-  Every individual struggling with addiction falls into one of these categories. This is what someone might say about their situation if confronted. Notice the italicized phrases in each sentence that points to the progressive stages of addiction. 

•I don’t have a problem!

•I do have a slight problem, but I don’t want any help right now!

•I know I have a problem, but I can figure this out on my own!

•I know I have a major problem, and I am willing to get help,

      but I want to determine what kind of help I need!

•I know I have an uncontrollable problem, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to break free!

- Every individual struggling with addiction is experiencing one of these spiritual conditions….

•I am not saved and I do not have the spirit of God within me and do not care to either!
[This individual is not teachable - takes a supernatural act of God to draw them into His love]

•I am not saved, but I desire to become a child of God! 
[ Open and ready for a relationship with God – extremely teachable] 

•I am saved but I have not fully surrendered my life over to God, neither do I want to at this time. 
[ Individual is not teachable – cannot be forced into surrender]

•I am saved, I am surrendered, but I do not know who I am in-Christ.
[ Ready to receive truth and be set free]

•I am saved, I am surrendered, but I only have a limited understanding of who I am and who God is. 
I desire to see myself like God sees me and get off this roller-coaster once and for all! 
[ Ready for God to completely rearrange their whole life and live His life through them]

1. - 2 key terms to understand while seeking help for addiction: [1] Secular and  [2] Faith-based Treatment
   

-Secular treatment is rooted in principles that are based upon worldly perspectives.  Education is the primary source of enlightenment, therefore, treatment processes are followed “by the book” with little or no spiritual emphasis in most cases.  Even if a spiritual dynamic is present, Jesus is never presented as THE GOD.  Those receiving treatment are told about a “god of your understanding that is relative to you and your own beliefs…whatever they might be.” 

-Faith-based treatment is rooted in Biblical principles which result in God’s perspectives.  Most faith-based treatment assumes that God has determined how life should be lived and a relationship with Him through Christ is the only way to achieve the “abundant life” which only He can give.  Make certain you know the beliefs of the organization prior to committing to their form of treatment because those beliefs will be instilled into you or your loved one.  The ONLY form of influence 180 Degrees Ministries recommends for addiction related issues is an organization which adheres to stringent Biblical guidelines and professes that Jesus is the only one true living God.  After all, it is “truth that sets us free!”

Most individuals seeking help for addiction, whether for themselves or for a loved one, fall prey to treatment that only addresses symptoms or creates even deeper problems. 180 Degrees Ministries exists to educate individuals and offer complete FREEDOM from addiction related issues.  Therefore, we have compiled a few of the most common places individuals seek treatment and what is REALLY being said through their form of treatment.

MEDICALLY BASED SECULAR TREATMENT   (Hospitals, clinics, psychiatrists, rehabs, etc…)

You are using / abusing drugs / alcohol because you are depressed or a host of other reasons, therefore, we will substitute your illegal drug habit with a legal drug (prescription) that will help you to cope with your condition. Hopefully you will not become dependent or addicted to this drug and we can wean you off of it over time. If you do become addicted to the alternative legal drug (prescription), we recommend that you continue to use it as long as you keep saying it is working for you and keeping you from using your drug of choice. If you do not have insurance or cannot afford our expensive care, we will not continue treating you. We will most likely encourage you to find some other form of affordable treatment.

+ the 180 spin: Medically based secular treatment is good for emergency situations when an individual needs immediate medical attention, such as in the case of an overdose, a drug induced heart attack, if they need detoxed from a drug that causes physical withdrawals, and suicidal attempts or even thoughts of suicide. 

ADDICTION BASED SECULAR TREATMENT

(12 steps, AA, NA, CA, etc…short-term residential, outpatient, counseling)

You are using / abusing drugs / alcohol because you are an addict, and you will always be an addict because you have a disease called addiction.  The best way to help you is to minimize your usage by providing you with therapy, support groups and sponsors that will help keep you busy and hold you accountable. It will also help to seek out some form of a god that can help you mentally, as long as you understand this god of your understanding is incapable of removing your addiction from you.  Be prepared to fight this “demon” for the rest of your life.

+ the 180 spin:  Addiction based secular treatment focuses on the problem of addiction, however, addiction is not the problem.  Addiction is the symptom of a deeper root problem or set of problems.  Addiction is the manifestation or the behavior of deeper issues.  This form of treatment is great for modifying behaviors, but nothing long-term ever really changes.  Only the behavior changes, because individuals are taught coping skills to keep their life from spinning out of control.  We certainly agree with a life kept from spinning out of control, but if no attention to actually rooting out the main problems is offered, students live with this “struggle” for the rest of their life.  Simply put, from our perspective, that’s not living at all, and it’s certainly not abundant life!!  That’s still bondage!!   

HALF-WAY HOUSES

- Secular

•You are using / abusing drugs / alcohol or have found yourself in desperate times and cannot make it on your own, therefore, you will live with individuals who are going through similar struggles.  We expect you to get a job and work during the day and stay clean while we will help hold you accountable when you are off of work in the evenings.  We will manage your money for you and pay your bills as long as you are willing to comply with the rules of the home. While in our care, you will attend AA meetings and work the 12 steps.

