approach can show someone recovering from addiction their true value as God sees them, allowing them to find peace and rest.

Contact us today if you believe that our approach could help you or someone close to you.

Why a Christian Curriculum Is The Most Effective Way to Beat Addiction

Addiction Industry, News

Why a Christian Curriculum Is The Most Effective Way to Beat Addiction

By HortonSeptember 27, 2022No Comments

Traditional 12-Step addiction recovery programs have been around for decades, so what is different about a Christian addiction recovery program? Is it more effective than traditional recovery programs?

A 2019 study reviewed the importance of faith in an individual’s recovery from substance abuse, and the findings spoke for themselves. In the conclusion, the study said “religion and religious participation can address the many issues that lead people to alcohol and/or drug dependency that medical interventions alone can fail to address.” What’s more, the study determined that those who relied on their faith in God actually healed faster.

Why might this be?

Treating the Whole Person

When you think about addiction, it is easy to focus on the physical, mental, and emotional toll it takes on the person. But what about spiritually? A Christian addiction recovery program recognizes our addictions as a spiritual yearning, a yearning for something more than we can find or fill within ourselves.

Just like traditional rehabs or recovery programs, a Christian recovery program addresses the physical, mental, and emotional health of the addicted person. But it doesn’t stop there! Treating the whole person, and the true root of their suffering, includes assessing their spiritual need and its link to the addiction.  

“For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” ~1 John 2:16-17 (ESV)

Identity = Who God Says You Are

Rather than identify as addicts, a Christian recovery program encourages identifying ourselves by what the Bible says about us and how God sees us. Instead of focusing on our addict-like behaviors, we recognize that we are inherently individuals struggling to find fulfillment and belonging, and it is only God who can give us what we seek.

In the same way, we believe true healing comes from hearing and understanding the truths of the Bible: How God is the only true source of life, and that He loves us and wants us to know Him. As a result, we surrender ourselves to be molded and shaped into the person God says we already are in His eyes – blameless and a new creation.

Focus & Hope Found in Christ

A Christian curriculum also focuses on the future, including building a new foundation for how we see the world. In traditional 12-Step programs, the focus is often holding fast to the group’s traditions and subjective truths.

For example, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is known as a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they might solve their common problems. A Christian curriculum, on the other hand, depends on the belief in the Gospel of Christ and God’s supernatural work in our lives despite our best efforts.

“Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory …” ~Ephesians 3:17b-20 (BSB)

Our team at S2L Recovery understands the seriousness of taking the first step toward recovery. We also know each person recovers from their addiction in a personalized, unique way. Our approach is from a foundational faith-based framework, but our addiction recovery program is not exclusive to Christians; we welcome anyone. Learn more today.

How to Talk to Someone You Love About Their Addiction

Addiction Industry, News

How to Talk to Someone You Love About Their Addiction

By HortonJuly 27, 2022No Comments

According to Pew Research Center, 46% of Americans have a family member or friend who has a current or past drug addiction (2017). To illustrate how big that number is, the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration found that the estimated number of Americans with an illicit drug disorder totalled 7.4 million people. This number does not even include those battling alcoholism.

As devastating as addiction is to the mind, body, and spirit of the person who is using the drug, it also affects everyone around the person. Parents blame themselves. Spouses wrestle with heartbreak. Children suffer from neglect. Friends watch someone close to them waste away.

If you are the friend or loved one of someone who is struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, you have likely suffered in silence for years:

  • Worried about their condition, and equally worried if you don’t talk to them about it.
  • Afraid of how they will react if you bring it up with them.
  • Unsure, in general, about what you should do or if there is any hope.

Offering support and love to your addicted loved one is not easy, but it can be a crucial part of their healing journey. But how do you get to that point? How do you even talk to them about their addiction?

S2L Recovery is a Christian addiction recovery center for alcohol and drugs in Middle Tennessee. Learn more. 

Start With Love

When you talk to your loved one, do you want them to hear your judgment, anger, or disappointment? As valid as these feelings are, you want to be careful about how your loved one might perceive them.

Before you ever approach your loved one, look inside yourself – past the hurt, the anger, the worry – and remind yourself of the primary motivation for talking to them: You love and care for them. Setting the tone of your conversation will begin with this self-inventory.

