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The Impact of Community and Fellowship on Addiction Recovery

Addiction Industry, Alcohol and Drug Rehab

The Impact of Community and Fellowship on Addiction Recovery

By HortonJune 05, 2023No Comments

It is hard to overstate how tough recovery from alcohol or drug addiction can be. Addicts are not the only ones struggling. Their family members and friends also feel the impact of addiction recovery.

Carrying that burden alone makes it even harder to succeed in the journey to recovery. Seeking a recovery program grounded in a community can help alcoholics and their loved ones tackle the challenges of recovery and pave the way toward long-term sobriety. Here is a closer look at how community and fellowship can help.

Sustain Positive Behavior Changes

Each person’s journey to recovery is different, but there are some critical steps that many will have in common. The first step is often the hardest: admitting that you need help and can’t go it alone. The next step is selecting the right addiction recovery program for you.

Choosing a program that is fundamentally based on the Word of God not only allows participants to overcome their addiction. Programs like S2L Recovery’s Christian addiction recovery also provide access to a supportive community. As a recovering addict, you will be surrounded by people who are not only kind, but they understand what you are going through.

Based on that understanding and God’s guidance, the S2L community can lend strength when addicts need it most. One of those times when strength is needed is when the going gets tough. Recovering from addiction isn’t a smooth process. Most recovering addicts will go through days when they feel hopeless and alone. Returning to their addiction may seem like the easiest solution at those times.

However, being surrounded by a caring community and enjoying the fellowship of kindred souls can prevent relapse and bring recovering addicts back from the brink.

Prayer Provides Guidance

Recovering from alcohol and drug abuse gives addicts a chance to turn their lives around. Saying that, making such a big change is not without its challenges.

For many addicts and their families, recovery involves changing a lifestyle they have become accustomed to, for better or worse. Addicts and their loved ones need to replace old habits with new ones and learn to transform destructive thoughts and actions into positive behaviors.

That may sound easy, but it is a mammoth task in reality. Where do you start? Are there specific steps? And how can you overcome obstacles on your path to a new life of happiness and fulfillment? Prayer allows you to ask God for guidance. Through prayer, addicts and their families create a direct connection and receive answers to their questions.

Aside from this invaluable connection, there are other benefits, too. Prayer can help reduce strong emotions like anger, aggression, or even anxiety and depression. Those emotions are common, especially during the early stages of recovery or when the going gets tough. Big adjustments are never easy, and all of us need guidance and support from time to time. Prayer allows you to ask God to transform your weakness into strength. Don’t underestimate its power.

Faith-Based Recovery

Every addict’s journey to recovery is different. However, all addicts struggle with tough episodes and dark days during their journey. Being in a supportive environment focused on nurturing community and fellowship will help surmount these obstacles, allowing addicts to continue their journey.

Asking God for guidance through prayer is another important element of addiction recovery, and you couldn’t wish for better guidance. Remember, God knows your strengths and weaknesses, and only he has the power to help change one to the other.

To learn more about faith-based addiction recovery, contact our team today.

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.

 

Top Reasons to Consider Checking Into Drug & Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol and Drug Rehab

Top Reasons to Consider Checking Into Drug & Alcohol Rehab

By HortonDecember 05, 2022No Comments

Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction is hard work. Healing and becoming truly rehabilitated requires ongoing effort, and this constant need to work may feel challenging at times – but you don’t have to do it alone. One of the greatest benefits of checking into a drug and alcohol program is immediate access to support and expertise when you need it most.

The Detox Process

The detox process is the beginning of many rehab programs. Why do addicts need to detox? When you become addicted to alcohol or drugs your body starts to rely on having these chemicals in your system, even if they are detrimental to your health and well-being.

Once you stop using, your brain reacts to the lower level or complete lack of the chemicals it has become used to. The results vary, but some of these withdrawal symptoms can be severe, both physically and mentally.

At S2L Recovery, we ensure that you’re not alone when you’re going through detox. At the same time, we introduce the healing words of God into our program right from the start. This is what sets our detox process apart from traditional approaches.

Therapy Options

Choosing to check into a professional alcohol and drug rehab center gives you access to a choice of professional therapy options. Most rehabilitation centers offer individual, behavioral, and family-based treatment options throughout your rehab program. Of course, it is possible to combine them. Many people benefit from combining individual therapy sessions with family sessions.

This combined approach allows you to spend the time you need to work on your own recovery, whilst also allowing your loved ones into the process. Having a supportive, knowledgeable environment when you’re healing from addiction can greatly contribute to your success. That is why including family members and other loved ones is often very productive.

