Your Recovery This Christmas and Beyond

The most wonderful time of the year can be the most challenging time of the year for men and women in recovery. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are just around the corner, and it’s essential that you start marking a plan for navigating the holidays. You must do everything in your power to stay on track and avoid relapse. 

 

Holidays can be particularly challenging to manage for individuals in early recovery. Those who do not have experience coping with the emotions and stress that accompany Christmastime should defer to their peers for guidance. Others who have experience with such matters can help you make sound decisions that will protect your recovery. 

 

It’s vital not to leave anything to chance; have a plan and stick to a schedule. While many of you will probably be spending the holiday alone or in the company of a small number of people, it’s still possible to run into hiccups. If you know that you will be around drinking, please be sure to have an escape plan if you find yourself craving. 

 

Depending on where you live, it may be possible to attend meetings in person during the coming holidays. If you live somewhere heavily impacted by COVID-19, you may have to attend 12 Step meetings virtually. Whichever is the case, be sure to participate in at least one meeting this Christmas and New Year’s Eve. 

 

Remember, your recovery must come first, no matter what. If you find yourself putting something before your program, the correct course immediately. Those who stay in regular contact with their support network will find that it’s much easier to navigate significant days of the year. The Fellowship is always a phone call away; pick up the phone if you run into problems. 

 

Recovery in 2021

 

During this time, most people start thinking about what they would like to accomplish in the year ahead. For those in recovery, it’s critical to set your sights on achieving realistic and manageable goals. If you are in your first year, a resolution could be as simple as doing everything in your power to get one year clean and sober. 

 

If you are a fixture in the rooms of recovery and have some time under your belt, you may want to start thinking about some long-term goals. Perhaps you’d like to go back to school or finish college. If you are putting your recovery first, you can achieve anything you put your mind to and excel. Many people in recovery have earned college degrees. 

 

Men and women who are still in the clutches of addiction might want 2021 to be the year they get clean and sober. There is no time like the present. Addiction treatment centers are essential businesses and continue to provide life-saving care to those in need. Now is an excellent opportunity to research the kind of treatment you are looking for; there are many different programs and services—gender-specific or faith-based. 

 

You may have heard that 12 Step recovery is a spiritual program. Many people who start down the road of recovery have a history with organized religion, and they are already familiar with their higher-power. Working a program of recovery is an opportunity to reconnect with God. 

 

California Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

 

At Celebrate Hope, our addiction specialists provide comprehensive, cutting edge treatment and Christian counseling. We help our clients find hope and purpose as they begin a new relationship with their higher power, Jesus Christ. Please contact us today to make 2021 the year you find recovery.

Opioid Addiction Epidemic Lawsuits Pile Up

Thanksgiving is now behind us, and we hope you made it through the holiday drug and alcohol-free. At Celebrate Hope, we understand how challenging it is to navigate holidays in recovery. Every holiday celebrated clean and sober is a remarkable accomplishment worth acknowledging. 

 

We wanted to take a moment to follow up on a previous story covered recently on our blog regarding Purdue Pharma—the maker of OxyContin. As we shared in an article last month, Purdue agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges regarding its role in the American opioid addiction epidemic. As part of the settlement with the Justice Department, the pharmaceutical giant also agreed to face penalties of about $8.3 billion. 

 

Purdue pleaded guilty to the criminal charges two days before Thanksgiving, The New York Times reports. During the November 24th hearing, Purdue admitted to misleading the federal government about OxyContin sales. 

 

Purdue’s chairman, Steve Miller, conceded that the company was marketing the potent narcotic to over 100 physicians suspected of illegally prescribing the drug. What’s more, Purdue pleaded guilty to paying doctors illegal kickbacks for prescribing OxyContin. Thus concludes the federal government’s case against the pharmaceutical company.  

“The abuse and diversion of prescription opioids has contributed to a national tragedy of addiction and deaths,” said Jeffrey A. Rosen, the deputy attorney general. “Today’s convictions underscore the department’s commitment to its multipronged strategy for defeating the opioid crisis.” 

