We like to think we’re in control of ourselves in every way, captains of our own destiny, driving the ship of our fortunes forward boldly with no outside interference. Yet this is rarely the case. Any number of things can affect our control of ourselves, from disease to accidents to more insidious factors, such as substance abuse. Given that we cannot control our own bodies against addiction, why would we then think we could shed addiction on our own efforts?
The best way to beat substance abuse is not by seizing control, but by letting go and letting God — that is, letting God take control of the situation. By surrendering control in the journey of recovery, we can in fact finally regain a modicum of control under God’s blessing.
Nothing can convince one of the inability to control every aspect of our lives than what addiction can do to somebody. Entering into addiction may be a conscious choice to some degree — each addict is usually going to be the person who chose to take that first drink or experience that first hit of some illicit substance.
But once addiction has taken hold, it is rarely up to any addict to continue their substance abuse. They find themselves compelled, by chemical reactions, mental patterns, and subconscious desires, to continue in their substance abuse, despite the devastation it can have on their life. And even if they do want to end their substance abuse, they will often find they cannot. Their addiction is stronger than their wavering willpower. Attempting to take control of their life over addiction ends in disaster and relapse, hopelessly sunk in deeper addiction despite their best intentions.
Addiction treatment is designed to help the addict by taking control of their health for them, at least during the detox and early treatment phases. However, after leaving rehab, some addicts have trouble fighting their addiction and end up relapsing despite their best efforts at control. But sometimes control is the wrong approach. Sometimes, the best way is to let someone else take control. Or someone else.
For a person of faith, perhaps the best recourse in addiction recovery is their reliance on God. By allowing their burden to rest on God’s shoulders, they can take control of their life paradoxically by relinquishing control of everything to Him. Through prayer and reflection on God, the addict can fight cravings and avoid relapse with a religiously grounded approach to their recovery.
At Good Landing Recovery, treatment has a strong Christian foundation, encouraging patients to turn to God for aid and assistance against their substance abuse problem. While the patient must certainly practice personal responsibility, by using their faith as a buttress to support their recovery, they can get benefits self-reliance cannot produce.
Much like turning to group sessions and personal therapy, both of which can still have their uses, turning to God can be the difference between sustained sobriety and collapse and relapse. In fact, studies have shown that patients are less likely to relapse after a faith-based treatment program than those in a secular program.