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Alcoholism, Addiction and Recovery in the
Faith Community
A Primer and Resource Guide for Clergy and
other Pastoral Ministers
Ten Considerations for Clergy
Consideration
One:
Addiction is a disease; Treat it like one. Always remember, you’re not
trying to make a “bad person good,” a “weak person, strong,” or an
“immoral person, moral.” You are trying to help a “sick person get
well.” Let’s deal with the issue of sin right up front. There is
plenty of sin in the world and the addict and alcoholic have it in their
lives just like the rest of us. You know the scripture, “All have
sinned…..” Understand that the disease of addiction and alcoholism has
a behavioral element rooted in loss of control and loss of social
judgment. Understand that sin exists in the lives of alcoholics and
addicts just as it does with all of us, but sin is not the cause of the
disease, rather it is often a behavioral element of the disease process.
The disease process
also makes the addict or alcoholic hypersensitive to judgmental or
moralistic attitudes and as one wise minister once told me, they are
acutely adept at seeing through “BS.” Know that they are already
judgmental enough of themselves, so be compassionate and non-judgmental in
your interactions. The 11th Step of AA states, (we) “sought
through prayer and mediation to improve our conscious contact with God as
we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us
and the power to carry that out.” This is a good lesson for all of us
and it might make sense to use this as a guide to help us in seeking a
compassionate, non-judgmental, non-condescending attitude toward this
disease and those affected by it.
Consideration Two:
You can’t “fix it” so stop trying. You wouldn’t try to “fix” a
diabetic or a person with any other chronic debilitating illness. Treat
this the same way. It’s your role to assess the situation, know the
resources and make a good referral for both the alcoholic/addict and the
family. A cardinal thought is that no one can control, direct or manage
another person’s life. If we are honest, we recognize that we can barely
do this in our own lives and often don’t succeed at all. As you move
through the process, continually monitor your personal reactions to the
situation. If you find that you have gotten angry or overly frustrated,
you’ve sucked yourself into
trying to “fix it.” At that point, stop, detach and start again. Know
your role, your level of expertise, your limitations and your resources.
Consideration
Three: Learn your community’s’ resources and refer to them.
Think “refer and defer.” Make a list of 5 to 10 “go to”
people and make those referrals. Know who is in recovery in your
congregation. They will be your greatest allies.
Visit treatment centers and attend open 12-Step groups. This will
be an invaluable experience and a resource for the future.
Consideration Four: Learn as much as you can about the area 12-Step
programs. Attend open meetings, talk with individuals in recovery and read
the AA Big Book and the NA Basic Text. This will give you an understanding
of the spiritual nature of the 12 step programs. The websites of these
organizations are very helpful and can help you develop a meeting referral
list. Examples are Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine
Anonymous, Alanon, and DRA (Dual Recovery Anonymous) etc.
Consideration Five: Recognize that the traditional 12-Step programs,
although non-religious, have a strong spiritual element at their base.
This, along with the supportive, non-judgmental community they create is
their strength. They are your ally, not your enemy.
A good way to think of this is that spirituality and “spiritual
baby steps” often begin the road back to Church and religion. Be willing
to work with the program and allow this to happen. Be available to answer
the religious and “God” questions when they come up. Make sure you
know the theology of recovery and the doctrinal stance that your
denomination takes on the issues. The American Baptist Church has a
wonderful doctrinal statement that is worth reading.
Consideration Six:
After referral to 12-Step programs, resist the temptation to “rush the
alcoholic or addict” back into church. Know that they may need, as one
AA writer suggests, the “spiritual kindergarten” that is the 12-step
program. Most addicts and alcoholics carry around a tremendous amount of
guilt and shame. Unfortunately, this often relates to their formative
religious experience and the concepts of morality, sin and judgment. They
need time to heal in a non-judgmental supportive community. Unfortunately,
but more often than not, that supportive community is not their Church; It
is their 12-Step group. This is particularly true in the early stages of
recovery. Understand that their disease has caused a bankruptcy of spirit,
an alienation from God, church and community and a spiritual isolation
that requires time and effort to overcome. They are often angry with God
and need time to come to terms with that anger and to find, as the steps
suggest, “the God of their understanding.” Be there to help with that
understanding when they need you. Know that this is an individual process
and often takes years to accomplish.
I once heard a
person with 20 years in both NA and AA say that he had not been able to
even say the word “God” for the first few years of his recovery. His
alienation and experience with Church and God were such that he did not
want to address or approach the issue. He related that through the
spiritual avenues of his 12-Step programs he eventually, although slowly,
overcame this attitude. He came to realize that seeking a new relationship
with God and re-establishing himself with a Church community could be a
valuable adjunct to his life in recovery.
Consideration
Seven: In addiction as in life, there are few, as the
Christian tradition describes, “Damascus Road” experiences. More
often, recovery and return to the spiritual and religious life are more
equated with the Christian Gospel story of the “Emmaus Road”
experience described in the Gospel of Luke, verses 24:13-32. In this
story, rather than the dramatic conversion experience of Paul on the
Damascus Road, the two travelers on the road to Emmaus were ministered to
by a risen Jesus in a step-by-step, mile-by-mile, day at a time kind of
pace. It was not until the end of the day that they realized that through
the presence of the stranger that joined them on the road, God had been
with them every step of the way. They came to realize that God had been
part of their journey all along. As he walked with them and slowly opened
the scriptures to them and finally revealed his presence, they realized
that this heart warming, mind opening, life changing experience was due to
their encounter with the God who was revealed in a way that they could
understand. Put In 12-Step language, this encounter revealed “God as
they could understand God.”
