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Is a Christian-Based Rehab Different from a Faith-Based Recovery Program?

According to the Christian Bible, God sent his only begotten son into the world to live as a mortal human being and to ultimately give his life to pay for the sins of mankind. Is a Christian-based rehab different from a faith-based recovery program? Strictly speaking, yes. A Christian-based rehab will embrace the concepts of Christianity in general and possibly some of its denominations in particular. A Christian facility would likely be non-denominational, however, meaning it doesn’t promote the individual practices of certain denominations, such as the Catholic mass and Eucharist or any differential beliefs and practices of the Pentacostals, the Protestants, the Coptic Christians, the Mormons or what have you.

What does Faith-Based Mean?

A faith-based drug treatment facility would base its program on the belief in a higher power. The interpretation of that term is left up to the individual. Faith-based isn’t necessarily referring to God, Allah, Buddha, the Virgin Mary or any other sort of divine deity. Faith-based simply means that you believe in the power of something or someone who is non-mortal and greater than yourself. However, a Christian-based rehab is still a type of faith-based facility. The term faith-based could mean a lot of things. If you’re interested in this kind of substance abuse treatment, you will need to do careful research, and you should also get some professional advice before making a final decision. There will be more information about that at the end of this article.

If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol abuse, you’re not alone. You have plenty of company. Almost a quarter-million Americans have the same problem. Faith-based rehabs claim that a solid spiritual foundation makes recovery easier and relapse less likely because a solid relationship with a higher power gives you a constant source of strength that you can draw on at any time. No one can say they’re wrong, but faith-based drug rehab may not be for everyone. Only you can decide if it’s a good fit for you.

Faith-based doesn’t necessarily exclude science. While some of these rehabs, especially Christian ones, may not utilize medications as part of their therapy, many do. However, some do not, and it’s for this reason they don’t offer detox services. On the other hand, some Christian-based rehabs offer both medical detox and rehab recovery services. The same may be true for other faith-based facilities as well. Before choosing one, be sure you understand how they will handle detox, if they even do it at all. Many rehabs don’t have detox services, whether they be faith-based, Christian or otherwise. You will need to detox elsewhere before beginning rehab, but the facility should at least be able to refer you to a good detox. They may even be affiliated with one.

Faith-Based Rehabs are Popular

Faith-based rehabs are becoming very popular. These facilities often have chaplains, rabbis, pastors and other types of spiritual clergy on staff or at least on call and available on a regular basis. Participation in church and prayer meetings and Bible studies are encouraged and are part of the curriculum. This type of rehab will also include some type of spiritual drug sobriety program, most likely AA or NA, and participation will be mandatory. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, AA and NA respectively, follow a 12-step plan designed to create long-term sobriety. You will be required to attend meetings and listen to others’ life stories about their struggle with addiction. Although you can’t be forced to speak, in a drug rehab setting you will be strongly urged to do so. If this makes you uncomfortable, don’t choose faith-based treatment. You should also know that AA and NA don’t condone any kind of medication for drug abstinence maintenance. They don’t believe in the use of methadone, Suboxone, naltrexone, which is Vivitrol, or anything other kind of maintenance medication.

Is Faith-Based Treatment More Effective?

Statistics for this sort of thing are not conclusive. Some studies seem to suggest that faith-based programs are more effective than strictly secular ones. It does make sense that a strong faith foundation would give someone a source of power, accountability and inspiration to prevent relapse, at least for some individuals. It really comes down to the individual, but if someone has tried only secular drug rehabs in the past and has relapsed more than once, it might be a good idea to consider a faith-based program.

Still Have Questions?

We’ll help you understand faith-based programs better so you can make a more informed choice. Just call anytime at 833-364-0736, and our trained counselors will work with you to find the perfect drug rehab for your needs.