When someone becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, they often develop detrimental behaviors. Recognizing those and replacing them with more positive alternatives is part of behavioral therapy. The S2L team also places a high value on including spirituality and faith in your treatment.

Aftercare Planning

Recovery from addiction does not end when you leave the premises. In fact, for many (former) addicts, recovery remains a life-long task. That is why we believe you deserve more than a traditional 12-step program.

Our approach is founded on a deeply held belief that most addictions stem from a desire to escape something challenging in your life. However, finding lasting happiness and fulfillment requires more than a temporary escape route. The teachings of Christ offer you an entirely new perspective of the future. They highlight lifelong opportunities and infinite chances to grow within a supportive community. We believe that anchoring your recovery in this environment is the key to a freeing and promising life after rehab.

By embracing this approach, you take your support system with you even after you leave our center and benefit from access to community-based church fellowship.

Rehab Can Save Your Life

Rehab can save your life. This may sound like a big claim, but as the number of deaths from drug overdoses in the United States continues to grow, it is certainly true. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2021. This number represents an increase of almost 15% from the previous year.

You or your loved ones don’t need to become another statistic. Entering rehab sets you on a path to recovery in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. We also recognize how destructive addiction can be for your relationships. Committing to an effective rehab program is a great way to start repairing those damaged connections and creating new ones.

Consider a Faith-Based Rehab Program

A faith-based rehab program allows you to set your sights firmly on the future. Rather than focusing on behavior modification alone, we emphasize growth principles. The difference is critical – rather than finding another escape route, our system offers you something bigger to become an integral part of.

You gain a community that is there for you when you need support. More importantly, though, you root your recovery in the word of God, guiding your sobriety in eternity. It’s a powerful foundation for lifelong recovery. Contact us today to learn more.

Avoiding Relapse During the Holidays

Things to Remember as You Navigate the Holidays While in Recovery

Alcohol and Drug Rehab

Things to Remember as You Navigate the Holidays While in Recovery

By HortonNovember 05, 2022No Comments

With the holidays just a few weeks away, many of us are looking forward to spending time with family and friends. But if you’re recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, the next few weeks can be some of the most challenging of the year. Here is how to tackle the holiday season without jeopardizing your sobriety.

Try to Identify your Triggers

Triggers for alcohol and substance abuse vary widely from person to person, but many of them are amplified during the holidays. First and foremost, celebrations and family gatherings are joyful occasions. At the same time, they disrupt your routine. For many people who are recovering from drug addiction, maintaining a daily routine is critical to successful recovery. If you can’t maintain your regular schedule, try to make time for elements of your routine that help you through the day.

Stress is another common trigger of relapse, and it may seem strange to think of stress during the holidays. However, managing large family gatherings, organizing last-minute presents, and cooking meals for dozens of people would increase anyone’s stress levels. If stress is one of your triggers, try to make time to relax and plan time to de-stress.

Build Strategies for Managing Social Situations

Social situations should be a source of fun and enjoyment. During the holidays, however, many involve alcohol. If you’re recovering from alcohol or other substance abuse, that is tricky, and you need to prepare a strategy to avoid relapsing.

One approach would be to let people know you are in recovery and therefore not drinking. If you are not ready to do this, volunteering to drive friends and family could work, too. It’s a great reason to ask for a glass of water instead of a glass of wine.

Make a Plan for Saying ‘No’ to Alcohol

How do you say ‘no’ to alcohol? For starters, it’s important to understand that nearly 40 million Americans suffer from a substance abuse disorder. That means you’re unlikely to be the only person in the room thinking the same thoughts.

There are plenty of reasons to say ‘no’ to alcohol: health conditions unrelated to recovery, lifestyle changes, and your plans for tomorrow that you don’t want to jeopardize are all valid reasons to stay sober.

Bring a Friend

Staying away from alcohol and drugs during the holidays is easier when you’re not alone. If you’re worried about your resolve, invite a friend to social occasions that may involve drinking. Your friend stays sober with you and can help steer conversations away from why you may or may not want to drink.

Create an Exit Strategy

Let’s be honest, many parties have a point of no return. If you leave before that time, you keep your recovery intact and get to enjoy the next day. If you stay when the party goes out of control, the consequences could be dire. For anyone in recovery, suffering a hangover is only the beginning of a long road back.

Plan ahead and decide on a time when you want to leave a party and think about how to say your goodbyes. Make sure you know how you’ll get home and stick to your plan. You can even let people know ahead of time that you need to leave at a specific time.

Look Up Meetings in Your Area

No one needs to go through recovery alone. Remember that whenever things seem to get too hard and you’re in danger of relapsing you can always get help at a local meeting.