 

We want to remind our readers that there are thousands of pending lawsuits against Purdue. Purdue’s guilty plea does not shield the company from the suits brought by state and local governments. Moreover, Purdue is just one company that contributed to the opioid epidemic; many companies had a hand in the more than 450,000 American deaths since 1999. 

 

Many Players Involved in the Opioid Addiction Epidemic

 

Just as Purdue turned a blind eye to the devastation caused by OxyContin, so too did other narcotic makers and the companies that distribute such drugs. Pharmacies and the companies that distribute to them are also facing thousands of lawsuits. 

 

Johnson & Johnson and three drug distributors are hashing out a $26 billion deal with state and local governments for their hand in the opioid addiction epidemic, according to The New York Times. The distributors involved in the negotiations are McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen. If an agreement is reached, it will shield the four companies from future lawsuits by these governments. 

 

Prescription opioids had a hand in more than 232,000 American deaths from 1999 to 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than three-quarters of the nation’s opioids shipped to pharmacies came from the three distributors listed above, the article reports. If approved by the governments involved in the lawsuits, most of the $26 billion would go towards treatment and prevention in areas severely impacted by opioids. 

 

“The deal gets money to all of the communities in the United States that are suffering from insult upon injury, first from the opioid epidemic and now with COVID as well,” said Paul J. Hanly Jr., an attorney who represents numerous small governments. “We believe it’s in the best interest of these communities to begin receiving a payment stream. We looked at the finances of these companies and believe the numbers are now appropriate.”

 

California Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

 

If you or a loved one struggles with opioid use disorder, please contact Celebrate Hope to learn more about our faith-based addiction treatment program. Our team helps men and women break the cycle of addiction and begin anew. We rely on the teachings of Jesus Christ, along with evidence-based therapies to get individuals on the path of recovery.

Easter for People in Faith-Based Recovery

The last three months have been especially hard for millions of Americans, particularly for men and women in addiction recovery. Sheltering in place and stay at home orders have altered the trajectory of all our lives. All non-essential businesses are closed, and those in recovery have not been able to attend meetings in person.

For those working faith-based addiction recovery programs, attending their local house of worship has proved impossible in most places. Countless people recovering from addiction rely on the support of their congregations and spiritual leaders.

Fortunately, your higher power, Jesus Christ, is with you wherever you go, whether you are at home in isolation or church. You can pray at any time, and God is always listening. If you remember that His presence is around you, then it will help keep your recovery intact through this pandemic.

Now is an excellent time to make gratitude lists and share with your recovery peers how grateful you are to have their support in your life. You have the power to brighten other people’s day and strengthen your program in the process. We are all in this together and are praying for one another to stay safe and sober.

It’s hard to predict how much longer life will be the way it is considering that the COVID-19 death toll continues to climb across the nation. The Washington Post reports that 1,097,249 are infected in America, and 64,260 have died to date in the United States.

An Interesting Easter for People in Recovery

Adjusting to the new normal is no easy task, but we all must do our best and find uplifting things to do while at home. You can read your Bible and The Big Book. There are a number of podcasts and inspirational reading materials available online.

You may be aware that Pope Francis celebrated Easter Sunday Mass last month on YouTube to a mostly empty room, followed by the Pope’s “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and to the World) blessing that is traditionally given only on Christmas and Easter.

If you are having trouble watching, please click here.

On the same day, April 12, 2020, the Italian global music icon Andrea Bocelli was invited by the City of Milan and the Duomo cathedral to give a solo performance representing a message of love, healing, and hope to Italy and the world.

If you are having trouble watching, please click here.

You do not have to be a Catholic to appreciate the steps religious leaders and musicians are taking to shine a light on the dark times. Perhaps you will enjoy both videos and take time to reflect on your spirituality during this public health crisis.

California Faith-Based Addiction Recovery

Please contact Celebrate Hope if you require assistance with addiction or co-occurring mental illness. Our addiction professionals can help you get on a path to recovery and reconnect with your Lord and Savior. We utilize evidence-based therapies, 12 Step recovery, and the teaching of Jesus Christ to bring about lasting recovery.

