CHRISTIAN HEALING AND ADDICTIONS

RECOVERY;
THEOLOGICAL AND PRACTICAL
PERSPECTIVES.

Comprehensive Paper
Charles Ringma

Patrick Zierten
2588 Badger Road
North Vancouver, BC V7G 2R5
924-0042

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................3

II. WHAT IS ADDICTION? ..............................................................................7

III. CHRISTIAN INTEGRATION .....................................................................15

i. Justification, Righteousness, and Sanctification. (Intervention,

Reconciliation and Recovery) ...............................................................15

ii. Reasons We Do Not Respond ..............................................................20

IV. HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND? .............................................................24

i. Education ..............................................................................................24

V. THE PROCESS OF ADDICTION .............................................................26

i. Behavioral .............................................................................................27

iii. Neurological ..........................................................................................32

iv. Spiritual, Detachment from Others, Self, and God. ...............................35

VI. IDENTIFYING ADDICTION ......................................................................39

VII. INTERVENTION IN ADDICTION ..............................................................42

VIII. RESOURCES ...........................................................................................48

IX. CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SUPPORT AFTER ABSTINENCE ................52

i. A Place to Belong ..................................................................................52

ii. Inner Healing Of Past Abuses ...............................................................55

iii. The Importance of Discovering Self ........................................................59

iv. Importance of Spirituality and Faith .......................................................64

X. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................72
“The great malady of the 20th century, implicated in all our troubles and
affecting us individually and socially, is “loss of soul”. When the soul is neglected,
it does not just go away: it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions,
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 violence, and loss of meaning. Our temptation is to isolate these symptoms or try
to eradicate them one by one; but the root of the problem is that we have lost the
wisdom about the soul, even our interest in it.”

Thomas Moore “Care of the Soul”1

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the most devastating and insidious psychological conditions of the

modern world is addiction. I am a recovering addict, yet the malady goes far

beyond me. In my pastoral counseling ministry, I have met and treated hundreds

of people with addictions, yet it goes far beyond my clients. I seldom hear or

meet a family that is not been affected by addiction in their family system, yet it

goes far beyond our families. Every day we pick up the newspaper and read of

the rampant and destructive issues of addiction in our society, yet it goes far

beyond that.

For addiction is the only malady that I am aware of that denies the

symptoms that indicate that there is a problem. For the addict, their built-in

rationalization and justification keep them blind to their behavior. They are kept

blind by the collusion of non-addicted loved ones, loved ones who are equally

impaired to see and/or deny the evidence that addiction may exist in their

children, parents, or spouses. Moreover, it is the only malady where the

symptoms need to be eradicated before the real underlying causal problem can

be addressed. Addicts use drugs and compulsive behaviors to prevent them from

re-experiencing and re-feeling the shame and abuse of their past that lingers in

their hearts and haunts them deep in their souls. One cannot heal these deep

1Moore, Thomas, Care of the Soul, a Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in
Everyday Life, HarperPerennial, NY, NY, 1992 p. xi

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hurts when one is mediating the pain with drugs and compulsive behaviors. Yet, it

goes far beyond this.

We hear of the ever-increasing drug arrests, overdoses and drug related-

accidents. Even with society’s increased awareness of the hazards of drinking

and driving, alcohol still accounts for seventy percent of all road accidents. With

foreboding messages that warn addicts of the potential harm of using dirty

needles, we still see the rise of HIV/AID and hepatitis infections. Even with the

prevalence of suffering and the deaths of loved ones and people around us, we

are closing treatment centers, reducing funding and curtailing education. Society

acknowledges the issue, yet refuses or does not know how to respond to the

issue. Yet, it goes beyond this.

Addiction strikes all ages, regardless of social or economic status,

religious beliefs, race, or sex. Addiction is truly an equal opportunity malady. It is

estimated that in North America there are approximately eighty million people

that abuse drugs or alcohol. I have heard estimates of upwards to eighty percent

of the population of North America suffer from some form of obsessive and/or

compulsive behavior.

Addiction destroys the human being. It robs them of physical, mental,

emotional, and spiritual health. Addiction is a disease of isolation and loneliness.

Isolation destroys the person’s relationship with God, self and others and

loneliness drives the person deeper into the clutches of the addiction. Addiction is

the great remover: it removes love, friendship, dignity, spouses, children, family

and choice. There is no freedom in addiction; addiction is slavery. There is only

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one choice; that is the choice to use. Continued use means insanity, jail, or

death.

It seems that no family is immune from the effects of addiction. Research

claims that every addicted individual affects at least nine other people. It tears

families apart. It destroys careers and family income. It leaves families homeless,

penniless, childless, and parentless. It renders families as sick and wounded as

the addicts themselves.

Addiction has become the microcosm of despair in a postmodern world.

We live in a world that is endeavoring to find meaning in a vacuum of existential

angst. It is a world that refuses to look for the source of the problem and attempts

merely to cure the symptom. Addiction is not the problem; it is only one of the

many symptoms of that existential void. The indicators of addiction are often

ignored for fear that the solution of the problem may be even more frightening

than feeling the pain of the symptoms. As Thomas Moore states the “root of the

problem is that we have lost our wisdom about the soul, or even our interest in it.”

However, I believe it is beyond that. It is more than just a loss of interest in the

soul; it is a refusal to remember the “wisdom of the soul.” We live in a world that

refuses to recognize the problem, yet instinctively knows what the problem is.

Our world lives in the anxiety of knowing, yet not wishing to face the displeasure

of healing.

More striking and more alarming is that addiction strikes our Christian

churches just as dramatically as other sectors of society, and more than we wish

to believe. We recoil from this thought because we believe that addiction should

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not happen in our churches. Morally regressive actions are not Christian ideals.

As believers in Christ, we expect we should be immune to this type of sin.

Moreover, our Christian churches may be less willing to identify and even less

willing to confront addiction. My experience is that believers tend to shun,

minimize, and ignore the basic symptoms of addiction. We do not wish to see the

symptoms of addiction, for if we acknowledge the symptoms we become

accountable. Accountability means that we must stand with the person’s pain,

and standing in the pain means that we must bear the same pain. The question

is, “Have Christians acquiesced and refused to recognize the problem more than

the world has?”

Have we lost the “wisdom of the soul”? Have we lost sight of our

responsibilities to Jesus to heal the sick? As believers, are we not obligated to

help restore the human to wholeness? Should not our church communities be

havens for this healing to occur?

The intent off this paper is to answer these questions and offer churches a

perspective that will assist the addicted person on a path to recovery. I will define

what addiction is. I will also attempt to explain addiction as a loss of relationship-

with self, others and God. I will show how the addiction is a wayward search for

belonging and a search for God’s love. I will show how the addiction process

perpetuates this loss of relationship. Finally, I will explore what we as pastoral

counselors, church leaders, and Christian congregations can do when addiction

torments the hearts and spirits of people in our fellowship. I will focus on an

approach that we can use as Christians that replicates what Jesus used in his

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healing miracles: a tri-focused healing approach to heal the addict through the

process of justification, righteous living, and sanctification or in addiction

terminology: intervention, reconciliation and recovery.

II. WHAT IS ADDICTION?

i. A Coping Mechanism for Anxiety.

The New Collins dictionary defines addiction as “…obsessive attachment and

dependency to a person, place or thing, especially a drug or narcotic…” I

endorse the employment of the phrasing of obsessive attachment. Attachment

comes form the Old French word attaché, which means “nailed to.” It implies an

action of painful and progressive “nailing to” a person, place, thing, or behavior.

Gerald May in his book Addiction and Grace describes addiction as the process

that “…attaches desire, bonds, and enslaves the energy of the desire to specific

behaviors, things or people. Attachment nails our desire to specific objects and

creates addiction.”2

May is accurate when he classifies addiction as a process; however it

does not describe the long-term nature of the progression. Addiction is not an

event that just occurs. It is a slow, insidious, and ever progressive malady. It is a

malady that begins to evolve long before the symptoms manifest themselves.

Addiction is a coping mechanism to manage one’s anxiety that was created by

the abuse one received in the family of origin. Addiction is a person’s reaction to

their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual erosion that was shaped by the

very humans that love them. The addiction symptoms develop out of a specific,

2May, Gerald, Addictions and Grace, Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions,
Harper, San Francisco; 1988 p.3

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multi-generational, and emotional reliving process of the family system. Highly

anxious and poorly defined family systems focus on a particularly vulnerable

individual in the family that receives more focus and the tension of the system.

The family’s focus onto an individual helps to disperse and lessen the anxiety in

the family system, which then brings the system back into homeostasis.

This anxiety is often displayed in abuse, emotional cut off, confusing

messages and even overindulgence. It is a process malady that compounds itself

as each inappropriate behavior leads to further loss of relationship to self, others

and God.

All addicts suffer from low self-esteem. The addict comes to this

perception of self based on their nurturing in the family system. J. Keith Miller in

his book on addiction, Hope in the Fast Lane, indicates that low self esteem in

addicts is due to:

“… a progressive process in each of our lives that we don’t talk about much. As

children we try and fail at certain things, simply because we are too young and don’t have

the ability to do everything. Because grownups appear to us to do anything they try to do

and because they seem to expect us to have only appropriate thoughts and feelings, we

feel inadequate and unloved when we have thoughts or feelings or behave in ways that

are not accepted by the ones who care for us.”3

An addicted person is commonly raised in an family environment where the

people they love berate, ignore, and/or minimize their feelings and thoughts. In

many cases, there may be physical and sexual abuse. The message the

individual takes away is that they are less than others and are unworthy. As a

child, the future addicted person has little defense or ability to understand what is

3 Miller, Keith, Hope In the Fast Lane, Simon and Schuster, NY, NY 1995 p. 42

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occurring to them. Their underdeveloped psyches begin to develop elaborate

coping mechanisms. Their dominating drive is to be accepted, to seek approval,

to attempt to belong, and to avoid neglect from the people they love. Depending

on their temperament and other environmental influences, they develop

personality defenses that include people pleasing, minimizing emotions, fleeing,

conflict, passive/aggression, and addictive tendencies.

Addiction is not a linear progression. Addiction progress is not a series of

predictable or sequential events that occur during the person’s life narrative. The

addiction process is a non-linear dynamical4 progression, or in other words, the

addiction process changes as it changes. Addiction always escalates and

changes. These changes bring the person to another stage, which makes them

more susceptible to the next stage of the addiction process. Periods of

abstinence or controlled use eventually collapse to the insidious craving to return

to the substance or behavior. Intermittent use actually solidifies and intensifies

the grasp of the addiction.

As the person grows older the same familial, anxious pressures are

prevalent, but are further compounded by societal pressures of developing a

“new stylized self,” a more worthy self. Gordon Carkner points out in his article on

individualism, “The modern mantra is: I am the most important person in the

world. I must fulfill all my potential.”5 This modern-day societal pressure only

confirms the person’s perception of their low self-esteem. They take on the

daunting and anxiety-ridden challenge to recreate themselves, to reidentify

4 The word dynamical is defined in this context as a “process that changes as it changes”

5 Carkner, Gordan, Individualism And Nihilism The Ends Of Western Civilization

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themselves. Each unloving and dysfunctional event that occurs to, or

dysfunctional action attempted by the individual increases the erosion of the

person, thus making them more susceptible to emotionally react rather than

thoughtfully respond to situations that would not have affected them before. In

turn, each inappropriate event perpetrated by or on the person confirms their

perception of low self-esteem and shame. This confirmation further alienates the

individual from his/her ability to relate to self, others and God.

The person in the early stage of addiction is unaware of its progress. As

awareness emerges, the person becomes a master at rationalizing, justifying,

and denying the advancement of the addiction. This tension of knowing yet

denying, leads to increased anxiety, depression, shame, paranoia and suspicion.