+ the 180 spin:  Same basic approach to addiction as Addiction Based Secular Treatment above – only with the added element of housing. It is also important to note that anyone who has an addiction and has the freedom of driving, using the phone, and going to work, is likely to backslide! Because of this, it is important to send your loved one to a place that will not release a person based on their behavior but rather their lack of spiritual progression.

- Faith-Based

•You are using / abusing drugs / alcohol or have found yourself in desperate times and cannot make it on your own, therefore, we will offer you the privilege of living with those who are going through similar struggles.  We expect you to get a job and stay clean at work during the day, and we will help hold you accountable when you are off of work in the evenings.  We will manage your money for you and pay your bills as long as you are willing to comply with the rules of the home. While in our care, you will attend church, chapels and other venues of spiritual direction. Our intent is to get you connected to God while teaching you basic principles for living so you can manage your life outside of our care. 

+ the 180 spin: Faith-based half-way houses can be a great help, however, many well meaning organizations often focus their attention on behavior modification. They do a great job of addressing responsibility, character and integrity, but they usually overlook the root of their addiction. If root problems are never addressed, the old behavior is waiting to surface again.  Also, most half-way houses do not teach FREEDOM.  The only material they know or can implement, due to time constraints, is a faith-based 12-step program, which usually focuses on how our behavior needs to line up with the Word of God! They are great at telling people the ways that God wants them to live externally, they just don’t teach them how to do it internally!     

LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT

- Secular

•You are using / abusing drugs / alcohol and you have never been taught how to live, or you have failed to implement your life strategy. Therefore, you can stay with us for a long-period of time and we will hold you accountable twenty-four hours a day. You will be confined to a place where you cannot come and go as you please in order to minimize the opportunity for you to use.  Once you graduate the program (6-18 months), we will put you back in the real world and expect you to implement the same structured lifestyle you have learned on your own. In most cases, we will expect you to follow the twelve step plan, meet often with your sponsor, and attend AA meetings in order to maintain your sobriety. (We are referring to AA because they are the largest and most renowned addiction based organization in the world and most organizations today are using the twelve-step model.) 

oThe 180 spin: A candidate for long-term secular treatment would be someone who has been addicted for many years and who desires to live free from life-controlling problems without having to live for God.   

Faith-based

•You are using / abusing drugs / alcohol and you have never been taught how to live, or you have failed to implement your life strategy. Therefore, you can stay with us for a long-period of time and we will hold you accountable twenty-four hours a day. You will be confined to a place where you cannot come and go as you please in order to minimize the opportunity for you to use.  We will teach you how to live God’s way, so that, when you graduate the program (6-18 months), you can be placed back into the real world and become a productive citizen in society. 

+ the 180 spin:  A candidate for long-term faith-based treatment would be someone who has been addicted for many years and who recognizes the need to live life God’s way. As we said in the beginning, be aware that in some cases, faith-based doesn’t necessarily mean faith in Jesus Christ. Faith-based can be faith in any form of a higher power. Hopefully, over the duration of the entire program, an individual will learn Biblical principles and actually develop the kind of relationship with God that will continue to guide each decision for the remainder of their life. Many students experience “the call” of God on their life while in long-term faith-based treatment. A few drawbacks are associated with this treatment: Some individuals cannot drop responsibilities for a number of months in order to attend the long-term program. Many individuals simply do not need long-term treatment.  Many long-term programs focus on behavior modification over an extended period of time, hoping the student will learn new patterns of behavior to be lived out after graduation. Even though faith-based programs are usually focused on Biblical principles, TRUE FREEDOM is not completely understood, therefore it is not completely offered.  

180 Degrees Ministries®

•You are using drugs / alcohol or engaging in any cycle of addictive behavior, because you do not know the pathway to freedom. FREEDOM comes through salvation, the power of God, and from the knowledge and understanding of being in-Christ. Your behavior is merely a symptom of a deeper root issue! Our responsibility to God for you is to find out why you do, what you do by discovering the root problem/problems and focusing in on those root issues, not the behavior. Root issues are lies that we believe about who we are that do not coincide with the Word of God. These lies are designed by the enemy to infiltrate our core belief, pervert our mindset, and influence our behavior in a negative way. It’s the lies of enemy that keep you in bondage, and it’s the truth of God that will set you free! We must replace the lies with truth in order for real change to occur!  Once the lies have been dispelled by truth, the result is that your behavior naturally changes as well!!! The great difference in sobriety and FREEDOM is that sobriety is simply not doing what you really desire to do; FREEDOM is when you become such a different person that you no longer even desire to engage in the former lifestyle that once ruled your life. The desire or compulsion to use has been liberated, and now, because of your desire change, your heart is bent toward God and His objectives!

+ the 180 spin:  Addiction is a tool that God uses, though the enemy intended it for harm, to get us to a place of absolute submission, so that we can finally see His incredible love and begin pursuing a life we would never have chosen on our own without these problems!  God loves us enough to allow dire circumstances to break into our lives in order to move us toward Him. 180 Degrees Ministries has been anointed and appointed by God to assist Him in setting the captives FREE!!  We would love to share the many options we can offer you or your loved one as you travel this journey.