Monthly Archives: June 2014

Calling the Church Home During Addiction Recovery

church for addiction recoveryRecovering from addiction is one of the hardest things a person will face in their lifetime, and the last thing a recovering addict should feel is that they are alone. When battling the hardships of addiction, the church can be the best place to seek the support that is needed to resist triggers and avoid relapses. There are those who attend church regularly and those who do not, but in the midst of battling an addiction, the church can help anyone who enters its doors by giving them a strong support system, offering them a way to fill their time and by fighting the addiction with them through the power of prayer.

The professional counselors at Christian treatment centers for depression advise that reaching out to a positive support system is vital while recovering from addiction. This is because triggers and relapses will get the best of you at times, and when they do you will want to discard the lessons of your addiction treatment or self-help in order to satisfy your cravings. A support system is there to lift you up in your moments of weakness and be strong for you in the moments that you cannot be strong for yourself. The congregation of a church often calls themselves a church family because of how close and caring the relationships are. The church serves as an excellent support system that offers compassion and selflessness to those in need.

Another critical element to successfully battling addiction is to keep busy with meaningful activities. An occupied mind is much less likely to wander back to its addiction than an idle mind. A church is much more than a Sunday meeting place. It is a community center everyday of the week, with a variety of activities and ministries for all ages. A person can easily fill their schedule with church events, or simply select their favorite events to attend. Either way, they are spending time doing something communal, positive and productive instead of thinking about their addiction.

And lastly, the power of prayer is not to be underestimated. Lives are changed everyday by prayer, and it is certain that anyone you meet in church will be happy to pray for you, including individuals, groups and even the pastor of the church. If you are already a person of faith, you are aware of how powerful speaking directly to God can be. If you are not a person of faith, you should try prayer yourself or let someone else pray over you. If it is strange to you at first, you can simply think of it as speaking your mind and your hopes out loud. Over time, you will come to understand that this deeply personal ritual is one of the strongest ways God bonds with His children, and you will surely feel His presence in your life.

The Church is a Strong Support System

strong support system at churchThe Christian church is long practiced at relationship building. Even critics of the Christian church admit that it is one of the most successful community building societies in modern times. The reason for this is that the church is a relationship focused organization. The Christian belief is that God is personal and desires a relationship with us, and in following His example, we are called to form meaningful relationships with one another. Every Christian church is focused on creating community through study groups, prayer groups, social events and gatherings. One only has to immerse themselves lightly into the church community to understand how tight it is.

The foundation of Christian fellowship is its relationship focus. Christian culture, as compared to secular culture, is very feeling. On the whole, Christians are more inclined to be expressive to one another and bare their souls, so to speak, because the soul is strongly acknolwedged and celebrated in Christian beliefs. This gives relationships within the church a strong emotional connection. Christianity also preaches the value of every individual soul as God created us and loves us equally. Therefore, it is a value within the Christian church not to overlook or shun any person, but rather draw them in to be part of the group. This mentality is highly inclusive compared to other societies.

It is not uncommon to hear the phrase “church family” in reference to a church’s congregation. The idea of the church body being a type of family is not a new one. The church draws many of its relationship ideals from the example of a blood-related family. The church is also very focused on strengthening the bonds within a blood-related family. Most churches aim to offer every age group a means of forming relationships and having meaningful experiences so that every member of the family, young and old, can spend time together by attending church as a family.

Canadians residents who want to learn more about Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver or Edmonton church groups can read more at http://www.edmontonchurch.org/.

The Church Keeps You Occupied

keeping occupied at church

For those looking to fill their time and their thoughts with something worthwhile, the church is an excellent place to find activities and food for thought. The church is the best possible place to turn for people who are going through hard times for a number of reasons. Apart from the tight relationships that are formed within the church, it is also a busy, vibrant place that almost always has its doors open for some kind of event or gathering. These coming togethers are about enrichment; enrichment for your schedule by filling it up with new experiences, and enrichment for your mind through the study of the Word of God.

Staying busy with calendar events is highly recommended for people recovering from addiction, mental disorder or any negative life circumstance. Psychologists and mental health professionals advise their patients to fill their time with things they find meaningful because it has a very positive effect on mental health. Staying busy with rewarding activities is a key to overcoming negative thinking and emotions. The church is known for offering a full schedule of events and activities so that anyone looking for fellowship and positivity can have a place to go. Common church events are sermons, worship time, bible studies, small themed groups, prayer groups, potlucks, dinners, performances and sleepovers.

Of course, merely staying busy is not the only means of recovering from hard times. It is equally important to practice changing your thought patterns from negative to positive. Staying busy will help enormously with this, but some of the effort has to come from your cognition. The material and ideas discussed within the Christian church are some of the most profound and life changing available. The Christian message is one of incredible hope, love and positivity that will give you an abundance of awe-inspiring things to think about. Christianity is a journey of the heart, mind and soul. Coming to understand what it is about is transformative, and opening yourself to it will replace your negative thinking with wonder and inspiration.

The Grip of Addiction

addiction's gripConquering addiction is one of the hardest things a person can face in life. Addicts are a unique kind of person. Many people wrongfully judge their addictive behavior as a character flaw, when in fact, addicts are simply people with unique brain chemistry. It is true that they are engaging in harmful behavior and it is ultimately up to them to stop, but an addict’s brain is wired to be highly effective. Addictive substances and behaviors produce the same chemical as high functioning, high reward activities so they serve as a quick fix to someone who naturally craves more of this chemical. Addiction is, however, an unsustainable practice and does not serve as a good means of achieving happy brain chemicals in an ongoing way. This is why it is so critical for an addict to fully recognize their destructive behavior and bring it to an end.
One of the most difficult aspects of addiction is how widely misunderstood it is. Much of society holds addiction in contempt rather than in compassion. They hold addicts entirely responsible for their actions and do not take into account that their brains are wired incredibly differently. Therefore, when an addict is in need and is reaching out for help, people of this opinion are very likely to scoff at their requests and turn away from them. This is a tragedy because a strong support system is vital to helping a person overcome addiction. The disease of addiction statistically grows more overpowering the more isolated a person is with it. Community and support in the form of family, friends, counseling, rehabilitation and support groups is necessary to the encouragement an addict needs to change their life. For individuals who do not have these types of support systems, or even for those who do, the church is an excellent place to find loving relationships in. Not only will recovering addicts be met with love, hospitality and compassion, but they will be invited to a number of events and gatherings that will occupy their time, energy and mind.
In Canada, drug use and alcoholism are the primary addictions, and a majority of Canadians will never be connected to the treatment they need. Do not be a statistic. Instead, reach out for help by contacting a Canada alcohol rehab or Canada drug addiction treatment center today.