Christian Based Rehab Centers in the Philippines

Christian Based Rehab Centers Play a Big Role in Overcoming Addiction

How does one overcome addiction? Can developing spiritual faith help in saving addiction victims? Should alcohol and drug rehab centers include the growth of spiritual belief in their rehab programs and treatments?

Probably since the beginning of the awareness of addiction, rehabilitation has been the best scientific method of dealing with and treating addiction cases. The approach done by rehabilitation centers has always been scientific in nature, generally employing psychological and encouraging tactics to get the person to turn away from the thing he or she is addicted with. Rehabilitation centers often incorporate the role of family members in helping addiction victims, not only in the beginning of the treatment but until the recovery phase. Family intervention is an important starter method in fighting addiction. Involvement of the whole family is a vital component during the therapy process as well as in providing constant motivation and inspiration to keep the patient continue all the things he learned throughout the rehabilitation.

It is interesting to note, however, the increase of Christian-based rehab centers in our country today. Christian rehab centers in the Philippines which are often operated by non-government organizations utilize the same programs and adhere to the same standards that most alcohol and drug treatment institutes to get accredited, but Christian rehab centers focus on something that other non-Christian rehabilitation institutes don’t – spirituality and faith.

Some may argue it to be trivial that a person’s faith and spirituality has to do something in his effort to turn away from addiction, but why is it that a large percentage of addiction cases that have been successfully rehabilitated come from Christian rehab centers in the Philippines? What is it about a person’s spirit and what he believes in that is so relevant in helping him or her break free from addiction?

No matter what religion or system of thinking a person may be from, his view of spirituality plays a very significant role in every part of his life. Most experts and psychologists agree – even atheist and agnostic intellectuals – that there is something about a person’s belief of the divine that sustains him in a way that no material resource can. And in most, if not all, cases of rehabilitation in Christian rehab centers, victims not only successfully break their addiction but also enter into healthier and more productive lives afterwards.

They even offer themselves to become volunteers and reach out for others who are suffering from dependence. In many cases, recovering-individuals-turn-volunteers greatly help a patient cope up as they are more familiar with the condition. It is easier for substance abusers to open up with someone who understands the psychological, emotional and physical dilemma and knows exactly what the patients are going through.

Developing Spiritual Faith Is Of Vital Importance in Winning the Fight Over Addiction

A person’s spiritual faith does not only give him a moral compass, but it also gives him confidence and hope that there is someone greater than him that controls everything. One of the most effective ways of getting a person to break his addiction is to give him hope that there is a better life than the one he is suffering from. Hope can boost up his morale and can motivate him to continue being positive thinker and to have an optimistic perspective towards life and the world.

One of the primary reasons why victims of addiction can’t get free is because they have this thought constantly playing in their head that tells them “You’ll never get out of this. You’ll always be an addict.” These negative outlooks oftentimes are the root causes of depression and stress, and greatly influence a person’s mind to believe that his life is in total wreck and hopeless. Having a healthy spiritual life offsets this by making the person realize that he is not under whatever he is addicted to and he has the power to say no because God gave him the ability to overcome such negativity.

There are things in life that no matter how hard you try, you just couldn't overcome it. This is why spiritual faith is so important. When you encounter problems like the ones that victims of addiction suffer from, the only thing that will keep you strong is knowing and believing that God is on your side and is making all things work together for your good.

Having a healthy spiritual life not only enables a person to have a more positive attitude in life (which helps greatly in rehabilitation), but it also strengthens his mind and emotions. Most Christian pastors would tell you that the greatest attack to a victim of addiction (or any person for that matter) is always in the mind. When you have a strong and deep relationship with God, your mind is able to think clearer, and you can overcome negative thoughts that are the usual cause of depression and addiction. Your emotional aspect will eventually become stable and stronger. If you mind is thinking clearer and your emotional aspect is stable, your actions and behavior will also become positive and responsible.

Asking for forgiveness from God can also be a starting point. Confessing your mistakes in life while you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs to a greater entity can renew your soul and lead to a fresh beginning. It can lead you to forget the pessimistic sides of your life and think of the present and future.

Finally, developing a person’s spiritual life improves his overall health and wellness. Scientists have recently discovered that a person who spends a lot of time praying and speaking in tongues (Yes! You didn't hear it wrong) have a better chance of reaching an older age and becoming successful in his endeavors than a person who doesn't. Having a strong and focused faith is one of the factors of positive thinking. And a person undergoing rehabilitation process can withstand all negative situations if he has a strong and deep relationship to God.

Do you remember one of the most significant lines that Jesus told His disciples before He went to the cross? He said, “I have overcome the world.” Developing one’s spiritual faith helps put all his effort and trust to God, who then gives him the strength to overcome any problem, even one as strong as addiction.