SERVING THE ADDICTED AND AFFLICTED

Addiction is generally categorized into substance and behavioral addiction. People struggling with substance addiction are hooked on drugs and alcohol.

While those addicted to behaviors find it hard to detach themselves from compulsive or obsessive habits like shopping addiction, gambling addiction, sex addiction, etc.

Addicts might find it hard to conquer addiction especially if they don’t seek the needed help.

Some of them may end up relapsing several times until they finally stop trying to stop their addictive habit.

Those who belong to a church could be blessed to have their support and encouragement which would help them get better over time.

Teach about addiction

One of the ways the church can help addicts is to teach more about the concept of addiction. Many people don’t know what addiction means, or how it manifests in the human body.

Some of the addicts may not even be aware that they are struggling with an addiction problem. When you teach about addiction, people will be more self-conscious to take steps that will prevent them from getting addicted.

Show care and support

Many addicts don’t have the needed care and support that they need to get better, and this is why some of them have lost all hope.

The church needs to rally around addicts to let them know that they can count on them. This can be done by getting professional help to restore them to sobriety.

Some addicts have failed relationships with their family and friend, which automatically shuts them off from any love they can get from that category of people.

Remind them that God still loves them

A good number of addicts in the church do not believe that God still loves them because of their addicted lifestyle. This is why some of them are likely to be less fervent with their devotion to God because they feel that God has turned his back on them.

The church needs to constantly remind them that God’s arms are always wide open to accept the sinner, even though he hates the sin.

Often, many people struggling with mental health problems do not know where to turn for guidance and help. Some people in the church who are mentally ill are yet to realize that the power of God can set them free irrespective of how chronic their situation may be.

Believe in the supreme power of God

The supreme power of God is sufficient and quintessential for faith, life, and ministry. Believers with mental health problems need to realize that there is no problem that the power of God cannot solve.

For example, someone struggling with depression can get better when they put their faith in God to improve their condition.

Talk to your siblings in Christ

Anyone having mental health problems should not keep it to themselves, they need to reach out to trusted people for help. In this context, it is important to talk to your brothers and sisters in Christ knowing that they will have your best interest at heart.

You need people that can always pray, encourage you, and keep tabs on you. Some of them may even be instrumental in helping you get the right treatment to treat your mental health illness symptoms.

Be fervent in the church community

Getting involved in the church community is another way to trust the power of God for mental health healing. It is important to get involved in church activities because beyond serving God, there is a level of satisfaction and peace you will get each time.

Also, belonging to the church community helps to strengthen your conviction and walk with God. If you don’t feel like praying or studying the Bible, remaining within the church community helps you get better.

Remember to always digest the word of God regularly so that you can build up your faith while trusting God for mental health healing. You can speak the confessions and prayers in the Bible to yourself daily so that they will take root in your life and produce positive results.

The power of God that saves all men, the gospel, has assured us of good things in Christ. In God’s wisdom, He gave us His word to direct our steps.

The Bible speaks of the word being a lamp unto our path and a light to our feet. It infers direction that comes from the application of God’s word. God’s word is not silent on the subject of addiction.

It discusses expressly how addiction works and how it can be avoided. With this compass given, we can navigate our way through life seamlessly.

The first step to living a life devoid of addiction as a believer is to live exclusively on God’s word. The Bible speaks expressly on what addiction is and how to overcome it.

The book of John describes addiction to be on three things. They are the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. It narrows down the source of addiction to be a strong desire of the mind.

The Bible further tells us that the word of God is quick and sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces down to the dividing asunder of bone and marrow, revealing the intents of the hearts. It means the word of God reveals the intents of the heart and helps correct it.

The next step is engaging the word. As humans, we cannot deny the desires and the emotions that come from some activities. Our flesh is indeed weak to resist some temptations.

However, there is good news in God’s word. The word of God speaks of warfare as a battle of the mind. We have been giving tools of the warfare in God’s word that militate against such desires.

Our weapons of warfare are not carnal (they are not physical). They are, however, mighty in the pulling down of strongholds in the mind.

