Christianity and the Treatment of Addiction: an Ecological Approach for Social Workers

Most people can describe at least one instance of how alcohol and drug addiction has had a negative impact on their own lives or the lives of people they love. Children today, regardless of age or ethnicity, grow up in a society where access to drugs and alcohol is extremely easy. Parents who misuse alcohol and drugs also influence how their children perceive and understand the use of alcohol and drugs. At a Christian ministry conference recently, participants were asked to share how drugs and alcohol had personally affected their lives, or the lives of people they know. Nearly everyone in attendance shared stories about their sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, mothers and fathers, and grandparents whose lives were negatively impacted by addiction. According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Addiction (2000), 10,000 deaths annually were attributed to alcohol abuse, as well as an additional 10,000 deaths to illegal drug use, making alcohol and drug addiction the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States. Furthermore, Gallup (1999) suggested that addiction is a common issue involved in most of the following social problems: “murder and lawlessness, highway deaths, suicides, accidental deaths, injustices, hospitalizations, poor school performance and dropout, job absenteeism, child and spouse abuse, low self-esteem, and depression” (p. xi). Addiction is a serious problem, and it is imperative that we continue to try to understand its impact, not only in the United States, but in the entire world. Professionals working in the field of addiction treatment and laypersons helping from a Christian perspective have struggled with how best to assist addicts. For example, Gray (1995) noted that most people dealing with addiction are also struggling in many other areas of life. Social workers need to advocate for an eclectic approach that involves the contributions of many disciplines. An eclectic approach includes “models of interventions strategies and approaches, modalities of inter-