Outwardly, there will be mood swings, angry confrontations, performance issues,

and the disintegration of relationships. Eventually the person finds himself or

herself so immersed in the obsession they no longer have any option but to

continue to act out. To the addict there are no choices. To them, not to act out

means inconceivable and excruciating pain. However, at the same time they also

realize that to continue to act out means devastation of meaningful life and

eventually insanity or death. The addict’s feelings and distorted thinking rules

their behavior. Clarity is not in their grasp.

ii. Addiction is a search for love

Addiction is also a paradoxical search for love. As a child, the person is subjected

to increasingly hurtful and shameful events. They become confused as to

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appropriate ways to receive or give love. They find themselves in the anxious

and hurtful “double binds” of wishing to love yet fearing the repercussions of

loving. This anxiety drives the individual to develop coping behaviors to relieve

this anxiety. These mechanisms often manifest themselves in addiction, whether

it is drugs, compulsive behaviors, or dysfunctional attachments to people. These

dysfunctional actions often lead to momentary feelings of elation, which the

individual interprets as love. However, the sense of elation is always temporary,

not fully satisfying, and often leads to disastrous results. That further compound

the person’s anxiety, low self-esteem and shame that their actions make them a

bad person. The resultant low self-esteem and shame of the person’s addictive

behavior then forces them farther back into addictive behavior to relieve the

anxiety and shame. This obsessive attachment to the substance becomes their

central operating focus in life. Their world becomes smaller and smaller. They

become less and less able to relate to self, others and God and eventually they

cannot relate to anything except their substance of abuse.

Addiction is not only a desire to satisfy a need to be loved by others but a

wayward attempt on the part of the person to satisfy a more dominant, deeper

and strong spiritual hunger. A spiritual hunger that humans are predestined upon

their conception to attempt to quench, a desire that may be stronger than one’s

instinctual need for survival. It is the love and acceptance of God. Gerald May

indicates agreement when he asserts:

“After twenty years of listening to the yearnings of people’s hearts, I am

convinced that all human beings have an inborn desire for God. Whether

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 we are consciously religious or not, this desire is our deepest longings
and most precious treasure. It gives us meaning.”6
Dr. Scott Peck further concurs when he writes about addicts as people, “…

who want, who yearn, to go back to Eden—who want to reach Paradise, reach

Heaven, reach home – more than most. They are desperate to regain that lost

warm, fuzzy sense of oneness with the rest of nature we used to have in Eden.”7

Bill Wilson, one of the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, reiterates

this belief when he says “…for deep down in every man, woman and child is the

fundamental idea of God…for faith in a power greater than ourselves and

miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives are facts as old as man

himself.”8

Carl Jung’s response, in 1936, to Bill Wilson’s question on alcoholism was,

“…craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst of

our being for wholeness, expressed in the medieval language; the union with

God.”9

I believe this hunger for God is what makes humans relational beings.

Through our relationships with others, people can develop an understanding of

being loved and being loving. Humans seek relationship with others in order to

develop healthy concepts of love. However, if in their childhood the person’s

relationships are unloving, over loving and/or dysfunctional, it will compel them to

6May, Gerald, Addictions and Grace, Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions,
Harper, San Francisco; 1988 p.3

7Peck, Scott, Further Along the Road Less Traveled, The Unending Journey Toward
Spiritual Growth” Simon and Schuster, NY, NY, 1993 p.136
8Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous
World Wide Services, NY, NY, 1939 p. 63
9 As Bill Sees It, Alcoholics Anonymous World Wide Services, NY, NY, 1967 p.82

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seek to satisfy this desire in errant relationships and behaviors. The anxiety of

living in the tension of the search drives the individual to seek solace in the

exhilaration of addictive behaviors. These help the person to relieve their anxiety

of self-awareness and often create euphoria that masquerades as a psuedo love

of God.

Thomas Moore reiterates this thought when he speaks of addiction in the

context of misguided search for religion and an inverted form of worship:

“Our addictions are also inverted forms of worship. People seek liberating loss of

self in drugs and become stuck on them because these substitutes for religious ecstasy

can only create a semblance of bliss. What ever gives the illusion of religion, whether it

be alcohol, ill-placed love of defensive churchgoing, can make us crazy. We crave

religion of the deepest kind and so we try out all kinds of inadequate forms which only

increase the craving and the emptiness.”10

iii. Addiction is idolatry.

Most significantly, addiction is idolatry. The Bible states “I am Lord your God, who

rescued you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship any Gods beside me. Do not

make idols of any kind, whether in shape of birds or animals or fish. You must

never worship or bow to them, for I am the Lord your God, am a jealous God who

will not share your affection with any other god! So sayth the Lord our God.” (Gen

20:2-4)

In this passage, God was referring to Israel’s persistence in creating and

worshiping icons. Idolatry is the devotion of Israel to symbols that God knew

would take His creation away from His loving embrace. It was Israel’s hope that

10Moore, Thomas, The Soul’s Religion, Cultivating a Profoundly Spiritual way of Life”
HarperCollins, NY, NY, 2002 p.127

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an idol would satisfy their impoverishment: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

It is Israel’s dependence on something other than God to provide for their needs.

It is a declaration that God cannot or will not provide them what they need.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes idolatry as “divinizing

what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and/or reveres a

creature in the place of God, whether this is gods, demons, power, pleasure,

race, ancestors, the state, money, etc(alcohol/drugs). Jesus says “You cannot

serve God and mammon.” The Catechism goes on to say, “Human life finds its

unity in adoration of God… (God) integrates man and saves him from an endless

disintegration. Idolatry is a perversion of man's innate religious sense. Empty

idols make their worshipers empty.”11

From this perspective, idolatry is more than worshipping an icon. It is

honoring or revering anything that takes away from the importance of God. It

claims that idol reverence is not only a sin; it disintegrates the person who

idolizes. Idol reverence is a perversion or wayward search of humans to satisfy

their innate desire for belonging and the healing love of God. In theological

language, addiction is idolatry, each makes a person empty, void, and desperate.

This emptiness, I believe, propels the person farther into a more desperate

search for God’s love through the back alleys of addiction. Paul in Ephesians

describes idolatry as “…alienated from the life of God…they have become

callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every

kind of uncleanness.” (Eph. 4:18-19) When a person is in addiction, they do not

11Catechism of the Catholic Church, Publications Services Canadian Conference or Catholic

Bishops, Ottawa, ON, 1992 p.345

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have the emotional, spiritual nor intellectual capacity to comprehend that

addiction is an idle and fruitless pursuit. Ironically, addiction alienates the person

from the very thing they seek; a relationship with self, others and God. The

idolatry of obsessive behaviors, then, is both the cause and the effect of sin. Only

in surrender, abstinence and recovery can the person be receptive to the

redemptive grace of God and reroute their search. There is an adage in

Alcoholics Anonymous that says, “God created alcohol, so that there would be

the disease of alcoholism, so that there would be alcoholics, so that there would

be Alcoholics Anonymous, so that we could find the love of God.”

III. CHRISTIAN INTEGRATION

i. Justification, Righteousness, and Sanctification. (Intervention,

Reconciliation and Recovery)

When considering what our Christian responsibility is in assisting the addicted

person, I believe that we first should look to Jesus’ curing miracles for guidance.

Jesus’ cures are a calling that I believe is beyond the removal of the

symptoms of an affliction and its subsequent suffering. I believe that Jesus’

curing miracles are an invitation for the person to go beyond the cessation of

their suffering of their immediate wound into a further emotional process toward

wholeness. I believe Jesus calls us to the process of healing old relational

wounds, thus restoring healthy communion with self, others and God. Michael

Harper writes, “The supreme mission of Jesus was to heal this gravely disturbed

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relationship and restore men and women to their real vocation which is close

fellowship with God”.12

One theological view of justification, as defined in the Anchor Bible

Dictionary, is “… Justification is the event whereby persons are set or declared to

be in right relation to God.” Typically, justification is employed to signify what

Jesus did for humanity through His death and resurrection. He died for our sins

to put human kind back into right relationship with God. Paul states it clearly:

“Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our

justification“(Rom 4:25). Jesus’ final work of justification was the Cross. However,

when one looks at Jesus’ curing miracles in the context of His time, I believe that

one can see that Jesus justified the suffering through his cures. For it was

believed in Jesus’ time that people where sick because they where unclean and

sinners. They were perceived to be in wrong relationship with God. Often, they

were ostracized from their family and the community to avoid shame and further

displeasure.

Jesus’ cures eliminated the symptoms of their affliction. Through the

removal of the person’s symptoms, Jesus restored the person back to their

rightful place in the family, the community, and with God. In other words, Jesus’

cures can be viewed as an intervention in the person’s suffering, which justified

the person with society, family, and God.

Justification is closely related to the word righteousness, “…it relates to a

basic aspect of conversion. It is a declarative act of God by which He establishes

12 Harper, Michael, The Healings of Jesus, InterVarsity Press Downers Grove, IL, 1986 p132

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persons as righteous; that is in right and true relationship to himself.”13

Justification is the event or the intervention that restores a person into right

relationship with God, and righteousness is the dynamic process of staying in

right relationship with God and others. Justification of Jesus spurs one to live in

righteousness through one’s justification or the restoration of right relationship

with others.

However, justification does not mean that a moral transformation will

occur. This occurs though righteous living.

Righteousness, or being in right relationship with God or other people, is

the fulfillment or reconciliation of the expectations in a relationship. It is

applicable at all levels of society and is relevant in all areas of life. Therefore,

righteousness denotes the reconciled expectations in relationships between

husband and wife, parents and children, fellow citizens, employers, God, and

human beings. “Righteousness is the fiber which holds society, religion, and

family together. Righteousness enhances the welfare of the community.”14

Paul understands righteousness as a gift from God that Jesus justified “…

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Jesus

Christ” (Rom. 3:24). Justification enables the individual to conduct himself or

herself in a moral, upright manner with God and community. However,

justification does not imply that the individual is free of sin and thus righteous

without his or her own efforts. Righteousness means “…walking blamelessly in all

13Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Elwell, Walter, editor, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids,
MI; 1988
14Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Elwell, Walter, editor, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids,
MI; 1988

17
the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Righteousness is

a relational dynamic process of living to a higher value and moral system. It is the

constant process of reconciling with our God and our loved ones. It means

mending the wounds that plague one’s behavior, extending forgiveness to the

people who have hurt them and making amends to the ones they have hurt. Paul

puts it aptly “…having been freed from sin, you become slaves of

righteousness…for just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity

and to lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness,

resulting in sanctification” (Rom. 6:18-19). Righteousness is the process of

reconciliation toward healing and wholeness, through Jesus’ justification.

However, righteousness or reconciliation does not mean total health.

John Wilkerson describes health “…as the wholeness of man’s being and

personality, and the holiness of his character and actions expressed in

righteousness and obedience to God’s law.”15 His definition rings resoundingly

similar to the definition of sanctification. The ultimate goal of sanctification is

moral perfection. Sanctification could be viewed as shalom, wholeness or health.

To be sanctified in a broad sense means “… being made holy or purified.”16

Being made implies that sanctification is not an event but rather an ongoing

process. Theologians have debated the responsibility of the person in their

sanctification. Some would say that God requires only faith on the part of the

believer, thus giving sanctification. Others, as I believe, think of sanctification as

15 Wilkerson, John, Health and Healing, Handell Press, NY, NY: 1980 p. 92
16Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Elwell, Walter, editor, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids,
MI; 1988

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the interactive workings of both the individual and the Holy Spirit. Paul indicates

his belief that sanctification is a process of works with God and the individual

when he says, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God

who is at work in you, both to will and to work” (Phil 2:12-13).

The Baker Encyclopedia further explains sanctification as:

“…the process by which…we are made partakers of his holiness; that it is

progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of

believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, healer and comforter, in the

continual use the appointed means—especially the Word of God, self examination, self

denial, watchfulness and prayer.”17

This definition shows that through the healing power of the Holy Spirit and

introspection of the individual, one is led to sanctification. It is the difficulty and

tension of taking personal responsibility to recover or heal one’s own self while

recognizing that God is the only true agent in sanctification. Using an addiction

vocabulary, sanctification could be interpreted as the process of recovery-the

constant process of working out one’s moral perfection in reliance with “…God of

their understanding” and eloquently spoken in the Alcoholic Anonymous “The

point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have

set down are guides for progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual

perfection.” (Page 60)

Jesus justifies through his curing interventions. These bring the person

into right relationship or righteousness with others, God, and self. If one lives

righteously, one must be an active agent to heal old wounds and discover self.

17Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Elwell, Walter, editor, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids,
MI; 1988

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Righteous living is the reconciliation and forgiveness of harms done to self,

atoning for harms done to others and actively attempting to modify inappropriate

behavior and sin no more. Through this process, one will be sanctified or

recovered and thus be brought to health, wholeness, and the Kingdom of God.

When looking at developing a responsible response to people in addiction

we must look to Jesus’ miracles and the concepts of justification, righteousness

and sanctification as an example. When looking at Jesus’ design one can easily

adopt a strategy of intervention, reconciliation and recovery to aide the suffering

addict. We will look at this adaptation process later in the paper.

ii. Reasons We Do Not Respond

Saint Francis de Sales says the tension of knowing when to act and when not to,

is “… the incapacity for people to understand God’s will done and God’s will to be

done.”18 From de Sales perspective God’s will done is the acceptance of the

consequences one must endure when we sin or when life impinges on self that is

out of one’s control. God’s will done is the accepting of the consequences, both

good and bad, of life as it happens to us according to God’s will. The opposite

side of this is God’s will to be done. God’s will to be done is the anxiety of

deciding what is our responsibility in acting in response to God’s will done. It is

our discernment of when to take an action and when not to. Do we let others or

ourselves accept the consequences of sin (addiction), or do we intervene, thus

preventing the person or self from further sin and suffering?

18 de Sales, Francis, Finding God’s Will; For You, Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, NH;
1998 p. 73

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 In the context of addiction, this is one of the reasons we tend to deny that

it exists. It is just not clear what God’s will is. Is God’s will in addiction to allow the

person to suffer until they meet their disastrous bottom, wreaking havoc on self,

family and others on their way down? On the other hand, do we intervene,

creating a premature bottom with the hope that the individual will seek help? It is

ambiguous and frightening. We do not want to be responsible, not because we

wish not to be responsible, but because we do not know what responsible action

is in addiction. Taking on responsibility means that we must be accountable to do

something. We are terrified of doing the wrong thing because we are not

educated enough on the subject. We become frozen in doing our will rather than

being responsible to God’s will to be done.

We avoid our responsibility because we are fearful and ignorant. Ignorant

of the fact that addiction can strike anywhere, in the best of families and in the

best of Christian communities. We are ignorant of the indicators of addiction. We

are ignorant of the long-term consequences of addiction. We cling to our

ignorance so that we do not have to be aware, for if we are aware, we must

become responsible. Therefore, we justify, deny, rationalize, and collude with the

addicted person to cover up the addiction. Unfortunately, this cover-up prolongs

and facilitates the addiction process, which sends the person deeper into the

clutches of their addiction. We remain blissfully ignorant, doing our will rather

than God’s will to be done.

Alternatively, we are ashamed by the stigma of addiction. As mentioned

before, we wish to believe that as followers of Jesus we should be immune to

21
such an immoral and shaming affliction as addiction. We perceive addiction as a

willful process of sin rather than misguided process to attain love. It is our own

egos, our own will that prevents us from facing the potential shame of doing

God’s will to be done. Shame prevents us from seeing, let alone dealing with,

addiction.

Finally, I believe that the primary reason we tend to ignore addiction is that

we fail to face our own vulnerabilities. It hurts me to see people in distress. It

hurts me because I have empathy. Empathy is the emotion of feeling sympathetic

due to one’s own previous experience with such a hurt. Empathy is the process

of re-experiencing my own pain. I do not like to refocus on my own pain. I avoid

pain at huge expense to myself. I will put my pain in a closet, stuff it away in

some dark hole where it sits, ferments, and eats away at my soul. I drank

because of my pain. Therefore, I avoid my pain by ignoring, fixing, or superficially

consoling a person who suffers, and sending them on their way. My basic motive

when I fix, ignore, or minimize is not to make the other person feel better; it is to

make me feel good. I am operating in my will, not God’s will to be done.

My perspective is that, when facing the suffering of the addicted person,

we face ourselves. We intuitively know that if not for the grace of God and a few

different circumstances in our lives, there go I. It is exposing ourselves to the pain

of a person and thus we must wear their pain. Addiction throws our belief system

into chaos. We wish to believe that our faith prevents us from re-experiencing the

hardships of our past and exposing ourselves to the hardships of our present.

When we acknowledge others’ pain and the hardships of others, we realize that

22
we too, are not immune-that we, too, may be suffering from the similar past

atrocities of the addicted person-that we, too, can no longer ignore the suffering

of our present-that we, too, have to heal some past trauma and/or present

hardship. Traumas and hardships that we wish to ignore so that we do not have

to feel our own pain. Moreover, we know that our own pain will drive or may have

already driven us into inappropriate and destructive, obsessive and compulsive

behavior. This awakening is terrifying, because if we acknowledge it, then we

must become responsible to self and must face the difficult and hurtful process of

healing. Ignoring our pain is ignoring God’s will done. Ignoring the addict is

ignoring God’s will done. Ignoring God’s will done is avoiding doing God’s will to

be done.

Thomas Moore in his book, The Soul's Religion, speaks to this ignoring of

emotional pain when he cites his personal experience in the monastery:

“During the twelve years I lived in a monastery, I don’t recall being given any real

counseling for my emotions. The priests were authority figures and you couldn’t have

much confidence in their impartiality. The only outlet was confession, which only added a

layer of guilt and complexity to ordinary emotional issues. As often happens in spiritual

communities, the spirit was given plenty of care and tending, but the deep soul was left to

its rumblings and everyone hoped it would not raise its complicating head”19

In our Christian churches, when dealing with the tension of recognizing

God’s will done and/or determining what is God’s will to be done, we choose one

of two paths: we either ignore or minimize God’s will done, which in this context is

19Moore, Thomas, The Souls Religion, Cultivating a Profoundly Spiritual Way of Life,
HarperCollins Pub., NY, NY, 2002 p. 23

23
the addict or symptoms of the addiction process. This is the easier of the two

approaches, for if we do not see it we do not have to be responsible.

On the other hand, with the sincerest of intentions, we endeavor to

intervene by what we perceive is God’s will to be done. However, what we do is

employ a number of erroneous personality tactics that are self-deceiving and

elaborate mechanisms to protect ourselves from feeling the pain of the addict. As

Moore says, we tend to give the spirit plenty of care but leave the deep soul to its

rumblings.

IV. HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?

i. Education

Our primary goal in addiction recovery should be addiction education. As

mentioned before, the secular population is very ignorant of the complexities of

addiction. This ignorance has permeated our Christian churches at an even more

alarming rate. After revealing that I am a recovering alcoholic in my Christian

community, I am often assailed by individuals asking for assistance with an

addiction problem. More often than not, the individual will state that they were

afraid to approach the priests or others in the congregation for help. People

indicate to me that they fear judgment, alienation, or minimization of their

situation. Occasionally, someone will disclose to me that they have approached

others, yet they were hastened away and were told to pray and repent as a

possible solution. Alternatively, and more embarrassingly, they were told that no

one could help. These people thus became disconnected from the community,

that they were taught would support them in troubled times. They felt alone,

24
desperate and betrayed. Jesus has asked us to embrace the sinners and yet our

church communities have shunned them. This is not because we forgot our

responsibility to Jesus; we are just uncertain of our responsibilities to Jesus when

it comes to the issue of addiction. Our churches are shrouded in the cloak of fear

and ignorance. The plight of addicts in our 21st century church community is no

different from the plight of the lepers in the days of the New Testament.

Our first objective in our churches should be to eliminate this fear around

addiction. We need to remove the stigma of evil and the accompanying shroud of

shame draped over the addicted person. Our communities should be welcoming

and healing havens for the suffering. In order to do this we need to remove the

ignorance of addiction’s process, its pain, and most importantly its fear. Through

education, we can create a safe environment for one in addiction to come forth

and admit their problem. Through education, we can develop an open and

compassionate environment that one can reenter when they have removed the

shackles of addiction and acquired abstinence. Through education, our

communities can provide a healing environment that can gently enter into the

person’s life and aid in mending their past traumas and hurts.

I encourage that church leadership proclaim, from the pulpit, in the

newsletter, bulletin board or via word of mouth, not that addiction is sinful but

rather how addiction is the inability of the individual not to sin. Church leaders

need to proclaim that we have an obligation to learn, understand, and even

confront those who are struggling with addiction.

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 The remainder of this paper will address some of the issues on which we

need to educate others and ourselves. However, this is not a total understanding

of addiction, its only purpose is to encourage interest and further investigation.

There are many other resources that can be relied on for further education, as

will be discussed.

What our leaders need to do is provide the necessary resources and

enthusiasm within the church to facilitate this education. Our pastors, elders, and

priests need to set the tone for an environment that encourages candid

conversation about the aspects of addiction.

V. THE PROCESS OF ADDICTION

Addiction is multi-causal and multi-factorial. There is no agreed-upon single

theory as to why addiction happens. Psychiatrists would suggest a

pharmacological, neurological problem and/or ego malfunction. Psychologists

would say it is due to emotional and/or codependency quandaries. Social

workers look at addiction as environmental and dysfunctional/abusive family

issues. Medical doctors believe it is related to withdrawal, metabolism, and

physical functions. Politicians perceive addiction as legal regulation, social

problems, and criminal activity. Society understands addiction as peer pressure

and lack of willpower. Family systems therapists describe addiction as a loss of

relationship to self and loss of relationship to others. Clergy identify addiction as

sin or idolatry. Finally, pastoral counselors view addiction as a spiritual malaise or

a relational detachment from God.

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 As pastoral counselors and church members, to better understand ways to

approach addiction in our congregations, it is necessary to examine briefly some

of the contributing and compounding processes for addiction. These are not a

thorough explanation, nor are the definitions given the only way addiction is

perceived by addiction professionals. The process explanations are not to be

confused with the causes of addiction but rather as tools to understand its

evolution. I use these examples merely to help one to comprehend the

complexity of the malady.

In addition, the information will be useful in identifying the symptoms of someone

in addiction. Finally, it will show that addiction begins to occur far before the

symptoms, actually manifest themselves in the individual, and that by the time

others begin to see the symptoms the addiction process is far advanced in its

development and often requires professional expertise to resolve.20

i. Behavioral

One explanation of addiction is a pathological behavioral association with a

substance and/or a behavior, so much so, that the substance or behavior

becomes the dominating relationship in that person’s life-so dominating that the

person can and will destroy all other relationships life to pursue this substance/

behavior.

20Following information comes from a variety of sources including my own clinical and personal
experience and from;
Rivers, Clayton, Alcohol and Human Behavior, Theory, Research and Practice, Prentice Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994;
George, Rickey, Counseling the Chemically Dependent, Theory and Practice, Allyn and
Bacon, Needham Heights, Mass. 1990

27
 Addiction behavior generally begins with casual or social use of the

behavior/substance to manage their anxiety or bring pleasure. The person begins

an association with the behavior or substance that encourages them to go back

to it increasingly to attain pleasure. They become conditioned.

Over time, the person begins to habituate to the substance/behavior not to

seek pleasure, but rather to prevent discomfort. The person relies on the habit

more often as their main source of anxiety reduction. The substance use

becomes more intentional rather than spontaneous. It becomes more frequent

than occasional.

Eventually, the habit begins to take on a life of its own. The absence of the

use of the substance begins to create its own anxiety in the person. Some

psychologists would say this is psychological withdrawal. This “withdrawal

anxiety” compounds with the person’s existing anxiety, thus throwing them back

into a more determined search and potential escalation of the substance/

behavior use. Somewhere in this increased employment of the substance/

behavior the person subtly, but indubitably, crosses the line from habit to

addiction. Most clinicians state that the person, once in the addictive state, can

never return to social use of the substance. Total abstinence is the only recourse.

In the addictive state, the person can no longer make rational decisions;

they increasingly act out illogically and become more dysfunctional in their

search for the addictive “hit.” The person justifies, rationalizes, and blames others

to support their behavior.

ii. Psychological

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Another way of understanding the process of addiction comes from the

psychological model. In this model the person has a psychological inability to

recognize the course of their substance use as it progresses from occasional

social use to abuse and then eventually leads to full blown addiction. The

following stages will often follow a sequential order, yet are not bound by this

progression. Stages will often overlap and may continue well into the

progression, in particular the rationalization and denial stages. Stages will often

repeat themselves as the person attempts to maintain a control over their using

behavior.