Your mindset can help you think through not only what you want to say, but also how you want to say it. You want your words, body language, and even what you don’t say to communicate love.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” ~1 Cor. 13:4-8a (ESV)

Be Honest

The truth about love is that it is often painful. Your love for someone in and of itself does not change them; they are their own person, and they are responsible for their own choices. Even the Lord, who is a Good Father, knows the grief of loving people – who He calls wayward children – who run from Him:

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk … but they did not realize it was I who healed them.” ~Hosea 11:1-3 (NIV)

You can be honest with your loved one about your concerns. But avoid talking about their past; rather, talk about what you want for their future. Share that you want the best for them – their physical health, their relationships, their life’s dreams.

Offer Support, Set Boundaries

Communicating your continued support can also be a point you strive to make in the conversation with your loved one. At the same time, this conversation might be a much-needed opportunity to establish stronger boundaries in your relationship with them. 

In fact, Scripture encourages those who live by the Spirit to “restore a person gently” by speaking truth to them in love. What’s more, it says we are responsible for our own actions:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. … Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life.” ~Galatians 6:2-5, 8 (NIV)

If you are weary emotionally, or even financially, from the ways you’ve supported and possibly enabled your loved one in the past – whether they be your spouse, parent, child, or friend – you do not have to feel guilty about protecting your own physical, emotional, and mental health from their choices.

Learn more on how Christian-based recovery programs hold a success rate 6 times higher than a routine 12-step program.

Addictions, Recovery, and Faith

Addiction Industry, Recovery

Addictions, Recovery, and Faith

By HortonOctober 29, 2018No Comments

Right now, our country is facing unprecedented circumstances with ever-rising rates of overdoses. The number of opioid overdoses from 2017 is estimated over 72 thousand. This does not take into account overdoses from alcohol, other narcotics, and deaths from drug-related crimes. It stands to reason that this crisis needs to be addressed. Instead of getting caught up in semantics, consider an even more pressing matter than what to call the current predicament, and that is how do we deal with this harmful epidemic, successfully?

Currently, the national standard for someone struggling with an addiction is a referral to a 12-step program. A program that touts a mere 10-12% success rate. In comparison, Christ-based programs using the same criterion hold a much higher rate of success with approximately 60%. This is such an interesting paradox. In a country where less and less of the population identify themselves as Christian, it is that same Christ-centered doctrine, the Gospel of Jesus, that is saving so many from the bondage of drugs and alcohol.

While the difference in success rates could be argument enough, let’s delve further into why those statistics are so drastically different. I would posit to you that in a 12-step program the definitions along the path to recovery become vague and blurry. For example, you will forever identify as an addict. With that you choose your own higher power, then you make your own moral inventory according to whichever moral standard you choose. Now compare this to Christianity. In faith, God gives a clear, moral code through His infallible word that is the same for all of us. It creates a much clearer path for us in our recovery.

S2L Recovery Helping Heal Addicts

A recent survey found that a year after having completed the S2L Recovery program in Middle Tennessee, 60% of alumni are sober. This high success rate is due in large part to the curriculum used. Lost and Found – Recovery in Christ expounds on the love God has for all of his creation. This curriculum teaches us through our faith in Jesus Christ, who was the perfect atoning sacrifice for all of humanity’s sins, we can find peace. Through surrendering all we thought we knew to be true, we can heal from any detrimental addiction thanks to the light of the Lord.

According to Peter 1:5, 6, this new-found peace is maintained by adding goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, affection and love to our faith. This is the core and heart of S2L Recovery, and it provides the broken and desperate with an entirely new perspective on life. This perspective teaches the individual to stop identifying as an addict, to discard the old self, and identify as a child of God.

In a new identity with Christ love becomes our peak intellectual and ethical alignment. S2L Recovery, along with numerous faith-based recovery centers go beyond just providing an avenue to be free of drugs and alcohol. They provide a way of life that when adhered to allows us to leave the shame of our past lives as far as the east is from the west. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, please reach out to us and begin the path to recovery.

It’s Time for an Intervention–Be Prepared – Part 2

Addiction Industry, Recovery

It’s Time for an Intervention–Be Prepared – Part 2

By Katelyn ComerFebruary 26, 2018No Comments

An Intervention: What to do After the Plan has Been Set

We have discussed how to begin the preparation process for a formal intervention, noting the importance of what an intervention should encompass and entail. An intervention is an intentional time to sit down with someone we love and express love and concern. For many addicts, their intervention is a precious memory of something hard, but also something that put them on the path to change, on the path to recovery. There are so many factors that go into having a healthy intervention day.

The Day of the Intervention

Now that you have versed yourself on the preliminary necessities, it’s time for the day you’ve been strategizing for. You have the 3-8 people who love your loved one and want to genuinely help guide them through their addiction recovery. As a group, you have learned all you can about the addiction, and about how to help without enabling. You have prayed, shared and made plans of action. Everyone has agreed to the ground rules and now it’s time to do this thing.

