Monday 22 September 2014

Do All Alcohol Rehab Clinics Have to Involve Religion?

One of the common stereotypes of alcohol rehab clinics is the position of religion within. If you believe half the things you see on TV shows and in films, you would believe religion-based spirituality plays a key role in the rehabilitation of alcoholics. This is not the case and you should not turn away from rehab because of it.

Let uslook at some drug rehab clinics and the real position of religion inside.

It’s an American Thing

For a start, this stereotype comes all the way from America. The fact of the matter is the majority of UK rehab clinics do not have any sort of faith-based programme. This is because the UK does not have the same level of religious fervour that America does. In America, it is not uncommon to see whole states with an almost complete evangelical population. This is what gives rise to the likes of the so-called ‘Bible Belt’ region.

In the UK, it doesn’t work like this.

So What about Spirituality?

Religion and spirituality are two different things. It is true that spirituality will find a place within counselling sessions. This does not necessarily mean they have anything to do with any form of God or higher power. Counsellors seek to kindle the human spirit towards a state of recovery. For most people, this is a matter of getting in touch with their inner selves.

We cannot really talk about exactly how they do this. It differs from clinic to clinic and from age group to age group. Everyone will have an individual programme tailored towards his or her specific needs.

What about Patients Who have Faith?

It would be easy to read this article and assume all clinics are separate from religion and that it cannot play a part. This could not be further from the truth. Recovering patients are encouraged to bring their personal faith into the clinic if it helps them recover. Counsellors and addiction experts have no intention of suppressing faith for the purposes of creating a secular society within.

In some cases, there are addiction clinics dedicated to people who believe in the role of faith in their recovery.

Ask Your Clinic!

Of course, you need to choose the right addiction help clinic to help you with this. It starts with proper research. Do your research and see if you can found out a bit more about the spiritual and personal advancement aspects of the programme they are running.

In most cases, it is best to get in touch with them directly to ask questions about how religious faith can play a part in your recovery. Most clinics will be happy to speak to you about this. In many cases, they will group people of the same faith together, during both inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment, in order to create a sense of camaraderie.

Overall, whilst religion is welcome within the recovery process, it is in no way forced upon anybody. You have a choice in the matter and you do not have to conform to anyone else’s beliefs in order to get the most out of your treatment.

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