Support From Local Church

By American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff

Home Support Organizations Support From Local Church

Spiritual understanding, peace, and growth are arguably just as important to a person’s overall health and well-being as their physical and psychological health. Many find this by joining a local church – or rejoining a church that provided them with support during their youth. Is support from a local church something that works for everyone? Is it something that you’d like to incorporate into your mental health treatment plan in order to find more balance in your life?

Charitable Causes

Many churches are invested in charitable organizations or form their own mini “task forces” to combat local issues. One church may run a food kitchen every Saturday while another puts together boxes to send to troops stationed overseas. Many churches create impromptu shelters and pull together donations to help out local residents when a natural disaster or other catastrophic event hits. Depending upon your needs – help with rent money, filling the pantry shelves, a winter coat for your child – your local church may be able to assist you.

Benefits of Joining a Local Church

Learn new spiritual truths
Meet new people
Give back to the community
Be a part of something larger than yourself

Get the Support You Need

If you are joining a local church because you hope to find a support network that is positive, you’re making a great choice. However, it should be noted that in order to get support, you will need to be prepared to give it in return. How can you do that? You can volunteer your time, join prayer chains, and lend a helping hand when it is solicited.

Giving Back

One of the best things you can do to take your mind off your own problems and avoid “wallowing” is to give back by volunteering your time and energy. At your local church, there are a number of opportunities to volunteer. You can:

Teach Sunday School to adults, teens, or children
Work in the nursery during the service
Help in fundraising efforts for church projects
Teach one or more of the groups a skill you’re good at
Volunteer your time to any of the groups at church
Ask permission to start a group of your own (e.g., sending books to prisoners, putting together care packages for troops, collecting food donations for holiday food boxes for local families, etc.)

Socializing

In addition to the spiritual guidance a local church may provide, the social support you gain can be a huge part of your healing process. Meeting new people, making new friends, and making yourself available to help out those who need it can change your life. You can:

Attend Sunday School or mid-week fellowship services
Join the choir
Join charitable groups
Volunteer to help out with fundraising events like car washes or spaghetti dinners

Integrating Church Functions Into Your Mental Health Treatment Program

If you are experiencing negative mental health disorder symptoms, a church can give you an opportunity to get the support you need and change some of the landscape during your time out of treatment. But if you are diagnosed with a mental illness, it is important that you seek professional psychological and therapeutic care. Spiritual healing is not enough. Contact us today to learn more about your options in addiction care and mental health treatment.

American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff

The editorial staff of luxury.rehabs.com is comprised of addiction content experts from American Addiction Centers. Our editors and medical reviewers have over a decade of cumulative experience in medical content editing and have reviewed thousands of pages for accuracy and…