Addiction Recovery and "The Hounds of Heaven"

Weeks of social distancing and sheltering in place have had a significant impact on all of us. The human being is social in nature; we are communal and rely on one another for support. Being cut off from our friends and family is challenging, but necessary for contending with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen confirmed cases of coronavirus grow exponentially. Nearly 700,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, and almost 37,000 have died from complications related to the virus.

While there is rambling on the television that “stay at home” orders may be lifted soon, experts warn that such a move is premature. A severe lack of testing means that we don’t fully know how many Americans have the virus. With that in mind, there is a high likelihood that sheltering in place protocols will continue indefinitely.

People working programs of addiction recovery are doing their best to maintain their sobriety despite the stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, and unemployment. Members of the community are able to connect online via video conferencing platforms, which is helpful.

Still, there are significant chunks of one’s day that need to be filled in order to keep from entertaining thoughts of drugs and alcohol. Praying throughout the day is one way to keep your spirituality alive and well. Reading and writing are beneficial too.

Indeed, millions are binge-watching television shows and streaming movies, but there comes a time when that ideal behavior is exhausting. Do your best to find a balance in your daily activities and do things that stimulate your mind and spirit.

National Poetry Month

Aside from reading books and magazines, you may want to consider poetry. For those working programs of faith-based addiction recovery, you will be pleased to know that there is a lot of poetry that incorporates elements of Christianity. Since April is National Poetry Month, we thought you would find it interesting to learn about a truly gifted Victorian Era poet.

Many poets were devoutly religious, and some were also plagued by addiction during their lifetime. One such poet was Francis Thompson (December 16, 1859–November 13, 1907). He was an English poet who had both a short and remarkable life; he left behind some of the most beautiful poetic verses when he died from tuberculosis at the age of 46.

Thompson was expected to become a priest despite the fact that he wished to be a writer. When priesthood was no longer an option, he tried his hand at medicine, but that was not his calling either. After leaving school, he moved back to his parents' home in Northern England.

One morning his sister woke up to find a note, which indicated Francis had run off to London. Once there, he fell on hard times; Thompson would eventually become homeless and addicted to the opioid tincture laudanum. He was down and out to be sure but was still writing. One day he dropped off a manuscript and some poems to a publisher, and the man instantly knew that there was something special in Thompson.

The publisher convinced Francis to seek medical help for his laudanum addiction and then stay at a monastery in the country to recover and prevent the risk of relapse. While under the care of monks, and no longer in the yoke of opium addiction, Thompson healed and reconnected with God. He began to write with a new sense of purpose. At the monastery, he wrote one of the most beautiful poems about redemption and finding the embrace of God, titled “The Hound of Heaven.” Please watch a fascinating video about Francis Thompson’s life:

If you are having trouble watching, please click here.

 

"The Hounds of Heaven"

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; 

I fled Him, down the arches of the years; 

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways 

Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears 

I hid from Him, and under running laughter. 

Up vistaed hopes I sped; 

And shot, precipitated, 

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, 

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,

And unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat - and a Voice beat 

More instant than the Feet -'All things betray thee, who betrayest Me'.

I pleaded, outlaw-wise, 

By many a hearted casement, curtained red, 

Trellised with intertwining charities; 

(For, though I knew His love Who followed, 

Yet was I sore adread 

Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.) 

But, if one little casement parted wide, 

The gust of His approach would clash it to: 

Fear wist not to evade, as Love wist to pursue. 

Across the margent of the world I fled, 

And troubled the gold gateway of the stars, 

Smiting for shelter on their clanged bars; 

Fretted to dulcet jars 

And silvern chatter the pale ports o' the moon.

I said to Dawn: Be sudden - to Eve: Be soon; 

With thy young skiey blossom heap me over

From this tremendous Lover - 

Float thy vague veil about me, lest He see! 

I tempted all His servitors, but to find 

My own betrayal in their constancy, 

In faith to Him their fickleness to me, 

Their traitorous trueness, and their loyal deceit. 

To all swift things for swiftness did I sue; 

Clung to the whistling mane of every wind. 