Look up meetings in your area and keep a schedule on your fridge or on your phone. By doing that, you will have easy access to the support you need when you need it. Sometimes, even the best preparation and well-thought-out strategy are not enough. That doesn’t make you weak or a failure, it simply means that right now, you need more support.

If that’s happened to you, consider joining a residential recovery program. Residential recovery means having access to support 24/7 in a supportive, positive, faith-based environment. 

Contact S2L Recovery today if you or someone you love needs that kind of help right now.

The Opioid Crisis: Fentanyl

Alcohol and Drug Rehab

The Opioid Crisis: Fentanyl

By HortonOctober 08, 2022No Comments

Across the United States, the growing opioid crisis continues to make headlines. Fentanyl is one of the drugs that is putting Americans in danger. Although this drug is extremely potent and highly addictive, recovery from addiction is possible with the right support.

What is Fentanyl?

First and foremost, fentanyl is a painkiller. It is a synthetic opioid prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain. One of its main applications is the management of advanced-stage cancer pain. Cancer sufferers use fentanyl patches where the painkiller is absorbed through the skin or lozenges.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl can be 50 or even 100 times stronger than morphine. The drug’s effect has been described as similar to heroin. Whilst medical fentanyl can be diverted from legal uses for misuse and abuse, the majority of overdoses and deaths across the United States are connected to illegally manufactured versions of the drug.

When drugs like fentanyl are sold through illegal markets, the potential for abuse and overdosing becomes greater. Fentanyl users are also in danger of buying drugs that have been mixed with other substances, such as cocaine and heroin. Drug dealers would do this to increase the euphoric effects of fentanyl, but without the user’s knowledge, it can make this drug even more dangerous.

What is the Opioid Crisis?

Across the U.S., the number of overdoses and deaths caused by synthetic opioids has been growing at an alarming rate. In 2020 alone, more than 56,000 deaths were linked to synthetic opioids. Perhaps more alarmingly, death rates rose by more than 56% between 2019 and 2020. By 2021, the number of deaths had grown to more than 70,000.

This significant increase has been linked to the coronavirus pandemic, but the opioid crisis started before 2020. Data shows that the number of deaths from synthetic opioid overdoses increased 18 times between 2013 and 2020.

Fentanyl is not the only synthetic opioid available on the illegal drug market. However, information from law enforcement shows that it is the driver behind the increase in overdoses and deaths. Data also confirms that fentanyl-involved overdose deaths are more often linked to illegally manufactured drugs than to prescribed, pharmaceutical fentanyl.

The fentanyl crisis is exacerbated further by so-called fentanyl analogs. Those are versions of fentanyl that can be stronger or weaker than the original drug. To date, Carfentanil has been the most potent fentanyl analog detected here in America. Experts estimate that it is 10,000 times stronger than morphine.

How has it Affected People?

Fentanyl has become a threat to the health, safety, and national security of Americans, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA acknowledged the severity of the crisis earlier in 2022 by launching its first-ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day in May.

The administration states that drug dealers are not only using combinations with other drugs to increase addiction and turn users into addicts and repeat buyers. In addition, criminals are targeting younger people with the help of brightly-colored fentanyl pills.

Authorities have seized so-called “rainbow fentanyl” in more than 50% of American states. Experts believe that the bright colors make the drug look like candy, potentially making it more attractive to children and teenagers.

Fentanyl use is devastating to users and their families. In fact, drug overdoses have become the number one killer of American adults between the age of 18 and 45.

How Has the Crisis Evolved?

America’s opioid epidemic can be traced back to the late 1990s. At that time, pharmaceutical companies told doctors and healthcare providers that patients would not grow addicted to these medications.

Over the following years, patients and their doctors discovered that this was untrue. At the same time, increasing prescriptions became the gateway for misuse. By 2017, the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency. Still, the number of deaths continues to grow.

Faith Based Recovery 

Dealing with addiction and substance abuse is extremely difficult for addicts as well as their families and friends. Recovery can be hard work, but with the right support, people can go on to recover their health and lead a full life. Choosing a faith-based recovery program can help you break free from addiction.

Contact S2L Recovery today!

five-reasons-to-choose-a-faith-based-rehab-program_s2l-recovery_nashville-tn

Five Reasons to Choose A Faith-Based Rehab Program

Alcohol and Drug Rehab

Five Reasons to Choose A Faith-Based Rehab Program

By HortonJuly 20, 2021No Comments

If you or a loved one suffers from drug or alcohol addiction, it can be intimidating to decide upon a course of action. When looking into treatment, individuals and families are left with a difficult question – “Which treatment option would be the most beneficial?” If you or a loved one are seeking treatment, it’s important to weigh all available options.

