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Christian Counseling Connection
LEAD ARTICLES
S
ubstance abuse and other addictive problems are
rampant in almost every segment of present-day
society. The issues and concerns that surface
cross all ethnic, cultural, educational, socioeco-
nomic, gender, and age barriers. Consider the following
(sources include the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Ser-
vices, U.S. Dept. of Justice, National Center for Health
Statistics, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics):
•
There are an estimated 15 million alcohol-
ics and 10 million drug addicts in the United
States. Forty percent of all family problems
brought to domestic court are alcohol related
and 75% of all juvenile delinquents have at
least one alcoholic parent. More than 150,000
teens use cocaine and 500,000 use marijuana
once or more per week. In addition, nearly half
a million junior and senior high students are
weekly binge drinkers.
•
An additional five to seven million people are
addicted to prescription medications.
•
Every addict directly affects at least five other
people. In a recent Gallop poll, 41% of those
polled indicated they had suffered physical,
psychological or social harm as a result of
someone else’s drinking or drugging (double
the level reported in 1974).
•
Forty to eighty million Americans suffer from
compulsive overeating and 5-15% will die from
its consequences in any given year. Nearly $20
billion is spent annually by Americans seeking
to lose weight.
•
There are 2.5 million pathological gamblers and
another three million compulsive gamblers in
the United States. It has become a $500 billion
dollar industry and the suicide rate for this
population is 20 times higher than the national
average.
•
There are more than 300 million pornographic
Web site pages and an estimated 6-8% of the
national population can be diagnosed with
some level of sexual addiction.
•
No one really knows how many workaholics
there are since this phenomenon has received
comparatively little attention thus far. However,
one study indicated that more than 10 million
adults average 65-70 hours of work each week.
Despite the nature of these problems, every addic-
tion has a number of common identifiers: they serve the
purpose of removing a person from his/her true feel-
ings; they serve as a form of escape; they totally control
the individual, which transcends all logic or reason;
they override the ability and/or willingness to delay
self-gratification; and they always involve pleasure and
psychological dependence. Ultimately, any addiction
can become destructive and unhealthy, taking priority
over all of life’s other issues. The Apostle Paul clearly
understood the intense battle between flesh and spirit.
His discourse in Romans 7:14-25 regarding this power-
ful dynamic speaks to the anguish and internal struggle
of
knowing
what is right behavior before God, contrasted
with
doing
the wrong thing. Thankfully, he concludes
that it is Christ who is the deliverer.
Spiritual applications to addiction recovery can be
seen in numerous models used today and the Church
once played a pivotal role in treatment efforts. One of
the most well-known and widely used models is the
12-steps, originally created for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Throughout the years, the steps have been replicated and
expanded for other recovery groups; however, many of
these approaches have shifted toward an all-inclusive
focus that is tolerant of most religious groups and belief
systems. Nevertheless, in whatever manner God is con-
ceptualized (e.g., a higher power, God as you understand
Him, etc.), research still suggests that Christian concepts,
including those pertaining to confession, surrender, for-
giveness, meditation and accountability, do, in fact, aid
in the recovery process.
The American Association of Christian Counsel-
ors is pleased to announce a partnership with licensed
clinical psychologist, Dr. David Stoop, and counselor
and author, Stephen Arterburn, to produce a new and
transforming video series titled,
Life Recovery Coaching
.
Together, they have co-edited the
Life Recovery Bible
,
which has now sold more than 1.6 million copies. This
dynamic training series will consist of three distinct
courses that focus on a biblically-based application of
the 12-step model and Christian recovery principles. The
first course,
Life Recovery Coaching 101
, is complete and
now available as a resource tool for counselors, coaches
and caregivers who work with this population.
For more
information, call
1-800-526-8673
.
LIFE RECOVERY:
A FAITH-BASED APPROACH TO WORKING THE 12 STEPS
DAVID
STOOP
STEPHEN
ARTERBURN