In the early stages, denial of substance abuse is easy because it appears

to be social and occasional. The individual would seem no different from their

friends and family. The occasional situation where one slightly overindulges is

explained away as a minor mishap of little concern. Yet research indicates that

every recovering addict, when asked in retrospect of their denial, speaks of how

they were unconsciously aware of an unusual attachment to the substance.

At a deep level, the person is aware of this unusual attachment and they

begin to develop elaborate behaviors to keep the attachment out of their

awareness. This is called repression. Repression of their substance use either

requires the person to have no idle time, high stressful time or dulled times.

Ironically, these repressive tactics lead back to use of the substance to manage

the anxiety, and drug ingestion is the best way to dull the senses or mood alter.

Repression is only a temporary stopgap in the process of the addiction

cycle. Continued use of the substance leads to greater negative consequences

29
that are difficult to keep repressed from the person’s senses. The person

employs more elaborate defenses in denying their ever-increasing substance

abuse. Eventually these defense tactics leads to rationalization. The person

rationalizes by stating to themselves and others, “It was just this once, I am going

through a tough time,” or “I am going through a great time and life is to short not

to enjoy it.” It is important to remember that rationalization is a sure sign of full

stage addiction, for if there were no addiction, there would be no need to

rationalize.

Almost simultaneously, when the person enters the rationalization stage

they begin to hide their use from others. They can no longer deny to themselves

that they have issue with substance abuse, so it becomes increasingly important

to hide their use from others. The person begins to isolate and use alone. Their

despair turns inward to self-loathing. This self-loathing propels the person into

further abuse to escape the shame. However, they still need to protect their using

and often appear to others as if there are no problems, they wear “masks” of

well-being.

At some point, the addicted person decides that enough is enough and

they begin to contemplate stopping. The addiction psyche senses the impending

frontal assault and develops more sophisticated defense tactics. The person

begins delaying the onslaught of abstinence by using self-talk that says “I’ll stop

when I have the next blackout or argument with the husband,” or “I’ll wait till the

end of the month or when this project gets finished,” or “I need some time to think

30
this through.” The delaying tactic is another sure sign that there is a fully evolved

addiction.

This process of denying, repressing, rationalizing, hiding, and delaying

can go on for an undetermined length of time. This process intensifies the

person’s shame and low self esteem. They further cut themselves off from

people, as their world gets smaller and smaller. They plunge into loneliness and

despair. Choice is gone and the person can no longer stop by himself or herself.

This consistent, repeating cycle of using, shame, and despair inevitably leads to

the giving in stage. The person has two options: to surrender and seek recovery

or the alternative is to surrender to the addiction and allow it to take them to

addiction’s demise. Ironically, surrendering to the addiction’s demise is often

more appealing than abstaining and is often embraced until there is insanity,

institutionalization, or death.

One other component that is absolutely necessary in the person’s

addiction process is collusion. This is termed codependency, co-addiction, or

over-functioning. It occurs when the addicted person recruits, or someone

volunteers (consciously or unconsciously), to aid the person in the repression,

delaying or rationalization of the addict’s use. A colluding person might be a

spouse, friend, child, employer and/or church member or all of the above. No

addiction can go on for a lengthy period of time unless there is collusion. This is

so significant in the addiction cycle that many therapies today address the co-

addict’s collusion as the presenting problem, rather than the addiction itself. This

31
removes the enabling process for the addict, thus allowing the addict’s bottom to

occur.

Unfortunately, as Christians we are highly susceptible to collusion. Our

enabling love is our Achilles heel. Neil Anderson in his book Freedom From

Addiction indicates agreement;

“…every Christian is co-dependent…We are commanded to love one

another, which means we are subject to one another’s needs…however, Christ-

like love must be tough when the situation calls for it. When others dictate how

and when we are to love them, it is wrong. They are controlling us by their

sickness. When we cover up their addiction their bondage becomes our

bondage.”21

iii. Neurological

There are ten billion to one trillion nerve cells in a human brain. Brain cells

operate in local groups, functional groups or as both. Each brain cell has as

many as twenty thousand axons or telephone lines to other parts of the brain and

corresponding brain cells. Each axon may have as many as two thousand

synapses or “telephone lines” within it.

Each synapse transmits its information to another brain cell via a chemical

called a neurotransmitter. This information is sent to and picked up by a number

of neuroreceptors in the other cell. There are approximately thirty different

chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain and a multitude of outside induced

21Neil Anderson and Mike and Julia Quarles, Freedom From Addiction, Breaking the
Bondage of Addiction and Finding Freedom in Christ, Regal Books, Ventura CA; 1996 p.213

32
chemicals to which a neuroreceptor will respond. Alcohol and drugs are outside

induced chemicals to which the receptors respond.

The purpose of a neurotransmitter is to stimulate, inhibit, or facilitate

another brain cell’s activity. All behavior, memory, and learning is activated by

sequencing of cell activity. The activity of one cell influences other cells,

directly or indirectly, causing an imbalance of electrical activity in the receiving

brain cells. Balance is the most vital priority of the brain.

The brain copes with imbalance by utilizing three mechanisms; feedback,

habituation and adaptation.

Feedback can occur in three different ways. Cells that are overactive can

be inhibited or receive feedback to, for example, speak more softly. Cells that are

under activated can be stimulated or receive feedback to speak up. Thirdly, cells

that are communicating appropriately receive feedback saying I can hear you.

This normally restores balance.

However, if the sending cell is overactive and is not responding to

inhibiting feedback from the receptor, the receiving cell will tune the transmitters

out. This is done when the receiving cell turns off some of its neuroreceptors or

by develops a muffling device that surrounds the neuroreceptor. This builds up

tolerance, or habituation, in the receiving cell. An example of tolerance is the

brain is able to tune out the noise of the busy streets when you are attempting to

fall asleep. This characteristic of coping can only be sustained for a short

duration before the receiving cells have to take a more radical change.

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 If the incoming signal is chronic and intense, the receiving cell eventually

tires out and literally “gives in.” The receiving cell must adapt to the chronicity and

intensity of the signal and must physically mutate, adapting to the incoming

signals. A new balance is formed in the brain.

There are two interventions that can affect the transmission of the

neurotransmitters. One is stress, which will produce adrenaline, non-adrenaline,

endorphins, serotonin, and other chemicals. The chronic overproduction or

underproduction of these chemicals is considered to be the cause of depression,

ADD/ADHD, and mental illness. Another intervention is the use of outside drugs,

both prescription and illegal. In addiction, these chemicals inhibit or weaken the

normal transmission of the sending cells (neurotransmitters) to the receiving

cells (receptors). This creates an abnormal feedback loop to the sending cell

asking it to “speak louder” and send more neurotransmitters to compensate or

balance the system. The receiving cell also compensates for the poor reception

by creating more receptors to pick up the signal. This habituation of cells occurs

temporarily every time anyone uses a drug.

If the person chronically consumes the drug over a period of time, the cells

will compensate and physically mutate to adapt for the constant presence of the

drug. The sending cell will adapt and continue to send the signal at a more

intense level. The receiving cell will adapt to pick up the signal at an increased

level of sensitivity. The cells are literally screaming at each other while turning

their reception sensitivity up. When the drug or chemical is not present, the

34
communication between the two cells is excruciatingly painful. This is one

symptom of withdrawal.

The brain remembers (behavioral reaction) what has calmed this down,

and begins to crave for that substance. The craving leads to reenacting the old

behavior of using the chemical or drug. Suddenly you have an addiction.

iv. Spiritual, Detachment from Others, Self, and God.

Addiction can be understood as a spiritual malady or a spiritual thirst for

belonging and love. It is a detachment of relationship from others, self, and God.

Early in childhood, an individual learns through their interactions with their

caregivers an understanding of what love feels like and how love is shown to

each other. Unfortunately, in the case of a potentially addictive individual, in their

family system, love is conveyed dysfunctionally. The person develops a distorted

view of love.

Every human is born with expectations. These expectations are not initially

conscious to the person. There is the expectations that our parents will take care

of all our needs. As life begins to impinge on children, they realize that others’ will

not meet all their expectations. They also realize that they have to meet other’s

expectations. This is the child’s first disappointment. If the person has healthy

and loving parents, they can assist the child to readjust to these unmet

expectations without the child feeling resentment or shame.

However, if the child is raised in an unhealthy environment where there

are under-responsive, over-responsive, shameful, and/or abusive parents, the

child will develop a distorted understanding of love. Love may seem to them

35
unsafe, unpredictable or to overly protective. The child often develops defensive

personalities and behavior patterns to protect themselves from the

inconsistencies and inadequacies of the people that love them. They develop

defensive pseudo-selves that are emanated out to others. When the individual

uses these psuedo-selves, their true self detaches or alienates from others.

The person allows only the psuedo self to be known to others. The psuedo self

becomes the accepted personality in the family system. The child’s true self is

hidden and protected and has no place to belong.

As persons become more concerned with developing and managing these

psuedo-selves, they become less concerned with establishing a relationship with

their true self. Over time, the person identifies more with the psuedo-self and

then gradually loses all touch with their true self. They metamorphose into the

protective masks of their defense mechanisms. This obsessive attachment to

their psuedo self is the beginning of the addiction process. It is beginning of the

detaching from the true self, or utilizing an obsessive attachment to a new

identification. This re-identification of the true self can manifest itself in many

behaviors ranging from addictions of codependency, workaholism, exercise

addiction, over-responsible parenting, and religion, to name a few.

The true self is forgotten and never develops. The person does not

experience life through the true self thus he/she never developing values and

meaning. The person’s value and meaning is determined through the family’s

approval of the functionality of the psuedo self. The person borrows a value

36
system from others. That facilitates the psuedo self to gain approval. The person

live in the emptiness of not living in integrity.

At the unconscious level the true self recognizes this lack of integrity that

creates shame and low self-esteem. The anxiety of living out as a psuedo self

creates emptiness and loneliness in the individual. Rolo May labels this condition

the Hollow Man.

(The Hollow Man’s)“…anxiety comes from such unconscious

psychological conflicts. The person feels threatened, but as a ghost; he

does not know where the enemy is, or how to fight it or flee from it. These

conflicts usually get started in some previous situation of threat, which the

person did not feel strong enough to face, such as a child having to deal

with domineering and possessive parents, or having to face the fact that

his parents don’t love him. The real problem then is repressed and

returns later as inner conflict bringing with it neurotic anxiety...In dealing

with any severe neurotic anxiety...is to get psychotherapeutic help.” 22

This anxiety eventually drives the individual to seek out increasingly more

effective, elaborate, and instantly gratifying defense mechanisms. Drug and

alcohol use is the best option for such relief.

Substance abuse and other addictive behaviors not only relieve this

existential angst; they further facilitate the person’s detachment from

relationships with self and others and continue the spiral into deeper addiction.

Underlying the whole process, as I mentioned before, is the person’s

intense desire to receive God’s love. My seven years of experience in treating

addicts and my own personal experience show that every addicted person

37
suffers from a detachment of relationship with God.23 Either the person was

raised in a highly religious environment that preached only the negative

consequences of sin and the potential damnation to hell, or the family system

may never have introduced the idea of a loving, caring, and compassionate God.

Alternatively, an event or series of events such as trauma/abuse, occurs to the

child. These events make him or her believe that God has never existed or has

abandoned them.

It is not difficult to understand how young children might perceive that God

had abandoned them if they happen to be raised in a dysfunctional/abusive

family system. This detachment from the presence of God will be internalized as

loneliness, fear, lack of belonging and shame.

Yet the desire for God love is entrenched in the person’s psyche. Listen to

the psalms, “As the heart yearns after the water brooks, so yearns my soul after

you, O Lord. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and

appear before God?’ (Psalm 42:2-3) If God is perceived as not available and this

yearning cannot be satisfied, then the person has no option but to seek a viable

alternative. If the person has detached from familial and self-love, the next

closest earthly semblance to God’s love is the person’s use of euphoric inducing

compulsive behaviors and/or drug/alcohol use. The addiction falsely satisfies the

person’s craving, initially. It brings on the false sense of belonging and love.