As Christians, the only way to avoid addiction is to feed exclusively on the word and to engage the word when situations look bleak. The word of God is powerful.

The idea of God being absent from this present world is not a possibility tolerated among Christians and worldwide. We are convinced of the reality of God’s existence, the power in our lives and the wonder of creation.

The tangibility of God’s power is not only in creative wonders and His intervention in difficult situations. His power is also visible in our lives.

It is made known in His written word, the Bible. God’s word speaks expressly about how the power of God can turn things around even in our broken world.

It is important to note that addiction is firstly a thing of the heart before it is a habit. It is a strong desire to be involved in a dangerous act.

This act is consequentially injurious to the overall health of an individual. Understanding this helps us approach addiction as a mental force that needs to be re-channeled.

The good news here is that God has the power to change the heart of a man and give him new hope. God does not just identify the problem of the heart. He provides a way out of the situation. He does this through the gospel of Christ.

God reiterates that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. The Apostle Paul lamented in the scriptures about how weak his flesh was.

He talked about how he found himself doing things that he did not want to do. He spoke of how he tried to stop but a force within him makes him doing the wrong things all the same.

His salvation, however, came from the power of God through the gospel. He tells us that there is no condemnation in Christ. The power of God, through salvation, breaks us free from the power of sin.

All that is needed to receive this liberation is to believe this gospel and confess it.

Helping someone to break free from addiction or become mentally balanced, is one of the best gifts you can give to them.

They would eternally become grateful for this. It is not easy having to struggle with chemical dependency or addiction to a habit which they have been stuck with for years.

For someone who is mentally unstable as well, the individual would for the first time in a long while heave a sigh of relief because he or she is currently better.

For you to help someone you need to understand that, you need not have selfish motives, because they would prevent you from carrying out what you need to do.

An addict and a mentally unstable individual definitely lives a traumatic life, and it affects his or her loved ones in various ways.

The home is one of the places where an addicted or unstable person would surely feel at home, and it is essential that those who are considered to be the loved ones, should provide the ample care that the addict needs.

When treatment comes into play, the quality of life is not only improved for the addict, the people who care for them and stay with them would also lead better lives.

Also, there is also a tendency for the economic burden to reduce. Caring for an addicted and unstable person comes with a benefit which would either be in the long-term or short-term.

Eventually, the person would recover, and there would be no need to spend on treatment and rehabs. If the person was placed on medications, it would reduce because, there is no need for it anymore.

In addition to this, less time would be spent in caring for the addicted family member.

During the Christian Addiction Treatment Program, almost all attention would be focused on the addict, and there might be insufficient time to be highly productive in other areas. However, once the addiction has cleared of, everything would come back to normal.

Knowing how to care for someone who is addicted or has a mental disorder can be very difficult. The relationship is fraught with opportunities for misunderstandings, dysfunction and disagreement. The biggest challenge in having a relationship with someone who is addicted, mentally unwell or both is remembering that you cannot force them to change. It does not matter that you can see the obvious right choice. You cannot force that choice on them until they see it for themselves. The patience and energy that this requires of you will be immense. Tragically, it is possible that your patience and energy will be spent in vein. Not every case of addiction and mental disorder is resolved. Some dysfunctional people ultimately stay on the path of destruction, and people in their lives are forced to take space from them to protect themselves. The best thing you can do is decide critically and honestly about how much of yourself you can give to the dysfunctional person in your life, and then give it to them with your whole heart.

Addicts and mentally unhealthy people require understanding for both sides of their nature; the side that knows taking steps to heal is the best choice and the side that just wants vindication for the way they are. This duality that lives within them is not only the difference between selflessness and selfishness, it is the difference between healthy and unhealthy, functional and diseased, free and trapped. Many dysfunctional people were subjected to unhealthy life circumstances, which is largely responsible for why they are the way they are today. This damage done to their mental health was an injustice to them, and was not within their control. However, the choice to recover belongs to everyone, no matter what kind of damage was done. Recovery may even have to be the focus of a person’s entire life due to the challenges they face. Those who support them along the way play a huge roll in their recovery. Whatever compassion you are able to give an addicted or mentally unhealthy person should certainly go to them.