Transcript Praise, Prayer, and Pharmaceutical 2016 handout version

PRAISE, PRAYER, &
PHARMACEUTICALS
The Promise & Pitfalls of
Religion and Recovery
Terrence D Walton, MSW, CSAC
Chief Operating Officer
National Association of Drug Court Professionals
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. How do religion and spirituality shape
people’s attitudes about addiction and
recovery?
2. What accounts for the success or failure
of faith-based treatment options?
3. Do secular recovery groups address a
need for meaning, as spiritual or religious
groups do? Does it matter?
PATHS TO RECOVERY
SECULAR
Learning skills, developing
insights, engaging in
activities, and achieving
milestones that facilitate
recovery; and have no
religious or spiritual basis
SPIRITUAL
Recovery activities that foster
a connection to something
larger than themselves and
through which recovering
people experience or discover
meaning in life
SACRED
Recovery activities that
acknowledge or incorporate a
recovering person’s belief in
God, personal faith, moral
code and/or involvement with
a particular denomination or
religious group
Secular
Spiritual
Religious
4 KEY QUESTIONS
 Are there people who recover without believing in
God or a Higher Power?
 Are there people who will likely never recover
without the help of God?
 Can a professional who doesn’t believe in God help
a client who does?
 Can a professional who believes in God help a
client who doesn’t?
CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Questions often arise about the
validity of evidence-based
practices (EBP) with populations
whose values, norms,
interpretations, experiences, and
assertions may differ from those
of the developers of the EBP.
4 KEY POINTS
1. For some, religious beliefs or disbeliefs are
incidental to their lives and recovery.
2. For some, religious beliefs or disbeliefs are
central to their lives and recovery.
3. A participant’s religious beliefs or lack of beliefs
about religion and God matter.
4. A practitioners religious beliefs or lack of beliefs
about religion and God matter.
BELIEFS THAT MATTER
• Beliefs regarding indulgence, moderation,
excess and abstinence
• Beliefs regarding sin & repentance, law &
grace
• Beliefs regarding the nature and
characteristics of God—loving and
forgiving versus harsh and vengeful
• What they were taught to believe in
childhood versus what they strive to believe
today
THE PROMISE
•
•
•
•
A mechanism for finding purpose and meaning
A source of personal strength to resist
temptation
The battle between good and evil as a mental
model for understanding the addiction struggle
“Spirit” versus “flesh” as a model for
understanding the paradox of addiction
THE PROMISE
•
A source of personal faith and hope
•
A source of community support
•
A path for healing and freedom
•
An outlet for receiving forgiveness and
making amends
POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR RELIGIOUS
PARTICIPANTS
•
•
Discounting help or information from secular
sources
Excessive guilt & disillusionment caused by
repeatedly falling back into addiction-induced
“sins” confessed, repented of, and forgiven
POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR RELIGIOUS
PARTICIPANTS
Feeling judged, condemned, or
frowned upon by religious
people or the “God of my
understanding”
POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR RELIGIOUS
PARTICIPANTS
•
•
•
Over-reliance on faith, belief, or God to
deliver me from addiction
Assuming that “healing” means that my job is
done
Expecting a miracle, instead of a “ day-byday” process.
POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR
PROFESSIONALS
•
Religious helper with non-religious client
•
Non-religious helper with religious client
•
Evidence-based therapies that conflict with
religious values
POTENTIAL PITFALLS FOR
PROFESSIONALS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Is it “turning the other cheek” or passivity
and codependency?
Is it humility or low self esteem?
Viewing religious beliefs or experiences as
delusional or hallucinatory
Differing views on the essence or origins of
addiction and recovery
Inability to work with “non-believers” using
exclusively secular approaches
Ignoring or avoiding religious themes
THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN?
1. Partnerships with religious organizations?
2. Contracting with religious-affiliated treatment
providers?
3. Referring defendants to 12 step groups?
4. Discussing religious themes during groups?
5. Discussing a defendant’s faith, belief, or
religious values during individual sessions?
6. Sharing my faith?
HOW TO HELP WITHOUT HARM
1.
Use evidence-based practices that respect
the religious, spiritual or secular beliefs of
the client
2.
Be willing and able to discuss a client’s
religious faith and fears when relevant
3.
Intervene consistent with client’s value
system
4.
Work from the client’s perspective
5.
Invite (not argue) alternate perspectives
6.
Don’t proselytize
PRAISE, PRAYER, &
PHARMACEUTICALS
The Promise & Pitfalls of
Religion and Recovery
Terrence D Walton, MSW, CSAC
Chief Operating Officer
National Association of Drug Court Professionals
[email protected]