However, eventually the addiction turns against them. It no longer rewards the

person with escape, but rather creates its own unique angst. Panic overwhelms

23The Catholic Bountyful House in Vancouver’s east side, quite successfully, works with addicts in
identifying these “detachments from God” in their past as a therapy for addiction recovery.

38
the addict as he/she frantically and continually strives to recapture the initial

euphoria of the substance’s first use. The person compromise their values,

morals, and quality of life, thus shaming and degrading them into increasingly

compulsive and obsessive substance abuse.

VI. IDENTIFYING ADDICTION

It will be seldom that we as church leaders, pastoral counselors and

congregation members overtly see addiction in our communities. The very nature

of addiction conceals the addicted individual from our view. There is a number of

reasons for this. As mentioned before, the addict is extremely cunning and

evasive. The person will use elaborate tactics to hide the addiction symptoms

from outside view, and will also enlist others in collusion, enabling the further

delay in exposing the addiction to the external world. Even if symptoms where to

become visible, there is such a terrible ignorance of addiction warning signs that

it would be difficult for anyone to recognize them. In addition, the stigma of sin

attached to addiction may be too shaming for the addicted individual to come

forward to seek help within our church communities. Finally, and probably the

most common reason that our church communities do not see addiction, is that

the addicted person will drop out of the community before the symptoms become

visible.

The addicted individual’s defense mechanisms mask the addiction

process. Therefore, when the symptomology does emerge, it is always a positive

indication that the person is struggling with substance abuse. It is imperative to

remember that people without addiction problems never have addiction

39
symptoms. Only people with substance abuse problems have them. Granted, the

symptoms will not necessarily indicate the severity and progress of the problem,

but it will always indicate there is a problem. There is no reason to speculate

apparent addiction symptoms: if there are symptoms, there is addiction.

Some indicators that will inform us if there is a problem with substance

abuse:

▪ Person rationalizes their use of substances. As mentioned before, a

sure sign of addiction is rationalization. Social users never find themselves

in negative situations that need to be explained. Most people do not resort

to alcohol or drugs excessively to manage the anxiety of trying and difficult

times.

▪ Person does not live up to commitments, particularly on weekends

and Mondays. Person will begin to miss Sunday church service and work

on Mondays. Spouse will often attend service alone, creating excuses of

illness for other.

▪ Person attends service or other church commitments and is visibly

not feeling well or may smell of alcohol. They may also have bloodshot

and yellow eyes. With drug abuse, the person’s eyes may be glassy and

have dilated or constricted pupils. They may fall asleep during service,

either from hangovers or being under the influence of heroin or

barbiturates.

40
 ▪ Person moods will fluctuate to the extremes. The person may be

elated one moment and then highly depressed in the next. Extreme anger

is common.

▪ Problems with the law are a sure signal that the substance abuse

has progressed beyond normal consumption. More than one DUI (driving

under the influence), car accidents, criminal arrests, and marital

disturbances are all certain signs that the addiction is controlling the

person beyond reasonable behavior patterns.

▪ Person may complain of suicidal ideations, depression, and/or

intense anxiety. One should always question the individual’s substance

use if presented with these symptoms. Complaints of blackouts24 are

another sure sign of addiction. Normal users may have one “blackout” in

their lifetime, however, this event is so terrifying that they will never

consume that amount of alcohol or drugs again.

▪ Rumors will be spread about the person’s drug and/or alcohol use.

Rumors are another sure sign that there is a problem. Generally,

underneath a rumor is an indicator of a larger problem. Rumors may not

be an accurate portrayal of the situation, but there is always an element of

truth to them.

▪ Significant others may come to church leaders or pastoral

counselors under the guise of marital problems. Careful questioning of the

significant other’s story can reveal evidence of an addiction problem. Ask

24 “Blackouts” being periods of time that the person cannot recall while they were under the
influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

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 whether person is living up to responsibilities, or if their children are not

staying home or acting out, bills not being paid etc. If you suspect

addiction, question further into the persons consumption of drugs/alcohol.

AA and NA provide pamphlets of questions that can be used to uncover

addiction issues.

VII. INTERVENTION IN ADDICTION

Occasionally there will be a time when an addicted parishioner will come forth to

seek help. If this is the case then help should be decisive and impactful. It is

essential that the individual seek outside professional help. Suggesting a plan of

moderation or controlled substance use is only a futile and always an

unachievable, expectation.

Foremost, it is essential that the person gain abstinence, firstly, to stop the

disastrous downward spiral into addictive hell, with all the destruction that this

spiral causes to family and friends. Secondly, abstinence is important because

one cannot work on the underlying issues that precipitate addiction their when

they are under the curse of the addictive cycle. When one is preoccupied with,

recovering from, or actually using the substance, there is little cognitive or

emotional space available for the person to delve into their core issues of abuse,

shame and lack of self esteem.

As pastoral counselors or church leaders we are valuable in helping the

individual heal these inner wounds of abuse, shame and low self esteem.

However, we are generally not trained, nor prepared, to aid a person to gain

abstinence. That is the responsibility of treatment centers, recovery houses,

42
addiction therapists, and/or 12-step programs. Our responsibility then is to refer

these individuals to places that are equipped with the skills to assist the individual

gain abstinence. I will address these resources further in the section on

resources.

More commonly, what will occur in our churches is a significant person in

the addict’s life will approach us seeking help to deal with that person’s addiction

issue. In this case, intervention may be required.

Intervention may be a difficult process for Christian communities. An

intervention is confrontational and often is misinterpreted as conflict. Christian

culture wrongly understands confrontation as unloving. In the case of addiction,

not confronting is being unloving. It is unloving behavior not to intervene with

someone in addiction. Just as Jesus used intervention or confrontation of the

sinner in His healing ministry, we Christians are obligated to use the same

approach when dealing with addiction. Not confronting addiction allows the

individual to continue unchecked in the sinful and destructive pattern that ruins

their life and the lives of others. Neil Anderson’s comments on Christians’ fears

concerning intervention:

“Discipline is proof of our love, not a violation of it. Remember for the

addict, the fear of being exposed is far worse than the actual consequences of

being exposed. In the same way the consequences for covering up the addiction

through inaction are far worse than taking a stand for the sake of everyone

else.”25

25Neil Anderson and Mike and Julia Quarles, Freedom From Addiction, Breaking the
Bondage of Addiction and Finding Freedom in Christ, Regal Books, Ventura CA; 1996 p 213

43
 As mentioned before, it is our own hurts and fears that prevent us from

being loving. It is our own fears of negative repercussions that thwart us from

living out our obligation to Jesus. It is fear that prevents us from performing God’s

will to be done.

An intervention takes place when a group of people close to the addict

confront the addicted individual with his/her addiction. It is the first step, as

outlined in Jesus’ healing process, of justifying the person back into proper

relationship with self, others, and God. A justification or intervention creates for

the person an emotional bottom and potentially the motivation to seek treatment.

It is the hope that this premature bottom will create compliance on the individual’s

part and he or she will decide to seek treatment. It is not necessary that the

individual be highly motivated or even totally sold on the idea of treatment. What

is important is that the person agrees, even if reluctantly, to seek help. Quality

treatment centers will work specifically in developing a higher level of motivation

in the individual, thus creating better success rates.

Intervention with addicted people requires both general and specific

knowledge about how addicted people behave and think and how they arrive at a

choice for treatment of their addiction. It is best to seek outside advice or

professional interveners if the church community does not have expertise with

this approach.

If such outside help is not available and the community needs to do their

own intervention, there are a few key issues one must plan for before and during

the process.

44
 If the symptomatic individual’s spouse or parent requests the intervention,

the counselor needs to question them to ascertain that the individual of their

concern is addicted. Many testing devices can be employed to answer these

questions. The simplest testing can be done by contacting Alcoholics or

Narcotics Anonymous and requesting the pamphlet called “20 Questions.”

Having the spouse or parent answer questions as to how the addiction has

affected them will give the counselor or helper the appropriate information for a

diagnosis. It is imperative that the concerned person answer the questions as

they perceive the situation, based on actual events and facts, and not on how

they emotionally feel about situation. Disallow any answers that are based on

their assumptions, their perceptions, and /or hearsay. If the diagnosis comes out

as positive for addiction then one can go forward with the intervention.

Firstly, select a person to orchestrate the intervention. This should be

someone who is not directly affected by or in relationship with the addict. This

could be a pastoral counselor, pastor, elder or other church leader.

As many people as possible should be involved in the actual intervention.

The closer the person’s relationship is with the individual the more effectively the

message will be delivered to the individual. People who should be considered as

interveners are employers, employees, family, spouse, children, parents, and

friends.

Everyone must be in agreement with the facts and the potential outcome.

This will minimize the addicted person’s ability to argue and become defensive.

All parties should rehearse what they intend to say to the addicted person. These

45
statements should include three messages: an incident, a feeling, and a

consequence. If possible, the statement should include a specific event when the

substance abuser negatively affected them due to their substance abuse. If the

person cannot cite an incident, then indicating how they feel when the person

abuses alcohol/drugs will suffice.

After the intervener explains the negative incident, they should then

describe how they felt when this incident occurred. Every effort should be made

to deliver the message in a calm and loving approach. Drug abusers have plenty

of experience with emotional confrontation and often use itas an opportunity to

retaliate and put others on the defensive. If the person becomes argumentative

then the coordinator must calmly ask, not tell, the individual to please listen to the

person.

Finally, the intervener must include a consequence that will occur if the

addicted person does not seek treatment. The more severe the consequence the

more effective the statement will be. Stating of severe consequences can be

difficult for some interveners, especially spouses and children. A minimal

acceptable consequence is that the interveners themselves will seek therapeutic

help if the addict does not seek help. Surprisingly, this statement can be a very

effective consequence and often convinces the addict that they too can seek

help.

An example statement might be: “When you where drinking and ran

your car off the road (incident), I was scared that you might die and felt angry that

you would jeopardize your family (feeling). If you do not seek treatment you will

not be able to live in the family house (consequence).”

46
 The interveners should not minimize or soften the delivery of the

message, yet be careful not to act as prosecutors. The more concise, factual and

clear the statement the more impact on the reception. All individuals involved

should rehearse their statements with the leader of the intervention. Rehearsing

the intervention is imperative. The interveners do not want any surprises during

the actual intervention. This rehearsal should be held one-on-one with each

individual involved. Then a final dress rehearsal with all involved should be done

within 24 hours, or as close to the actual time of the real intervention as possible.

Timing is critical. Experts suggest the most effective time to intervene is

when there is a substance abuse initiated crisis in the abuser’s life. However, if

you wait too long for the crisis to happen, you run the risk that some of the

interveners will lose their courage and change their mind. The counsellor will

need to balance this with the requirements of the interveners and the severity of

addictive situation.

The ideal outcome of an intervention is that the intervened seeks

immediate help in a residential treatment center. (See more under resources) A

treatment center or recovery house should be selected, arrangements made for

arrival, clothing packed and any transportation needs set for immediate delivery

of the person to the treatment facility. Ideally, there should be no delay between

the end of the intervention and treatment. Delay will give the individual an

opportunity to rethink their situation and vacillate on their commitment. If

possible, someone should accompany the individual to the destination.

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 However, in many cases the intervention does not cause the person to

seek treatment. This should not be viewed as a failure. It often takes many

negative incidents before a person gets into treatment. The intervention will have

an impact on the addicted person, yet they may not be prepared to do something

about it. It is essential that if the person does not seek help, the interveners live

up to the consequences they set out in the intervention. This may mean that the

addicted person leave the family home, terminate their job or be financially cut

off. Any other outcome than this will be further the collusion and perpetuate the

addiction process. It is important that the significant others of addicts take care of

themselves while the addict determines what they are going to do with their life.

There are a number of resources available for these individuals and they should

be actively sought out. See the section in resources for further information.