But whether they swept, smoothly fleet, 

The long savannahs of the blue; 

Or, whether, Thunder-driven, 

They clanged his chariot 'thwart a heaven, 

Plashy with flying lightnings round the spurn o' their feet:- 

Fear wist not to evade as Love wist to pursue. 

Still with unhurrying chase, 

And unperturbed pace, 

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, 

Came on the following Feet, 

And a Voice above their beat - 

'Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me.'

I sought not more after that which I strayed 

In face of man or maid; 

But still within the little children's eyes 

Seems something, something that replies, 

They at least are for me, surely for me! 

I turned me to them very wistfully; 

But just as their young eyes grew sudden fair 

With dawning answers there, 

Their angel plucked them from me by the hair.

Come then, ye other children, Nature's - share 

With me (said I) 'your delicate fellowship; 

Let me greet you lip to lip, 

Let me twine with you caresses, 

Wantoning 

With our Lady-Mother's vagrant tresses, 

Banqueting 

With her in her wind-walled palace, 

Underneath her azured dais, 

Quaffing, as your taintless way is, 

From a chalice Lucent-weeping out of the dayspring'. 

So it was done: 

I in their delicate fellowship was one - 

Drew the bolt of Nature's secrecies. 

I knew all the swift importings 

On the wilful face of skies; 

I knew how the clouds arise 

Spumed of the wild sea-snortings; 

All that's born or dies 

Rose and dropped with; made them shapers 

Of mine own moods, or wailful divine; 

With them joyed and was bereaven. 

I was heavy with the even, 

When she lit her glimmering tapers 

Round the day's dead sanctities. 

I laughed in the morning's eyes. 

I triumphed and I saddened with all weather, 

Heaven and I wept together, 

And its sweet tears were salt with mortal mine: 

Against the red throb of its sunset-heart 

I laid my own to beat, 

And share commingling heat; 

But not by that, by that, was eased my human smart. 

In vain my tears were wet on Heaven's grey cheek. 

For ah! we know not what each other says, 

These things and I; in sound I speak - 

Their sound is but their stir, they speak by silences. 

Nature, poor stepdame, cannot slake my drouth; 

Let her, if she would owe me, 

Drop yon blue bosom-veil of sky, and show me 

The breasts of her tenderness: 

Never did any milk of hers once bless 

My thirsting mouth. 

Nigh and nigh draws the chase, 

With unperturbed pace, 

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy; 

And past those noised Feet 

A voice comes yet more fleet - 

'Lo! naught contents thee, who content'st not Me.'

Naked I wait Thy love's uplifted stroke! 

My harness piece by piece Thou has hewn from me, 

And smitten me to my knee; 

I am defenceless utterly. 

I slept, methinks, and woke, 

And, slowly gazing, find me stripped in sleep. 

In the rash lustihead of my young powers, 

I shook the pillaring hours 

And pulled my life upon me; grimed with smears, 

I stand amidst the dust o' the mounded years - 

My mangled youth lies dead beneath the heap. 

My days have cracked and gone up in smoke, 

Have puffed and burst as sun-starts on a stream. 

Yea, faileth now even dream 

The dreamer, and the lute the lutanist; 

Even the linked fantasies, in whose blossomy twist 

I swung the earth a trinket at my wrist, 

Are yielding; cords of all too weak account 

For earth with heavy griefs so overplussed. 

Ah! is Thy love indeed 

A weed, albeit an amarinthine weed, 

Suffering no flowers except its own to mount? 

Ah! must - 

Designer infinite! - 

Ah! must Thou char the wood ere Thou canst limn with it? 

My freshness spent its wavering shower i' the dust; 

And now my heart is as a broken fount, 

Wherein tear-drippins stagnate, spilt down ever 

From the dank thoughts that shiver 

Upon the sighful branches of my mind. 

Such is; what is to be? 

The pulp so bitter, how shall taste the rind? 

I dimly guess what Time in mists confounds; 

Yet ever and anon a trumpet sounds 

From the hid battlements of Eternity; 

Those shaken mists a space unsettle, then 

Round the half-glimpsed turrets slowly wash again. 