Come up with a creative way to get your loved one to the intervention. Very few people with painful addictions will show up if they anticipate what is going on. Plan a family dinner, a game night, small party, or another engaging event. Have someone designated to pick up your loved one or to ensure that they come to the intervention. Have a planned start time, plan out where each person will sit, and have every single, meticulous detail worked out before your addicted loved one arrives. Place people of high influence closest to your loved one. (Side note: one of our friends shared that having his daughter right beside him during his intervention made a huge impact!)

Implementing the Intervention

When your loved one starts to realize what’s going on, they may start to think, “Oh great. Here it comes.” However, the idea is to shower them with love and to show them the light of Jesus through your words and actions. The greatest thing they need to take away is that you care deeply about them and so does God. Nothing else you say or do will matter if they don’t first hear your love and the Lord’s love.

Have the designated facilitator open up and share why you all are there. Everything communicated should be said with respect. Avoid any temptation to talk down to your loved one. It’s very important that we help them maintain their dignity through this addiction recovery process. They are already telling themselves all the worst things and believing all of it too. Your goal should be to see them as Christ sees them and then to treat them that way.

Once the table has been set for the intervention, go around the circle one at a time and have each individual read their letter to the addict. No one should interrupt anyone else, and no one should speak unless it’s their turn to read their letter. As emotions rise, the temptation to jump in, defend yourself or your loved one, or to react to manipulation will be strong. You want to do your best to keep everything calm because, in a situation like dealing with addiction, the environment could easily become a jumble of emotions, reactions and non-moving tension.

Concluding the Intervention and Taking the Next Steps

At this point during the intervention process, introduce the options for getting help, and be prepared to address any excuses that your loved one may give. Remember, this is scary for them. Their addiction is their comfort zone, and leaving it behind is terrifying. Let them know who their support team is. Their own personal rallying team who will plan to come by and check on the recovering addict, clean out unhealthy items, be with them, and pray with them through this process.

Be sure to have the chosen facilitator review the consequences laid out in the letters. Make it clear what life will look like if your loved chooses to get help and what their life will look like if they choose to not pursue rehabilitation. Everyone will need to be prepared to follow through on their consequences. Having your own healthy boundaries is the most loving thing you can do to encourage your loved one to get the help they need.

By trying to love and care for them in the past, you may have been enabling their behavior for years. Change can be just as scary for us as for them. By the end of the intervention, the should facilitator collect the letters and save them for your loved one. These letters can be a great reminder down the road for your loved one as they pursue recovery to their addiction. If your loved one chooses the path to healing, it’s time to put your plans into action to get them the help they need.

Some Things to Remember After the Intervention

An intervention is simply the beginning of the journey for any recovering addict. The key to implementing a successful rehabilitation process is following through with everything said and promised. By leading a faith-based recovery path, there are many ways to embrace the word of God and continue down towards sobriety.

Once the intervention has concluded there are a few key components to keep close:

  • Don’t forget to pray – Every day, over and over. Nothing that we can do for our loved one is more powerful than prayer.
  • The intervention team should keep meeting – by continuing to be, the addicted loved one can’t manipulate anyone. It also helps keep everyone in the group accountable.
  • Continue to educate yourselves after the intervention – seek help and support for yourself. The road to recovery is long and has many moving parts. Heal yourself too.
  • Do not give your loved one money – If you have to, go buy or pay for the specific need yourself. It’s better to never financially support someone in any type of an addiction.
  • When you are enabling an addict it causes stress an anxiety in your own life – Trying to help a loved one through addiction is a daunting journey. Codependency often means that your life and well-being depends on that person’s life and well-being. Understand the harmful potency of codependency especially when dealing with addiction. While your loved one recovers you too should attend meetings, join online support groups like Refuge for Families, and/or start seeing a Christian counselor or phycologist that specializes in codependency.
  • We are children of God, made in His image and with a purpose – Most importantly remember our identities are those of God’s children. He/She/You are not your addictions, hang-ups, pasts or hurts. Getting out of denial and accepting the problem is important, but we can’t stay in the “I’m an addict, alcoholic, codependent, etc,” mentality. We have to see who God calls us to be in order to move forward and to heal.

S2L Recovery in Middle Tennessee

Our S2L Recovery community is here to fulfill our purpose in guiding those struggling with addiction through a Christian-based rehabilitation program. If you or someone you love is in need of recovery, please reach out and let us walk with you. We are here to help you through this process towards a life with God and sobriety.