VIII. RESOURCES

12-step programs. One hundred thirty-six groups use the 12-steps as a

foundation for recovery. They deal with addictions from alcohol and narcotics to

gambling, overeating, sex, cocaine, heroin and more. Many 12-step programs

have central offices that will assist individuals to find additional resources,

provide speakers to educate, and direct them to meeting locations. Many

churches already have 12-step programs operating in their facilities. The twelfth

step obliges that an AA or NA group “…carry (their) message to alcoholics…”

The most important service the 12-step groups will provide is personal

visits to someone who is still struggling with substance abuse. Their credo is, “I

48
am responsible, when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand

of AA always to there. And for that; I am responsible.”26

Many 12-step groups help people who have addicts as significant others

in their lives. There is Al-anon for alcoholic, Nar-anon for narcotics, CoDa for co-

dependants and ACOA for adult children of alcoholics. Contact numbers for these

organizations can be found in the telephone book or through the other

corresponding 12-step groups.

City or state/province addiction support services. They can be found

on the Internet or in the yellow or government pages of the telephone book under

“Addiction” or “Health”. Contacting them will help the individual answer questions

on addiction recovery. They will also assist in finding treatment centers, addiction

therapists, intervention experts, outpatient services, recovery houses, and detox

facilities close by.

In most major metropolitan centers, there are a number of facilities that

deal with addiction. The intervener will need a rudimentary understanding of their

purpose.

General hospitals can be used in the case of overdose, psychotic

episodes, or injuries due to intoxication. Generally, hospitals will not detoxify

patients. Hospitals should only be used for emergencies.

Detoxification centers are for the sole purpose of assisting and

monitoring someone who is withdrawing from the effects of substance abuse.

They will detoxify anyone using any drug. The only drugs that can cause death

The AA Service Manual and Twelve Concepts for World Service Alcoholics Anonymous
26

World Service, NY, NY; 1996 edition, p. 10

49
due to withdrawal are benzodiazepines (Valium, Adivan) and alcohol. Depending

on dosage and duration of use, withdrawal from these drugs will often cause

seizures that can lead to death. Anyone using these drugs should always detoxify

in a detox center. Although withdrawal effects from heroin and other opiates are

terrible, they will not kill user.

Detox stays are always short term, anywhere from four days to four

weeks. There is generally no addiction therapy, although some detoxs will have

12-step meetings in the evenings. After detox there should always be continued

treatment, either in a treatment facility, recovery house, and/or 12-step meetings.

Treatment facilities fall into two categories: residential and outpatient.

Residential treatment centers are more intensive and run from twenty-eight days

to three months. They are more expensive; however, some insurance companies

and provinces will pay some of the cost. They are historically more effective than

outpatient treatment. Betty Ford in Palm Springs is considered a residential

treatment center.

There are also Christian treatment centers in many locations. The

Salvation Army has taken the lead in many of these areas. They often run

facilities that incorporate street missions, detoxs, and treatment centers. In

Vancouver, they are responsible for the Cordova Detox and Harbor Light

Treatment Center, Miracle Valley treatment center, and many outpatient facilities.

Salvation Army ministry is primarily directed at street addiction, often does not

use its name as a primary identification for their facilities and uses a limited

exposure to Christian theology in the recovery process. In addition to the

50
Salvation Army, in the Vancouver area, there is the Union Gospel Mission and

Wagner Hills Farm, both of which are residential treatment facilities.

Outpatient treatment is less intensive and cheaper. The risk with outpatient

treatment is keeping the individual involved. People in early recovery are highly

susceptible to departing outpatient treatment before completion.

Recovery houses are often referred to as halfway houses, interim

treatment, aftercare housing, or pre/post treatment housing. These facilities are

similar to residential treatment centers, in that the individual will live in residence

but will not have as many restrictions as are imposed in a treatment center.

Some houses will allow the residents to work, have weekend passes, and allow

regular visitation. They often have in-house therapy, require attendance to 12-

step meetings, and may work with an outpatient treatment facility. The purpose of

these homes is to provide a safe place for an individual either to wait prior to

entrance into a residential treatment facility; or after leaving residential treatment

while still needing to reintegrate into a non-using lifestyle and recovery.

Beyond the initial treatment for abstinence, there are other resources to

which individuals can be directed. These can assist the person to heal the

underlying cause of their addiction, namely shame, and low self esteem that

derive from past abuses and hurts in the family system. There are multitudes of

therapists who specialize in the healing of childhood abuse, trauma, and family

systems. These can be found through the agencies listed above.

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IX. CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SUPPORT AFTER ABSTINENCE

Our first obligation to the suffering addict is assist them to seek outside resources

to gain abstinence. Abstinence must be gained before the individual can work on

these underlying causes. Our churches can be a therapeutic haven for the

wounded addict to begin their arduous journey to heal their shame from old

wounds. Nevertheless, just as importantly, our churches, and in particular our

pastoral counselors, priests, pastors, and spiritual directors can assist the person

by helping them reestablish relationships true self, others and God. We can

support the individual in righteousness and toward sanctification.

i. A Place to Belong

“The alcoholic who has a relationship with his bottle has substituted

something else for a human relationship. The addiction is the substitute for

interpersonal needs. There has been a critical failure in the human environment

and a sense of shame surrounds those vital inter-personal needs we all

experience.”27

When our needs are not met as children, through abuse and shame we become

disconnected. We have no sense of healthy love. We turn to substances that

provide us with connection, albeit temporary and unsatisfying in the end. This

eventually leads to addiction. The Linns put it this way: “When we are

disconnected from ourselves, we can not connect authentically with others, God

or the universe…we begin searching for some way to reconnect, although

ultimately they don’t work and become destructive.” 28

27 Kaufman, Greshem, Shame: The Power of Caring, Schenkman, Rochester VT; 1985 p.151
28Linn, Dennis, Sheila and Mathew, Belonging, Bonds of Healing and Recovery, Paulist
Press, NY, NY: 1993 p 44

52
 All addicts are looking for a way to reconnect and a way to belong again.

Our church communities should be that place, where one begins to relearn how

to connect. Once we remove the veil of ignorance from the affliction of addiction,

we can open our arms to the suffering addict and help them relearn healthy ways

of being in relationship with others, and thus allowing them to re-enter community

and find a place to belong. We can provide a safe haven where one can heal the

past wounds and grieve their lost identity.

Henri Nouwen speaks of our Christian obligation and calling to community:

“… we have been called together by the same Lord. Only God enables us to

cross the many bridges that separate us; only God allows us to recognize each other as

members of the same human family and only God frees us to pay close attention to each

other…able to carry each other’s burdens and share in each others joys and testify to

God’s presence in our world.”29

Therefore, we have an obligation to remove ignorance surrounding

addiction. Only through education can we bridge ignorance that separates us

from the addict. Then we can pay close attention to the person, recognizing that

addict is of the same human family, the same broken family of God. We can help

carry the burdens of shame, hurt and brokenness by bringing to an end their

sense of alienation. “…We have been called together by the same Lord,” for it is

only our fear that prevents us from inviting the recovering addict back to

community.

Our communities are filled with opportunities that can provide the

recovering addict with a sense of belonging: invitations to worship,

encouragement for Bible studies, involvement in social events, spiritual retreats,

29 Nouwen, Henri, The Only Necessary Thing, Crossroads Pub., NY, NY; 2002 p. 125

53
etc. In addition, our churches can create their own support groups. There is

Christian based 12-step literature available for the development of 12-step

groups specific to addiction, adult children of alcoholics, co-dependency and

abuse survivor matters. If these are not possible, then there are opportunities to

create community-based support groups for depression, abuse survivors, and

divorce. This can be accomplished though our own resources or by using outside

sources.

One of the reasons for the success of the 12-step groups is that they

provide community. The 12-step communities provide a safe place for the

recovering person to belong, without fear of retribution or shame. This safety

gives the recovering person a protected environment in which to experiment in

reestablishing themselves to self, others, and a God of their understanding. It is

through the sharing of their own brokenness and the hearing of others’

brokenness that they know that they are not alone; that they belong. This sharing

allows each person to risk more because there is no judgment. People become

more vulnerable and intimate. With this learned intimacy they are better placed to

reconnect with themselves and others. By practicing of the 12-steps, the person

can work to get in touch with their past hurts and recognize that they were not at

fault. They start to understand their inner true self, thus allowing for a true

humility and acceptance of self. With this acceptance, one is able to understand

God. Moreover, through the 12-steps one can begin to mend past guilt and

shame by learning to reframe the incident and possibly understand the

54
perpetrator. One can then begin to forgive, without condoning the harm done

them.

Our church communities can learn from the 12-step programs. In the book

Modern Psychotherapies, the author states, “We can profitably learn from other

thought systems that are not explicitly Christian if we retain the distinctiveness of

our faith commitments to Christ in the process.”30 I would encourage that anyone

involved in the healing of persons with addiction attend a number of 12-step

meetings. Only through attendance at these meetings can one see that the Holy

Spirit is invoked and actively involved in the process of these healing

communities.

ii. Inner Healing Of Past Abuses

All addicts suffer from past traumas. This takes form in physical, sexual, neglect

and/or emotional abuse. This trauma may be in the form of one or several

intense and terrifying events, such as being a victim of or witnessing extreme

violence. Trauma can also be a subtle and prolonged abuse such as emotional

neglect, and/or overly rigid discipline and structure in the family system.

No matter what the trauma may be, it eventually forces the individual to

develop sophisticated personality defense mechanisms to ward off or minimize

further abuse. These defensive personalities are pseudo-selves that disconnect

the person from their true self. When one does not operate as a true self, one

can never be in true relationship with others and God, for it is the pseudo-self

that is in relationship with others.

Jones, Stanton, L. and Butman, Richard E. Modern Psychotherapies, A Comprehensive

30

Christian Appraisal, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. 1991 p 38

55
 The pseudo-self also pretends that everything is all right and either

minimizes one’s pain or holds one’s pain deep in the seat of the soul. These

wounds intensify and fester during the years of substance abuse. Using drugs

and alcohol obstruct the past pain from entering the person’s awareness. In early

recovery, these wounds are uncovered and re-exposed. Experiencing the old

pain can often lead the person back into substance use. These past hurts must

be healed if the person is to be whole again. Dr. Barbara Yoder of the Addiction

Resource Center in Los Angeles states,

“Children from dysfunctional families have so much psychic pain that often it

becomes much easier for them to deal with it on a physical plane. And so their emotional

problems shift into physical problems. (Addiction)…once you get the people off the drugs,

the emotional trauma reoccurs…before you can move on, a lot of those past experiences

need to be healed”

The Linns in their book Belonging speak specifically to this point,

“We break out of this addictive cycle when our emotional hurts get healed by a

love so deep it can penetrate and melt away the triggering shame. (This) Love that calls

us to belong to our true selves others and God…is like sunshine that removes the shame

entombing us”31

One avenue our Christian churches have available to help ease and heal

these past traumas is with inner healing prayer. This is the process of asking

Jesus to walk back in time to where the past trauma occurred and pray for Jesus

to release the person from their past hurt. Inner healing prayer is requesting

Jesus to fill those areas in the person’s soul that have been empty for so long.

31Linn, Dennis, Sheila and Mathew, Belonging, Bonds of Healing and Recovery, Paulist
Press, NY, NY: 1993 p. 95

56
Inner healing is Jesus’ justification of the person, bringing them back into right

relationships with self, others, and Him.

I will briefly outline some of the necessary requirements for inner healing

to occur. This is by no way a complete description of the process. There are

many books and resources to guide the carrying out of inner healing prayer, and I

strongly suggest that one uses these resources before attempting inner healing.

There is always the possibility that revisiting a person’s past trauma can bring on

serious regressive behaviors that may require someone with appropriate

experience and skill to bring the person back to reality. I have listed a number of

books in appendix A.

Francis Mc Nutt in his book Healing summarizes a few basic guidelines for

inner healing. Since the person needing inner healing will be discussing some of

their deepest and most hurtful memories that involve shame and low self esteem,

inner healing should be done privately. No more than one or two people should

be present. The suffering individual should select the people in whom they feel

comfortable in confiding. Those selected should have experience with inner

healing prayer, be highly sensitive, and have demonstrated that they have a gift

of the Spirit. Ideally, they should have knowledge of psychology relating to

childhood trauma and abuse. Faith of the injured individual is not a requirement.