Many different approaches to recovery are likely to be effective. However, there are teachings central to secular addiction recovery that can hinder one from healing. Incorporating Christian principles into your recovery will not only help you heal from your addiction; these Christian principles will give you newfound direction and purpose in life.

Here are five reasons to choose a Faith-based Christian recovery program:

  1. Freedom through Christ
  2. Heal Inwardly and Outwardly
  3. Rediscover Yourself
  4. Find Hope
  5. Support After Treatment

Find Freedom through Christ

Secular treatment facilities teach service recipients (SR’s) about the scientific and psychological components of addiction, but do not directly address its spiritual nature. The methodology of medical addiction recovery often leaves patients feeling hopeless, as if they have no chance of redemption. Secular treatment facilities teach SR’s that addicts have a life long disease for which the only hope is remission. This “disease” is supposedly so powerful that it will pervade the way a recovering person thinks for the duration of their lives. Additionally, those who struggle to stay sober, especially after prior attempts to recover, are subtly taught to see themselves as defective.

Graduates of secular treatment facilities are strongly encouraged to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Here is an excerpt from The Big Book, the foundational text of Alcoholics

Anonymous:

“Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. They are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty.”

At S2L Recovery, we do not believe that people who struggle with addiction are defective. Instead, we believe in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that every person is made in the image of God, including those struggling with addiction. Instead of a life of pursuing mere sobriety, a life centered around faith gives believers the gift of a calling and purpose. A Christ-centered life doesn’t bring about mere remission, it brings about thriving transformation.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36, ESV)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2, ESV)

Visit S2L Recovery to learn more about how a Christian treatment program can help set you free. 

Heal Inwardly and Outwardly

Coupled with effort and dedication, a faith-based alcohol and drug treatment program can help heal your inner wounds. Issues at the heart of addiction must be addressed in order to achieve long-term recovery. With the help of a Christian drug and alcohol treatment program, this can be accomplished. With counseling sessions in both group and one-on-one settings, SR’s at S2L Recovery are provided with opportunities to address the issues that led to their addictive behaviors. S2L Recovery also has a full medical team, allowing SR’s to receive medical treatment when needed.

We also value physical fitness at S2L Recovery. Our SR’s are able to exercise at a local gym several times a week. Our campuses have weight sets, as well as sizeable properties that are suitable for running or hiking. Entering a Christian-based alcohol and drug rehabilitation center is a surefire way to heal, inwardly as well as outwardly.

Rediscover Yourself

Spiritual beliefs are likely central to your worldview. Faith gives us a clearer perception of ourselves, the world, and its origins. Our opinions and interpretations of the people and circumstances we encounter every day can be positively altered through the view of Christ.
For those suffering from addiction, it is common for faith and hope to be supplanted by cynicism and doubt. At S2L Recovery, countless SR’s have experienced healing and freedom from addiction and past traumas.

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

Find Hope

Through Christ, anything is possible. For those suffering from addiction, hope can be the difference between maintaining sobriety and giving up. Achieving short-term goals will give you the hope that you need in order to bring long-term goals to fruition.

The hope of the Gospel is at the heart of everything we teach in our faith-based Christian treatment program. The aim of any treatment program is to imbue its patients with hope, but only faith can give a person true, unwavering hope that can withstand any test or trial.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, NIV)

Support After Treatment

Essential to any recovery program, a SR should have full support throughout their treatment. But what happens after the program is complete? Does the standard treatment center offer support to the SR’s for the rest of their life? Usually not. Unfortunately, the support offered by secular treatment programs usually ends when a patient completes the program. Faith-based Christian rehab programs offer their SR’s more than lessons about how to maintain sobriety – these programs provide lessons about the Word of God that will follow them throughout their lives, proving to be useful in every circumstance.

After graduation, godly fellowship is essential for continuing sobriety. During your time in treatment, our recovery coaches will help you determine your next steps, taking great care to set you up for success after completing the program. S2L Recovery has an extensive network of alumni spread across the country as well as intimate involvement with several churches. Staff members and counselors are always available to you via phone or text, happy to assist however they can. At S2L Recovery, you will establish genuine lifelong relationships!

Discover options for Christian addiction treatment and addiction recovery curriculum at S2L Recovery.

A New Life Is Possible

Addiction can take over your life, but you can take life back. A relationship with Christ can be the difference between stumbling blindly through life and following a direct path toward the life God created you to live. You can break free from the chains of addiction!

Contact S2L Recovery today!