Drug Addiction
Are drugs ruining your life? Have you made a commitment to quit but been unable to do so on your own? Does it seem like most of the problems in your life can be traced back to drug use? Do you find yourself thinking about using drugs throughout the day or throughout the week, especially when things get challenging? Has your drug use created problems at home or work?
Drug addiction affects countless people all around the world from all walks of life and all faith backgrounds. When struggling with an addiction and compulsion like this, it can feel like nothing will bring the healing and freedom you desperately seek.
You are not alone.
CIR can help you gain freedom from drug addiction. Still, despite a desire to begin recovery, there are many barriers to change that can make this journey a challenge. Denial, shame, fear, resentment, self-pity, selfishness, and pride are some of the potential obstacles that can keep us isolated within ourselves and unwilling to take the steps to receive God’s healing.
CIR’s Three Rings of Healing: Fellowship, Freedom, & Faith
Recovery isn’t only about overcoming drug addiction (or any other addictive substance or behavior) but, rather, is about living with the freedom and joy that God desires for His beloved children. The solution CIR offers integrates three rings: fellowship, freedom, and faith. While these rings are separate and distinct from each other, they overlap to provide a holistic solution. Each one is necessary, and together they support your healing and freedom from drug addiction.
Fellowship: We don’t find healing alone—we do so in a community of fellow travelers. Just as we are connected as members of the body of Christ, so too are we connected in our healing journey from addiction.
Freedom: We find freedom, first and foremost, by grounding our trust in God and His grace. However, this entails doing our part to be receptive to that grace, which is where the wisdom of the Twelve Steps of recovery are key.
Faith: Through CIR retreats, spiritually-enriching books, faith-related resources, and connecting with a vibrant community of fellows committed to Christ, we strengthen our relationship with God. The principles of 12-step recovery are integrated with the wisdom of Catholic tradition to enable healing, freedom, and joy.
The solution we are proposing is not a new one—it’s one many have followed to find true healing. It relies on the wisdom of 12-step recovery and the grace-led tradition of the Catholic Church.
Admitting We Have a Problem
For any healing to begin, we must admit we have a problem. You are the only person who can identify yourself as someone who lives with drug addiction.
While many experiences are similar among those who struggle with drug addiction, some patterns may be different from one user to another. For instance, some cling to drugs on a daily basis and have a hard time fathoming a day without using. Others might refrain for days or weeks in a row but go on long, wreckless sprees of drug use that can last an unpredictable amount of time.
Further, the seriousness of drug use can vary greatly depending on the drug. In the case of heroin or cocaine, such drugs bring with them grave harm and consequences with the power to destroy the user’s life and bring devastating tragedy to the lives of their loved ones. In certain cases, stopping the use of a drug requires professional medical attention to manage serious withdrawal symptoms.
Only you can make the decision that you have a problem with drugs and need help. Perhaps for some time, others have shared their concerns about your behavior, which can often be hard to receive while caught in the downward cycle of drug addiction. Perhaps you’ve known for some time that you have a problem but are not sure what to do. In moments of clarity, however, we might take an objective look at our lives and see that there is a better way.
Take the below assessment to determine whether you likely have a problem with drug addiction.