Often the recovering addict has lost, or never had, significant faith. Faith should

be with the person praying. All that is required of the recovering addict is a

willingness to believe that prayer can help. Inner healing prayer often requires

several sessions, to deal with deep and serious trauma. In addition, more

57
sessions may be necessary if the process of healing one wound uncovers other

past hurts. We generally should not expect the same dramatic effects that Jesus

was able to elicit with his healing miracles.

The room for prayer should have a peaceful, gentle, and aesthetically

pleasing environment. Generally, lighting should be dim, possibly with votive

candles, incense, and soft music. A comfortable chair or recliner should be

provided for the individual. These physical elements will create an atmosphere so

that the individual can fall back into memory. Often inner healing takes place not

during the actual prayer ritual but during the quiet times between prayers.

Ample time should be allowed. Ideally, there should be 45 minutes of

conversation with 15 minutes for prayer. Less than a total of 20 minutes may not

allow for the deep processing of memory.

McNutt indicates that we should concentrate on two questions: When did

the trauma occur? and How does the individual understand why it happened?

Answers to these provides the inner healer with the necessary information for the

basis of the prayer and assist the addicted individual to reframe the incident from

a mature adult perspective.

Based on my experiences with healing past traumas I would incorporate

two more questions. I would ask the person; “If Jesus were present at the time of

this atrocity, what would He say to that hurt child?” Secondly, I would ask the

person “If their adult self were present at the time of injury, what would that adult

say to their inner child?” This way the person, in holy union with Jesus, actively

58
participates in his or her own healing. In psychology this is often referred to as

‘reparenting one’s self.’

Once the past trauma narrative has been given, the person can be prayed

for; firstly for healing the past hurt, and secondly, to invite Jesus to enter the

person’s void in their soul. McNutt suggests:

“…we then ask Jesus to walk back with us while we picture, in as imaginative a

way as possible, his healing each of the principal hurts the person has sustained.

Since it is the inner child of the past that is being healed we need to pray in as

childlike, imaginative a way as we can.”32

It is important that when we pray, we see the incident from the perspective

of the little child. Many past incidents viewed from an adult’s perspective may

seem insignificant and not hurtful. Often the suffering person will minimize his or

her own pain in order to incorporate this adult perspective. That is why it is

important to keep our prayers simple and childlike. It allows the person to “refeel”

the past hurt of their inner child. It is the inner child that we are asking Jesus to

justify. Healing the inner child is the first step for the person to reconnect to true

self, thus helping the person reconnect to others and God. It is the beginning of

righteousness.

iii. The Importance of Discovering Self

The process of inner healing allows persons the ability to mend the

wounds that keep them separate from others and self. However, the process of

reconciliation of the person to the true self is a much longer process.

32 MacNutt, Francis, Healing, Ave Maria press, Notre Dame, IN; 1999 (Rev) p.150

59
 Professor Stephan Evan’s speaks of the “God shaped hole” in humanity.

He validates this when he looks to history and states, “Nearly every culture and

civilization has believed in and worshiped something greater and more powerful

than itself”33

It is God given, but person driven. The “God shaped hole” originates in our

basic temperament and is honed by our environment, physiology, intelligence,

and our faith system (or lack of faith system). I believe that due to the addict’s

past abuses, the “God shaped hole” of existential angst is colossal in every

addict. It takes an awareness of our experiences to tell us who we are. In

addiction, one spends a lifetime avoiding this “hole” firstly though early developed

defense personalities and then eventually with substances and/or obsessive

behaviors. Unfortunately, the avoidance of this “hole” through substance and

behavior abuse also results in total lack of awareness of the narrative experience

of their lives. They can never understand who they are because they have no

awareness of self in the context of their addictive history. My clinical experiences

with recovering addicts validate this when I often hear one say that their life “…

has been one detached and unrelated event from the next event”, or that “… my

life seems like a patchwork quilt of dysfunctional events…nothing makes sense

to me.”

Dr. Rollo May’s perspective in his book Meaning of Man is that discovering

self is through the individual’s narrative of the his/hers life. It is by this method

that the person steps out of “oneself” and perceives themselves in the context of

33Evans, C. Stephan, The Quest for Faith, Inter Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL; 1986 p.
56-57

60
their historical events and their relationships with others. May asserts that if the

person can become aware of how they have behaved, how they have lived, or

who they were in the past, it will lead to a formation of an image of who they are

today.

Jefferson Singer, a clinical psychologist who has worked in addiction

recovery at Lebanon Pines treatment center for 15 years, validates May’s

assertion: “…life story is necessary to the formation of identity because it

addresses the problem of continuity over time. There can be no identity without a

sense of connection among one’s past, present and future.”34

Singer goes on to speak of this detachment of the addict’s self from their

life narrative as such:

“…many of these (addicted) men enter adolescence already bearing strong scars

or difficulties from childhood. As other adolescents begin to weave an ideological

background of optimism and hope about the possibilities of the world ahead, these men

have begun to craft a world view that harbors profound fatalism and nihilism about their

lives and life in general”35

Most recovering people have little to draw from in the things they have

done or created. They have destroyed most possessions in their lives. There is

little understanding of one’s self through relationships; most of their relationships

have been one-sided, manipulative, and always jaded by the influence of drugs

or alcohol. The recovering person, when facing the narrative of their life in

34Singer, Jefferson, Message in a Bottle, Stories of Men and Addiction, Free Press, NY, NY,
1997 p. 32
35Singer, Jefferson, Message in a Bottle, Stories of Men and Addiction, Free Press, NY, NY,
1997 p. 30

61
historical events and relationships, is presented with shame or despair. It does

not answer the questions.

Suffering is truth for the addict. They may not be able to articulate what

that meaning or truth is, but they know at a profound level that it has kept them

alive. Only when the addict hits their spiritual bottom, or in other words, the God

given gift of desperation, can the person choose-either to collapse and never

recover, or surrender to God and find purpose in their suffering. However, the

actual suffering is not what is significant; it is the introspection and understanding

of one’s frailties and brokenness of self through their suffering that is important.

One can integrate their suffering as the penance that removes the shame of past

events and atrocities done to them. As shame is gradually removed from a

person’s soul, the events of the past can be viewed without intense emotionality

and can be pieced together to form a narrative. Only in the narrative of the

person's suffering does one discover their meaning. Bill Wilson, one of the

founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, states it succinctly when he says: “Years ago

I used to communicate with all people who suffered. Now I commiserate only with

those who suffer in ignorance, who do not understand the purpose and ultimate

utility of their pain.”36

The most difficult part of the process is helping the person understand the

value in their suffering. The counselor certainly does not want to become like one

of Job’s friends. Therefore, the helper should not take on the role of interpreting

theodicy; that’s God’s job. Additionally, the addict is not spiritually mature enough

to assimilate God’s judgment. Nor is the person emotionally ready to hear of

36 “As Bill Sees It”, Alcoholics Anonymous World Wide Services, NY, NY; 1967 p. 35

62
positive and redeeming involvement of God in their suffering. They may still be

angry with God. It is the purpose of the helper to gently introduce notions of

God’s presence in relationship to the person‘s experiences. Rather, the helper

should take on the role of the non-judgmental listener. They should offer no

answers. There are no answers to the addict’s suffering, except his or her own.

Helpers should continue to encourage increased levels of experience and

objectives. This creates new perspective.37 As this agonizing process evolves,

meaning of their suffering will emerge for the addicted person.

Only when one can accept and love self can one see human reality as

God does. As a person evolves in self-discovery and self love with each

acceptance of his/her brokenness does one begin to grasp God’s acceptance

and love for oneself. This discovery and love of self defines the person in his or

her present relationships. Behaving out of the true self with others and God is

righteous living: is living spirituality, in the faith of Jesus and purpose greater than

one's self. Spirituality leads one to transformation and sanctification. I think Paul

Tillich puts this aptly when he says:

“We are wont to condemn self-love; but what we really mean to condemn is

contrary to self love. It is a mixture of selfishness and self-hate that permanently pursues

us, that prevents us from loving others, and that prohibits us from losing ourselves in love

which we are loved eternally. He who is able to love himself is able to love others also; he

who has learned to overcome self-contempt has overcome his contempt for others. But

the depth of our separation lies in just the fact that we are not capable of the great and

merciful divine love towards ourselves.”38

37In the 12-step programs, this process is referred to as “peeling the onion” or “looking from the
other side of the circle”.
38 Tillich, Paul, The Shaking of the Foundations, Charles Scribners’ Sons, NY, NY; 1948 p. 79

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 It is imperative that pastoral counselors or spiritual directors, assist the

person in reassembling their true self through the use of lifeline and narrative

therapy. It will be our responsibility to guide the person and call attention to their

life processes that define who they are. Through their discovery of self, one can

recognize that God loves them when they see how God has intervened in their

life with compassion and love.

iv. Importance of Spirituality and Faith

I have often asked my clients what made them decide to choose recovery

instead of addiction and death. Many answer that life got so empty, so painful,

that they dropped to their knees and prayed. They surrendered to the possibility

that a power greater than themselves could restore them. This is echoed in the

second step, “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore

us to sanity.”39 This surrender to a God of the person’s understanding is the

underlying component to the success of Alcoholics Anonymous recovery

process.

In his book The Spiritual Self, Abraham Twerski, a rabbi who has worked

with recovering addicts for over twenty years, says that:

“…alcoholics or drug addicts may actually be fortunate in that their

condition results in a crisis that forces them to confront the role or absence of

spirituality in their lives. Lacking such as crisis, many people may live their entire

39 The second step of the twelve steps.

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 lives without coming to a fulfillment of the spiritual component in their lives,

hence, never realize their full potential.”40

Since the people we may see in addiction are Christians, we may feel that

this surrender is not necessary. However, this is exactly what they need to do.

Addicted Christians struggle with the same complexities of the flesh as Paul did.

“It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do

what is wrong…who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?…the

answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 7:21-24) As Paul states, for anyone in

sin, their relief lies in faith in Jesus. If one is in addiction, one is not spiritually

connected to Christ.

Dr. James Houston in his book Transforming Friendship explains this

when he states that “…conversion is not an event, it is a process, a process of

continual surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ.”41 In other words, to gain peace one

must surrender on a daily basis. The process of surrender is not the cessation of

fighting; it is the maintenance of peace. In addiction, recovery is not abstinence

of the drug. Abstinence is one’s crisis of faith being “justified” by Christ into

recovery. Recovery is “righteous living” through the maintenance of one’s spiritual

condition. One cannot be in addiction if one is truly surrendering on a daily basis

to Jesus; it is just not possible. Addicts may assert that they are surrendering and

still be in addiction. However, my experience indicates that if a person is truly

surrendering on a daily basis, they cannot stay in addiction. God does not

40Twerski, Abraham M.D., The Spiritual Self, Reflection on Recovery and God, Hazelden,
Center City MN, 2000 p xiv
41Houston, James, The Hearts Desire, A Guide to Personal Fulfillment Lion Pub, Oxford,
England, 1992 p. 183

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overlook true humility; His grace will always intervene. Our Christian addicts

need spiritual recovery in order to maintain addiction recovery.

Bill Wilson, one of the cofounders of Alcoholics Anonymous, validates this

assumption when he says in the Big Book, that the alcoholics “…have a daily

reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.”

I have had clients say they felt the presence of something greater than

themselves. This experience left them with no question as to whether there was

a God or a grand design for their life. Bill Wilson had such an experience just

before he found sobriety. However, most recovering addicts do not experience

such a dramatic and spiritual occurrence.

Most often people in early recovery slowly nurture and repair this faith

breakdown. We as pastoral counselors or spiritual directors have the opportunity

to take advantage of this crisis of faith and turn it into an advantage of faith

building. We can look, as one option, at the spiritual development that is laid out

in the 12-steps as a guide to aid us in this process.

The last step is “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these

steps…”42 What this implies is that after working a process of spiritual steps (12-

steps) that a spiritual awakening will occur. This spiritual awakening inspires faith

development. Peck says, “…that the 12-steps of AA are the only existing program

of religious conversion, all AA people call it a ‘spiritual conversion’.”43

42 Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous World Wide Services, NY, NY, 1939 p. 60
43Peck, Scott, Further Along the Road Less Traveled, The Unending Journey Towards
Spiritual Growth, Touchstone Books, NY, NY, 1982 p. 139

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 Spiritual conversion can be defined as a powerful emotional experience

that both crystallizes a decision for change and imbues hope in the possibility of

change. It is a person’s sudden breakthrough of self-perception. It is when the

recovering person can clearly see him/herself as others and God views them.