The lesson is: God is
with us and at work all the time even if we don’t realize it. A great
12-Step slogan is “Let Go and Let God.” Trust God’s timetable for
spiritual and religious awakening. It will always be better than ours.
Consideration
Eight: Understand
the importance of educating and informing your congregation about
alcoholism, addiction and recovery. Consider offering sermons and prayers
that deal with these issues. You
will find that although most of your congregation is relatively
uninformed, a large percentage of them have and /or are being affected
either directly or indirectly by alcoholism and substance abuse or misuse.
I once heard Father
George Clements of the One Church-One Addict program tell the story of a
parishioner who asked him to offer a prayer for someone in her family who
had a drug problem. Father Clements related that he agreed and during his
early mass that Sunday brought the issue to the congregation. He began by noting the request for prayer and added that he
wanted to expand it to include all those who either had drug or alcohol
problems or were being affected by someone with drug or alcohol problems.
He asked for all of those present who were in such a situation to stand.
When almost the entire congregation of over 500 stood, he relates that he
thought, and almost said out loud, “Damned!” He was taken aback and
was totally unaware of the prevalence of the issue within his flock. Take
this as a lesson and be aware that alcoholism, addiction and recovery
exist in every congregation. None are immune and the shear numbers of
people that have been affected by the disease are sometimes shocking.
Congregational
responses to these issues run the gamut from no response, to as one writer
put it, “AA in the basement,” to full blown Recovery Ministries. Help
your congregation find their level of involvement and strive to develop a
“recovery friendly” atmosphere that welcomes and supports individuals
and families affected by alcoholism and addiction. Your congregation will
look to you to set the tone for this effort.
Consideration Nine: Recognize
that this is a family issue, a “family disease. Alcoholism and addiction take a tremendous toll on everyone
involved. The spouse and all the children need attention and referral.
As Stephen Apthorp relates in his classic book Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse: A Handbook for Clergy and Congregations, “Recognize
that the members of the dependent’s family need treatment as much as the
dependent person.” As Dr.
Apthorp also relates, “Seldom, if ever, will the cry for help be: “My
husband (or wife) is drinking too much and the whole family is sick. Will
you help us?” Again, know your role and set your boundaries. You cannot
become the agent of one person or another. The entire family is caught up
in the disease process. They will need to be part of the recovery process
as well.
Consideration
Ten: Lastly,
be aware of the message of hope. As Jeff Blodgett, Coordinator of The
Alliance Project (a resource center for Recovery Advocacy nationwide), has
been quoted, “People in recovery are all around us-they are our
neighbors, teachers, clergy, co-workers and family members.” He goes on
to say, “Recovery has changed the lives of millions of Americans
dramatically for the better. Recovery happens. It is real. Families who
experience recovery are the living proof.” The best message is a
“message of hope.” There are literally millions of American families
in recovery and living a positive recovery lifestyle. They are in your
community and in your congregation. Find these people and learn their
stories of hope. Spread this message as often and in as many ways as you
can.
© Vernon Martin,
TAADAS, 2004
Core
Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers in Addressing
Alcohol and Drug Dependence and the Impact on Family Members
These
competencies are presented as a specific guide to the core knowledge,
attitudes, and skills essential to the ability of clergy and pastoral
ministers to meet the needs of persons with alcohol or drug dependence and
their family members.
1.
Be aware of the:
·
Generally accepted definition of alcohol and drug dependence
·
Societal stigma attached to alcohol and drug dependence
2.
Be knowledgeable about the:
·
Signs of alcohol and drug dependence
· Characteristics of withdrawal
· Effects on the individual and the family
· Characteristics of the stages of recovery
3.
Be aware that possible indicators of the disease may include, among
others: marital conflict, family violence (physical, emotional, and
verbal), suicide, hospitalization, or encounters with the criminal justice
system.
4.
Understand that addiction erodes and blocks religious and spiritual
development; and be able to effectively communicate the importance of
spirituality and the practice of religion in recovery, using the
scripture, traditions, and rituals of the faith community.
5.
Be aware of the potential benefits of early intervention to the:
·
Addicted person
· Family system
· Affected children
6.
Be aware of appropriate pastoral interactions with the:
·
Addicted person
· Family system
· Affected children
7.
Be able to communicate and sustain:
·
An appropriate level of concern
· Messages of hope and caring
8.
Be familiar with and utilize available community resources to ensure a
continuum of care for the:
·
Addicted person
· Family system
· Affected children
9.
Have a general knowledge of and, where possible, exposure to:
·
The 12-step programs – AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, A.C.O.A.,
etc.
·
Other groups
10.
Be able to acknowledge and address values, issues, and attitudes regarding
alcohol and drug use and dependence in:
·
Oneself
· One’s own family
11.
Be able to shape, form, and educate a caring congregation that welcomes
and supports persons and families affected by alcohol and drug dependence.
12.
Be aware of how prevention strategies can benefit the larger community.
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