But not ere him who summoneth 

I first have seen, enwound 

With glooming robes purpureal, cypress-crowned; 

His name I know and what his trumpet saith. 

Whether man's heart or life it be which yields 

Thee harvest, must Thy harvest-fields 

Be dunged with rotten death? 

Now of that long pursuit 

Comes on at hand the bruit; 

That Voice is round me like a bursting sea: 

'And is thy earth so marred, 

Shattered in shard on shard? 

Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me! 

Strange, piteous, futile thing! 

Wherefore should any set thee love apart? 

Seeing none but I makes much of naught' (He said), 

'And human love needs human meriting: 

How hast thou merited - 

Of all man's clotted clay the dingiest clot? 

Alack, thou knowest not 

How little worthy of any love thou art! 

Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, 

Save Me, save only Me? 

All which I took from thee I did but take, 

Not for thy harms, 

But just that thou might'st seek it in My arms. 

All which thy child's mistake 

Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home: 

Rise, clasp My hand, and come!' 

Halts by me that footfall: 

Is my gloom, after all, 

Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly? 

'Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, 

I am He Whom thou seekest! 

Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.'

 

Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

Celebrate Hope at Hope By The Sea is a faith-based addiction treatment program that incorporates the 12 Steps and the teaching of Jesus Christ. If you're struggling with an alcohol or substance use disorder, then please know that a life in recovery awaits you. Please contact us today to learn how we can help you break the disease cycle of addiction and reconnect with God.

Understanding Spirituality in Recovery

Individuals who battle addiction are said to be spiritually bankrupt. You hear the expression quite frequently in the rooms of 12 Step recovery. Since programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are spiritual programs, one of the primary goals is to embrace spirituality.

Unfortunately, the word spirituality – the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things – is one that many people get hung up on in early recovery. One could even argue that the term is intimidating for some as it smacks of the pulpit.

Many people in the grips of addiction do not have fond memories of their time with organized religion. Each person has their reasons, but it's essential to distinguish the difference between religion and spirituality; the latter is often referred to as the glue that holds one's recovery together.

Religion is a personal set or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices shared by a community that worships a common God. Spirituality is an individual practice involving a connection to something more substantial or greater than you (a Higher Power).

"Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred," says Christina Puchalski, MD.

At Celebrate Hope, we help clients reconnect with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as they forge a path toward long-term recovery. It's a spiritual process that combines the principles of the 12 Steps with the teachings of Jesus. Many people find it helpful to follow the example of Jesus as they work to maintain a program of recovery.

Spiritual Solvency in Recovery

We should point out that religion is spiritual, but there isn't religion in spirituality. It is for that reason that newcomers shouldn't be intimidated by the higher power business of recovery. While millions of Christians work a program, countless other people believe in a different higher power.

There are no mandates on who or what you must connect with as you trudge the road of happy destiny. Find what works for you and go with it, whether it be Jesus, Buddha, or Nature. The lesson to be learned is that in recovery, you no longer maintain a delusion that you are calling the shots. Those who believe they are in complete control of every aspect of life are usually the people with the least control over their own life.

Working a program is an opportunity to break free from self-will and accepting that you cannot carry the load of life alone. People succeed in 12 Step recovery because they work together in selfless ways to achieve the goal of lasting sobriety. Each person's program is strengthened when they form a relationship with the spiritual realm.

Each person has the right to pray to whichever God they choose, and that is between them and their higher power. However, there are a significant number of people seeking recovery who once had a connection with Jesus and would like to have His guidance once more. Such individuals can benefit significantly from choosing a faith-based addiction treatment center. Such programs were designed to utilize evidence-based therapies in conjunction with Christian teaching to promote lasting recovery.

Christian Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

Please contact Celebrate Hope to learn more about our faith-based addiction treatment center. We are available around the clock to answer your questions about our program features and services. You can speak to a faith-based recovery specialist today by calling (866) 751-2028.

Addiction Recovery Turns Lives Around

Good people often find themselves struggling with issues that bring out their worst. Addiction is a condition that can lead people to the depths of despair. When men and women lack healthy coping skills and are in the grips of mental illness, they make decisions that can change their lives forever.