William White, a long-time addiction clinician, speaks of the importance of

spirituality or faith development in recovery:

“Spirituality is not a peripheral issue in recovery. It is not simply some poorly

understood and secondary benefit that accompanies the recovery process. It is the

driving force that initiates and sustains recovery. Understanding the nature of the spiritual

metamorphosis that accompanies this surrendering is not an area of obscure interest for

those interested in the religion of mysticism. It is at the very heart of the addiction

recovery process.”44

Thomas Moore speaks of the importance of spirituality in addiction

recovery;

“Our response to (addiction) must be spiritual to be effective. Religious issues,

matters of profound belief and meaning, work themselves out in our struggles. It is no

accident that recovery programs entail a heavy dose of nondenominational spirituality.

Our addictions are spiritual in nature and must be handled accordingly.” 45

Working the steps of AA assists the individual to step outside of self in

order to examine the narrative of their life (steps 4-5). It requires them to be

willing to and attempt to entrust their lives and personality defenses over to the

care of God (steps 2, 3, 6 &7). It requires them to make penance for past wrong

deeds (steps 8-9). Finally, it asserts that the person must maintain a conscious

44White, William, M.A., Pathways, from the Culture of Addiction to the Culture of Recovery,
Hazelden, Center City, MN, 1990 p 276
45Moore, Thomas, The Souls Religion, Cultivating a Profoundly Spiritual Way of Life,
HarperCollins Pub., NY, NY, 2002 p.128

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relationship with God through prayer and meditation (step11). Spirituality or faith,

then, is the essential component for long-term recovery and fulfillment. Recovery

means faith in God, faith in the 12-steps, faith in fellow recovering addicts and

most importantly faith in “self”(step 12).

Irvin Yalom indicates that faith in religion offers man, “...meaning-schema

based on the principle that the world and human life are part of a divinely

ordained plan...life, lived properly will be rewarded...cosmic meaning stresses

that human life be dedicated to emulating God.”46

Bill Wilson addresses faith in God in the context of his recovery:

“...faith that, despite all worldly appearances to the contrary causes me to

believe that I live in a universe that makes sense. To me, this means belief in a

Creator who is all power, justice and love; a God who intends for me a purpose, a

meaning and a destiny to grow...before living in faith I lived as an alien in the

cosmos...”47

Abraham Twerski indicates that understanding the purpose of our lives is

not important. “…coming to a firm conclusion about our purpose and existence is

not essential. What is important is that we think of it and search for it. The search

is what is uniquely human and finding is incidental.48

One must first believe that there is a purpose to one’s life; faith is the

search for that purpose. Faith evolves from the concept of a belief and then

46 Yalom, Irvin, Existential Psychotherapy, Basic Books, USA, 1980 p. 424

47 As Bill Sees It, Alcoholics Anonymous World Wide Services, NY, NY, 1967 p.126
48Twerski, Abraham M.D., The Spiritual Self, Reflection on Recovery and God, Hazelden,
Center City, MN, 2000 p. 31

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seeking validation of that belief. In AA’s preamble, there are listed three

underlying and pertinent beliefs for successful recovery:

A) “That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.

B) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.

C) That God could and would if He were sought”

For recovering persons it is the belief that God could and would relieve

them of their addiction and that the steps will guide them towards God’s help that

is critical. In doing the steps and experiencing the awakening that the12-steps

describe, the addict validates their belief. It develops faith around a higher

concept and a set of beliefs about this higher concept. The person may believe

God is loving, that God is forgiving, that God is relational, that God can and will

intervene in their life; that God wishes one not to sin, etc. Faith of the total

concept is strengthened when one of their beliefs about God is validated. One

validation then supports other beliefs about God. When God intervenes, in their

life, this experience supports their belief in God’s forgiveness. A person’s value

system begins to evolve: the person not only wants to achieve, but strives to

achieve. Love of self and God has to be the motivation, rather than fear of

retribution of abusing drugs/alcohol again.

The process of faith development as outlined in the steps rings very

similar to St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s ideas of the three stages of love of God.

Firstly there is the stage where one loves God for the self’s sake—or in AA terms;

what God could and would do if He where sought. Secondly, there is the stage in

which one loves God for God’s sake—or in recovery terms, it is loving God not

69
for what He will or could do, but rather the fact that He can do it. Bernard’s third

stage is to love self for the sake of God—which in recovery terms can be

interpreted as not using obsessive behaviors out of fear of negative

consequences, but rather because one loves self for the sake of God.

In recovery, if there is a comfortable belief in God, this will mitigate the

tension. If one can turn over their anxiety to God, with the understanding that

God can and will reveal information when we need it, it makes the process of

understanding meaning and purpose far less intense. There is security in

knowing that God has one’s future in hand. Security provides order when

troubling events in one’s life cannot be reconciled. If one believes that God can

and will only bring them the things in life that they can handle, then there is less

fear, less anxiety. If one has a healthy perspective of self-love for the sake of

God, then they know it is okay not to know.

Spiritual growth then:

“...is our relationship with God where we find our true selves...we find

where we belong and who we are. Spiritual growth is thus closely related to

psychological growth. To grow into a deeper relationship with God is to find

(embrace) our human identity and to discover a point of reference for the

integration of our personality.”49

Spirituality, then, in a sense is a life force that provides the energy for

growth that enables a person to move beyond him or herself and inspires a

passion for growth that compels one to move beyond oneself. Spirituality is the

force that enables one to set out on and continue the journey of living and

49Benner, David Ph. D., Psychotherapy and the Spiritual Quest, Baker Book House, Grand
Rapids, Mich.; 1988 p. 132

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discovering one’s self. Spirituality could actually be described as the process

itself. It entails a surrender of one’s attempt to manage life with God or others’

help. Surrender involves recognition that recovery is an option. The individual

now has a real choice to face the anxiety of discovery or the false relief of the

drug.

As pastoral counselors or pastors, one needs to continue to provide

spiritual direction in resolving these issues. Therefore, it is for the therapist to

leverage this miniscule and rudimentary acceptance. The task of the pastoral

counselor is to convince the person that continued reliance on this power or

meaning is required for continued health; to influence them that meaning and

faith needs to mature and evolve with the counselor’s assistance. Encouraging

the importance of experience develops awareness. Every experience has the

potential to be a brand new enlightenment, as it is viewed through the context of

sobriety. It combines both anxiety and wonderment. It will create new and

startling emotions for the individual. Each experience reveals to the addict new

possibilities for him/herself. It makes no difference if this experience is of a

religious, relational, or learned nature. Each new experience layers on the old,

ever building a new refraction of the person’s worldwide view of their life.

Nevertheless, with introduction of new concepts, caution must be exercised not

to overwhelm the person beyond their level of comprehension, to allow the

person to proceed at their own pace. The counselor needs to be available to help

when they get stuck and more importantly, to share and validate their new

revelations. The helper should not force the person along their journey, but rather

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join them and walk along side. The helper needs to reflect cautiously on the

person’s experience, while gently and patiently introducing the notion of God

working in their life. For the helper, it is the most personally rewarding and

challenging aspect of the therapeutic process.

X. CONCLUSION

Addiction is a reality in our Christian communities. It is an insidious and deceiving

malady. It is deceiving because the symptoms of the malady mask the

seriousness of the affliction to the person that is addicted and to others around

them. It is also deceiving because our communities wish to avoid seeing the

person in addiction. This avoidance deceives them from knowing and accepting

that they should be responsible. Moreover, responsibility means standing in one’s

own pain in order to assist the addict. Jesus calls us through His miracles to act

in accordance of God’s will to be done and intervene in the insidious process of

addiction.

Jesus requires us to step from behind the of the veil of ignorance and

confront the issues of addiction with courage and determination. It means we

need to become active participants in intervening, reconciling and recovering the

suffering addict. It means persuading the addicted person into the appropriate

treatment. It means embracing them when they return to our communities. It

means standing in our own pain while assisting the addict in his/her pain. It

means providing a place and means for healing, rediscovery and growth. Finally,

it means that we heal our own wounds, as we unconditionally love the suffering

addict and live out our obligation to Jesus Christ our Lord.

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 APPENDIX A

Books on Inner Healing Prayer

▪ Bennet, Rita, Making Peace with Your Inner Child, Grand Rapids,

MI, Fleming H Revell, 1987

▪ Linn, Dennis and Mathew,Healing Life’s Hurts, NY, NY, Paulist

Press, 1978

▪ Sanford, Agnes, The Healing Gifts of the Spirit, Harper San

Francisco, 1996

▪ Sanford, John and Pasula, Healing the Wounded Spirit, Tulsa, OK,

Victory House, 1985

▪ Seamands, David, Healing for Damaged Emotions, Colorado

Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Books, 1981

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 Bibliography

Alcoholics Anonymous World Wide Services, Alcoholics Anonymous, NY, NY,

1939

Alcoholics Anonymous World Wide Services, As Bill Sees It, NY, NY, 1967

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Elwell, Walter, editor, Baker Book House,
Grand Rapids, MI, 1988

Benner, David, Psychotherapy and the Spiritual Quest, Baker Book House,
Grand Rapids, Mich., 1988

Bowen, Murray, Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, Jason Aronson, Northvale,

NJ, 1985

Eerdmans Christian Encyclopedia, page 503, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand

Rapids, MI, 1989

74
Frankl, Vicktor, Man’s Search for Meaning, Simon and Schuster, NY, NY, 1959

Frankl, Viktor, Psychotherapy and Existentialism Simon and Schuster, NY, NY,
1967

George, Rickey, Counseling the Chemically Dependent, Theory and Practice,

Allyn and Bacon, Needham Heights, Mass. 1990

Harper, Michael, The Healings of Jesus, InterVarsity Press Downers Grove, IL,
1986

Kelsey, Morton, Healing and Christianity, Augsburg Minneapolis, MN, 1995

Masters, Timothy, Neural, Novel, and Hybrid Algorithms for Time Series
Prediction, Wiley and Sons, NY, NY, 1995

May, Gerald, Addiction and Grace, Harper, San Francisco, CA; 1990

May, Gerald, The Awakened Heart, Living Beyond Addiction, Harper, San
Francisco, CA, 1991

May, Rollo, Man’s Search For Himself, Dell Publishing, NY, NY, 1973

McNutt, Francis, Healing, Ave Maria press, Notre Dame, IN, 1999 (Rev)

Miller, Keith, Hope In the Fast Lane, Simon and Schuster, NY, NY 1995

Nouwen, Henri, Life of the Beloved, Crossroad Publishers, NY, NY, 2000

Nouwen, Henri, The Only Necessary Thing, Living a Prayerful Life, Crossroad
Publishing, NY, NY, 1999

75
Peck, Scott, Further Along the Road Less Traveled, Touchstone Books, NY,
NY 1982

Pilich, John, Healing in the New Testament, Insights from Medical and
Mediterranean Anthropology, Fortress Press, MN 2000

Richardson, Ron, Creating a Healthier Church, Family Systems Theory,

Leadership and Congregational Life, Fortress Press, Minn., MN, 1996

Rivers, Clayton, Alcohol and Human Behavior, Theory, Research and

Practice, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994

Sapolsky, Robert, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, A Guide to Stress, Stress
Related Diseases and Coping, WH Freeman and Comp. NY, NY, 1994

Seamans, David, Healing of Memories, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1989

Singer, Jefferson, Message in A Bottle, Stories of Men and Addiction, The

Free Press NY, NY, 1997

Tillich, Paul, The Shaking of the Foundations, Charles Scribners’ Sons, NY,
NY; 1948

Titelman, Peter, Ph.D., Clinical Applications of Bowen Family Systems

Theory, Harworth Press, NY, NY, 1998

Tournier, Paul, The Healing of Persons, Harper & Row, NY, NY, 1965

Wilkerson, John, Health and Healing, Handell Press, NY, NY, 1980

76
Yalom, Dr. Irvin, Existential Psychotherapy, Basic Books, USA, 1980

77