The Touch of Christ As I have been taking classes concerning counseling and the healing process, I realized I could never be a typical office counselor. I began to question the rules of typical counseling and the practices set forth by some state guidelines. My final straw was working for a state- funded agency that would not allow us to take clients to church when they desired to go due to regulations. While human nature tends to see only qualified professionals being able to help heal the broken hearted, is Christ-centered healing more effective when it comes to healing addictions? I have always had the knowledge of Christ, but up until this last year, I realized I did not truly believe in him. I questioned the things in my life and why I always ended up with the same misery over and over. I had grown up in an abusive life from my early years. I can honestly say I had brief periods of peace when I was allowed to go with my grandparents, but they were short lived. I was taken to a variety of counselors from a very young age and put on prescription medicines starting at 16. Everyone around me could not figure out what was wrong with me and why nothing would “fix” me. Sin was a normal for me, and I carried on that lifestyle into adulthood. I had no concept of trust and what love really was. The seed of Christ was planted for me years ago. I did what I thought every typical Christian should be doing. I went to church and volunteered my time every chance I got. I home schooled my children and taught them the ways of God as I understood them. I had dinner prepared for my husband every night and made him lunch every day. However, on the inside I was hurting and miserable. Little did I know I was just escaping time while my sinful... ... middle of paper ... ... may take time, too much time is not a positive thing in an addict’s life. Obsession and compulsion are often the two components that go along with addiction. The obsessive part is the feeling of always wanting/needing more while the compulsive part is the behaviors that come from having the obsession. One last question that needs answered before I address the components of healing an addiction is this: Is addition a disease? Works Cited “How Addiction Hijacks the Brain.”Harvard Medical School,Trusted Advice For a Healthier Life. Harvard Health Publications, July 2011. Web. 30Mar.2014. Loman, Thomas. “Christians and Addictions.”Upward.Inward.Outward. Stagecoach Road Christian Fellowship, 15 Apr.2009. Web.30 Mar.2014. Smith, Melinda, Jeanne Seagull, and Lawrence Robinson. “Overcoming Drug Addiction.” HELPGUIDE.org, 01 Feb.2014. Wed.30 Mar.2014.
There are many different definitions in which people provide regarding addiction. May (1988) describes that addiction “is a state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire” (p. 14). Individuals who suffer from addiction provide their time and energy toward other things that are not healthy and safe. The book
May, G. (1988). Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
The biopsychosocial model of addiction theorizes that crossing biological, psychological and social and systemic properties are essential features of health and
Gould, Thomas J. "Addiction and Cognition." Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dec. 2010.
Liehr, P, Marcus, M, Carroll, D, Granmayeh, K L, Cron, S, Pennebaker, J ;( Apr-Jun 2010). Substance Abuse; Vol. 31 (2); 79-85. Doi: 10.1080/08897071003641271
According to Leshner, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is expressed in the form of compulsive behaviors (Leshner, 2001). He believes that drug addiction is influence by both biological, and behavioral factors, and to solve this addiction problem we need to focus on these same factors. On the other hand, Neil Levy argues that addiction is not a brain disease rather it is a behavioral disorder embedded in social context (Levy, 2013). I believe, drug addiction is a recurring brain disease that can be healed when we alter and eliminate all the factors that are reinforcing drug addiction.
New Diagnostic guidelines redefine addiction: changes may lead to earlier interventions, better prognoses. (2012). Mind, Mood & Memory, 8(10), 6.
Gwinnell, Esther, and Christine Adamec. "drug addiction." Health Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
Toates, F. (2010) ‘The nature of addictions: scientific evidence and personal accounts’ in SDK228 The science of the mind: investigating mental health, Book 3, Addictions, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 1-30.
not something that should be taken for granted. We are all born of sin, but we have been saved through the grace of Jesus Christ. Not everyone
Smith, Melinda, Segal, Jeanne, and Robinson, Lawrence. "Overcoming Drug Addiction." : Drug or Substance Abuse Treatment, Recovery, Help. Help Guide, Apr. 2013. Web. 23 May 2013. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_abuse_addiction_rehab_treatment.htm
In February of my eighth grade year, a dear friend of mine passed away in a tragic car accident. He was the first friend I made in youth group and his death definitely took a toll on the church. Shortly after, my father stepped down from his position as pastor, claiming to be mentally unstable to lead a church. A few weeks later my mother served him with divorce papers. Within a matter of months, life changed drastically. I had experienced the loss of a friend and the loss of a complete family and was left with brokenness. When I should have been angry at God the most, he showed me how faithful he was. Jesus was my only hope and stability during this time. Instead of running away from him, he drew me unto himself and gave me joy. Jesus ...
Leshner, A. (2011) Addiction Is a Brain Disease, and it Matters. Frontiers in Neuroscience: The Science of Substance Abuse.
My faith in Jesus Christ has had its fair share of ups and downs. Growing up in the church, I have never truly had a “life before Christ” like so many others have testified about; however, I have endured some life changing and faith altering situations. My faith has been heavily influenced by my family, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and most of all, by me. If there is one thing I have learned in my walk with Christ, just as C.S. Lewis said, it is that Christianity is like the rising sun; “not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
During my seventh grade year, my church went to a youth rally at a local church on weekend. Because of this rally and the message it sent, I realized and wanted to give my life to Jesus through baptism. It was awesome, I got home as a young teenager and actually talked to my mom about what it really means to be a Christian and to pick up your cross and follow him. So that very next weekend, my dad baptized me in front of the whole church on Sunday morning. It was an awesome feeling knowing that because of Jesus’ grace and mercy, I will be with him one day and spend eternity with him. Although I was on top of the world at this point, I still didn’t know fully what I had gotten into. So the next few years, I live the typical Christian life. I was trying to be the perfect person by doing the right stuff, I would try not to cuss, I would try to wear as many WWJD bracelets as I could so that I wouldn’t have to talk to them about Christ and they could just see it on my wrist, I would not join in on conversations with my friends that I knew were not right, I was just living life on cruise control.