Substance abuse plagues millions of people. Those who suffer from an addiction can feel like they are misunderstood. This can produce feelings of helpless loneliness. These feelings can be even more profound if you recognize as a type of social minority. A new path towards a better life begins with recovery. Treatment is often the first step in this journey.
Christian principles are applied at many successful rehab facilities. But are Christian based rehabs available to everyone? Specifically, are there Christian rehab options that are friendly toward LGBT patients? Let’s explore the truthful answer to this question, plus touch on why an LGBT person might find them appealing.
An Overview of a Christian Rehab Facility
A Christian treatment center uses faith as a foundation for recovery. Many employ the basic principles of Christianity. This focus on faith works to heal you as a person. This application of faith-based principles is very successful in treating many of the symptoms behind an addiction.
Certain Christian treatment facilities are specific to a denomination. The majority, however, are Christian, but non-denominational. These non-denominational treatment centers commonly will accept anyone who wants help.
Through the practicing of a Christian ideology, patients are able to learn to love themselves. There is an underlying principle that only through the grace of a spiritual power are we able to stay clean and sober. This parallels with the general 12-step recovery philosophy.
Often, Christian recovery programs do not mandate you hold to any specific religious tenet. However, the Christian-based model requires a belief in some type of higher power.
What a Christian Treatment Center Can Offer
Since many LBGT persons believe in a higher power of some form, they are often candidates for such a recovery experience. With this fundamental belief in spiritual things, many LGBT addicts and alcoholics successfully begin their recovery at Christian treatment centers. Here are some valuable things you can gain from such an experience.
- Encouragement vs. Mandate – One core principle for all Christians is that we should refrain from passing judgment on others. This should include gender identity. A Christian treatment center may well accept LGBT patients based on this important principle.
The Christian God will be shared. However, you will be encouraged to explore the possibility, not given a mandate to believe a certain way or else.
- Recovery Foundation – Another important part of many Christian treatment models is the strong connection to outside recovery fellowships. Most programs follow the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step model.
While the higher power concept is deemed to be the Christian God, each of the other steps uses compassion and caring as the central concept. There will be references made that connect biblical text with certain parts of these same steps.
This connection between recovery fellowships and Christian-based recovery centers is why many will accept you as an LGBT person. A good Christian treatment center welcomes all types of people from the community. They believe everyone deserves a chance at treatment.
- The Primary Goal – Any gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender person who suffers from substance abuse disorder hopes to find a treatment opportunity that will accept them for who they are. LGBT persons are judged enough based on their addiction.
If you are an LGBT person, you may worry that a Christian rehab center will try to change your lifestyle. This will not happen. Like non-denominational treatment facilities with no ties to Christianity, the primary goal is to build a foundation for living clean and sober.
The treatment program at Christian rehab facilities targets the devastating addiction not your lifestyle. Through the Christian treatment experience, you may choose to look at various parts of your life. However, the primary goal in a Christian treatment program is to help you recover from an addiction.
It would be untruthful to insist that all Christian treatment facilities will accept LGBT persons. This would not be accurate. However, the vast majority of them will. If you’re considering a Christian-based recovery program, you are on the right path.
If for any reason you are not accepted at specific Christian rehab, do not give up. To help improve the likelihood that you find one that will accept your gender identity, make contact with more than one.
If you think you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but have yet to ask for help, do so today. Help is available. You may or may not choose to pursue a Christian treatment experience. If you’re an LGBT person, be open an honest when you apply. But most importantly, call someone today at 833-497-3808.