On this blog, we make a point of searching for stories of rebirth. Instances when individuals rise from the ashes of addiction and mental disease are worth retelling. Such stories can act as beacons of hope to all those who think that they are beyond help.

Jails, institutions, and death are said to await persons who do not receive assistance for addiction. Many people who’ve struggled with drugs and alcohol know that there is truth to those words. Nonviolent drug offenders make up a large portion of the U.S. prison population. There is also a significant number of inmates whose addiction lead them to commit previously unthinkable acts of violence.

While substance use is not a sound excuse for harming others, it does not mean that those who do are unredeemable. Addiction has brought many men and women to prison, but there are some who use their jail time to change their life.

Quintin Storey, 40, spent 19 years and seven months in a state prison located in Florida for committing second-degree murder, WBUR reports. His nearly two decades of imprisonment was a reformative period; he found addiction recovery and developed a passion for the culinary arts. Today, with the help of another chef in recovery, he is helping other felons as they transition back into the community.

 

From Prison to Addiction Recovery to Helping Others

Mr. Storey tells WBUR that he had a mostly normal childhood, one that involved family, music, and religion. He played sports and went to church; Quintin remembers being happy. Then, when he was ten, his whole world was flipped upside down—his parents divorced.

He found himself incapable of making sense of his parents’ separation through the lens of his devout Christian beliefs. Lacking coping skills, Storey began hanging out with the wrong crowd, smoking pot, and drinking. After high school, Quintin started using and selling drugs and abusing alcohol. In 1999, he was charged and convicted with homicide.

While in prison he started working in the kitchen, where he discovered a passion for cooking. In January 2018, Mr. Storey was released from jail; being a felon, he needed assistance. Then, Quintin learned about the REfire Culinary Program.

Chef Rebecca Kelly-Manders, 45, started REfire to assist felons transitioning back into society, according to the article. The eight-week program instructs students on knife handling and food safety.

“My darkest past can be a beacon of light for somebody else,” Rebecca says. “I can say, ‘Hey, look what I’ve walked through. You can walk through this, too. Let me show you how I did it.’”

The founder of the program knows how challenging it is for individuals with felonies on their record because of her past. Drug and alcohol addiction led Kelly-Manders on a destructive path; she was convicted on felony charges more than once before finding recovery.

In February 2018, Storey took the REfire course and graduated eight weeks later, the article reports. Despite being an exceptional student, he struggled to find a job. Kelly-Manders chose to hire Storey, making him supervisor of her cafe and the food protection manager at the Big Bend Homeless Coalition.

“My felony conviction was something that was basically a wall that was built up to where it was difficult for me to get a chance,” Quintin says. “And Rebecca helped to tear that wall down.” 

California Faith-based Addiction Treatment

We invite anyone struggling with addiction to contact Celebrate Hope to discuss treatment options. At our center, we rely on evidence-based modalities along with Biblical principles to help men and women discover lasting recovery.

Start celebrating hope today by speaking to a faith-based recovery specialist. (800) 708-3173

Addiction Recovery Miracles Aplenty

People in addiction recovery are granted the opportunity to realize their dreams. Those who seek help and set out on the path of sobriety are able to accomplish just about anything. Even people with significant amounts of wreckage from their past can find a way to overcome obstacles and lead a fulfilling, productive life.

At Celebrate Hope, we have had the good fortune of seeing many men and women turn their life around with the help of God and a program of addiction recovery. Our clients come from all walks of life; while their stories are unique, they each share the common bond of mental illness, spiritual sickness, and desire to heal. With a yearning to get sober, and to embrace honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, the cycle of addiction can be broken.

Of course, the decisions made while under the influence of mind-altering substances can significantly impact the course of one’s life. Some poor choices made in service to the disease can result in having to serve time in a penal institution and potentially leave a seemingly permanent mark on one’s record. For such people, deciding to lead a life in recovery doesn’t mean that a criminal record will not stand in the way of one’s dreams. But, as with all things in life, if a person chooses to continue to do the next right thing, good things can happen. At least, one man’s story makes that abundantly clear!

