Addiction

[Manny Marentes]

How can someone help a loved one with a drug addiction?

[walla299]

7 minutes ago, Yowm said:

I have seen hard core addicts and alcoholics freed through the transforming power of God in Christ Jesus. So my suggestion is to give them the Gospel and prayer.

So have I. The gospel and prayer will work wonders in time - in God's time, not ours.

Source: I'm a homeless drug addict that Jesus cleaned up. 

Something else that may help as the Lord directs: Talk to your pastor, elders, etc. and see if they know of any Christ centered recover programs in the area. The Salvation runs one in my area, its a working program that sees folks saved and start new lives. I found out about it when I went to a new AA meeting and met some of the residents. Also know that your loved one is not themselves when they are pursuing their addiction and you may have to make some hard decisions because of that. Some folks have to hit "rock bottom" before they realize they have a problem, and that varies with each person. For some its the first time they can't pay a bill. For others its waking up behind a smelly dumpster an wondering how you got there. (The second option was me.)

 

[angels4u]

On 8/26/2018 at 12:41 AM, Manny Marentes said:

How can someone help a loved one with a drug addiction?

I don't know if you are a born again Christian?

If so,here is an very good article to read for you with very Godly advice of how you can help your loved one :

1. Pray, but Don’t Stop There

 

As always, the first thing you should do whenever you are facing a challenging situation is to take it to God.

Pray that the devil would not be able to establish a foothold in your loved one’s life. That his or her eyes would be opened to the severity of the situation and what it is costing him/her. That you would have the courage to speak up when needed and the strength to be quiet when needed. That God would ultimately use the situation for HIS good and HIS glory.

But don’t stop there. 

 

Yes, prayer is powerful and yes, God answers prayer. But sometimes the way He answers prayers is through the wisdom of the doctor, the warning of a good friend, the assistance of a much-needed medication or the reassuring connection with a trusted sponsor.

Sometimes, God wants to do big things, but He wants us to take action to help put His plan into motion too. 

 

2. Don’t Wait Until People are “Better” to Love on Them

 

When a loved one is caught up in drug addiction, it’s all too easy to distance ourselves. After all, “good Christians don’t do those types of things,” we think, and we wouldn’t want to be negatively influenced.

And yet, what did Jesus do? He loved people right where they are.

Take the 12 disciples for instance. An extortionist, an extremist, a traitor… I love the colorful descriptions given in Relevant Magazine’s article Being a Christian Doesn’t Always Look Like You Think it Should. And did Jesus avoid these men, lest they tarnish his good reputation or negatively influence him in some way? Did he say, “Sure, I’d love to use you, but you have to go work on yourself first.”

No! He made them leaders of the church!

 

Suffering from a drug addiction is hard enough — suffering as a Christian is even worse at times, due to the extra guilt, doubt and seeming abandonment.

When people are truly struggling isn’t the time to say “Well, bye. Good luck to you!” It’s the time to lean in and love on them even more — struggles and all.

 

3. Remember that You Have Your Faults Too

 

After all, it’s not like you don’t have your own faults too…

Sure, maybe it’s not drug or alcohol abuse. But what about gluttony, gossip, or unforgiveness? Not to mention that every time you fail at Putting God First, that’s pretty much idol worship of whatever you’re prioritizing instead.

Ouch. 

 

Yes, as Christians, we should judge. We should stand up and say “This is wrong. It is hurting you. You need to stop.”

But it absolutely has to be done out of a place of love and humility, recognizing that we’re all sinners in need of grace, just trying to do the best we can.

 

4. Encourage Them to Get Help

 

The first time you turn to drugs instead of God, it’s a sin. The second time, and the third time… But eventually there reaches a point when it’s not just about self-control any more.

People who are severely addicted to drugs don’t do them because they like to or because they enjoy hurting their families. They do them because addictive drugs actually alter the brain’s physical chemistry, even after the person stops using them.

 

When someone has diabetes, you don’t tell them, “Well, if you only believed in God enough…” When someone has cancer, you don’t say, “Well, maybe you should just prayer harder” or “Then maybe you aren’t really a Christian after all.”

No! You get them the help they need. Whether that’s medicine, therapy, rehab or whatever else.

 

Yes, your loved one might be resistant to getting help. No, they might not listen, and it’s not like you can exactly force them (at least, not all of the time). But the least you can do is try.

 

5. Realize That It’s Going to Be a Process

 

Of course, even if you do succeed in getting your loved ones help for a drug addiction, it’s important to realize that the journey doesn’t end there. Recovering from a drug addiction is definitely NOT an overnight process.

There will be victories, but there will also be defeats. Time when you feel incredibly hopeful, and times when you feel almost hopeless.

But that’s okay, because God is bigger than it all and He still has a plan — even when you don’t know what it isyet. Pray, talk to a professional and most important, hang in there. God’s not through with the situation yet.https://equippinggodlywomen.com/community/when-a-loved-one-has-a-drug-addiction/

Please let us know how he is doing ? 

Praying.. Angels