From Manufacturing Meth to Life In Recovery

Some 13 years ago, former meth user Derek Rygh was literally feeling the heat of his addiction. At the time, Rygh was allowing people to cook methamphetamine in his home in Minnesota, which, subsequently went up in flames, according to The Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Mr. Rygh did not deny to the police what was going on and he went on to be convicted for manufacturing meth. It turns out that this conviction may have been the best thing that ever happened to Rygh.

While in jail for his felony sentence, Rygh was accepted into a faith-based, inpatient addiction treatment program, the article reports. He was in the program for more than a year and never encountered a relapse.

“The program was not easy, but it was my only hope when I felt so completely hopeless,” he said.

After completing the faith-based addiction treatment program, Derek worked for two years to earn an associate degree in Christian leadership. He used the degree by working for the very treatment center that helped him turn his life around. The recovering meth addict got married and now has two children. The next chapter of Derek’s story indeed shows the miracles that recovery can provide.

“I want to become a nurse, but you can’t if you are a felon,” Rygh said. “I have had a lot of hardships in my life that I have survived and a lot of that had to do with nurses and doctors who I am grateful for.” 

The young man went before the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ Board of Pardons and requested a pardon extraordinary, which would clear his criminal record, according to the article. With 13 years sober, Rygh was granted his pardon in the twelfth hour of 2018.

Faith-Based Addiction Treatment

We invite men and women battling substance abuse disorder and other addictions to contact Celebrate Hope. Our supportive Christian rehab can help you find freedom from addiction and assist you in reconnecting with God. Our team of addiction professionals shows clients how to put Biblical principles to work as they journey toward long-term recovery.

Encouraging Loved Ones Into Addiction Treatment

Addiction, as many people well know, disrupts the entire family. The impact of active alcohol or substance use disorder occurring in the household is significant in both scale and scope. Merely put, chemical dependency is a family disease; and family involvement aids successful recovery outcomes. Evidence-based treatment centers, including Celebrate Hope at Hope By The Sea, understand that family can play an instrumental role in helping their loved one accept treatment; we also take steps to include the family in the recovery process so that all concerned parties can heal.

The first step in the process of addiction recovery is encouraging the person you care about to seek treatment. Naturally, people in the grips of the disease are not always receptive to the idea of changing their life, even when it’s for the better. Addicts and alcoholics often wait until they are looking up from the bottom before they accept help. With that in mind, it is possible for interventions to go awry unless professional advice is sought. Unguided intervention often devolves into finger-pointing, guilting, and shaming; which, naturally, is hardly productive.

There are so many ways an unchoreographed intervention can go wrong that we strongly recommend you reach out to us for help. Celebrate Hope is a faith-based addiction treatment track, which means we join biblical principles with evidence-based addiction treatment techniques. For those who lost their connection with God, and strayed from the teachings of Jesus, faith-based treatment is an ideal method of breaking the cycle of addiction. When individuals turn to God for guidance and surrender to His will, long-term recovery is made possible.

 

More People Than Ever Need Addiction Help

A new Gallup poll shows that substance abuse is causing a higher number of families problems in the last decade and a half, The Hill reports. In 2005, 22 percent of respondents said drug use caused familial issues, whereas 30 percent report such troubles today and 37 percent report family problems related to alcohol. When Gallup asked about the impact of substance misuse on the family for the first time in 1995, only 19 percent reported concerns. It is likely that the sharp rise in drug-related family problems is connected to the opioid addiction epidemic in America.

The organization found that women were more likely to report family problems stemming from substance use than men, according to the article. What’s more, the highest number of respondents reporting issues reside in the West, 38 percent, compared to 26 percent in the South. The findings come from a survey of 1,033 adults nationwide.

 

Encouraging Recovery

Putting an end to family problems relating to substance use is possible, with the help of a recovery program. Celebrate Hope can assist you in expressing your concerns to a loved one productively and healthily. Please contact us to learn more about planning a Christian intervention.