Seventh-Day Adventist Drug and Alcohol Rehabs

Healthy living is a cornerstone of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which encourages abstinence from recreational drug use and drinking alcohol.

However, the denomination recognizes addiction as a medical illness and provides several resources to help those who have an alcohol or drug addiction, including rehabilitation facilities.

As a Seventh-day Adventist, you or your loved ones might prefer that the treatment center chosen for drug rehab meshes with the fundamental beliefs of your denomination.

Seventh-day Adventist rehab facilities should offer most, if not all, the same treatments as a non-faith-based rehab center but may include a vegan or vegetarian diet and discouragement of taking some medications.

While Seventh-day Adventist rehab centers can be medically based, some may be socially based instead. The denomination is split over appropriate approaches to Adventist healthcare, including which medications are acceptable to take to treat illness.

However, they strongly believe in eating and sleeping well and getting regular exercise as part of an appropriate lifestyle. This can be reflected in their rehab facilities.

Following the routines and guidelines of their step program can help you grow closer to God as part of your recovery process.

Key Facts on Seventh-Day Adventist Rehab

• As part of their emphasis on the body as a temple, Seventh-day Adventists consider consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and mind-altering drugs to be sinful.
• Payment options: insurance, church assistance, and other scholarships or grants
• Types of addiction treated: Mind-altering drugs and all forms of alcohol.
• In spite of the promotion of abstinence, approximately 12% of Seventh-day Adventists consume alcohol.
• Treatments offered: Standard medical treatments like counseling, various therapies, and detoxification, as well as more holistic treatments with supplements, exercise, and worship. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) may vary based on how strictly the rehab center or program adheres to the Spirit of Prophecy.
• Benefits: Establishing a lifestyle that fits with the Seventh-day Adventists’ 28 Fundamental Beliefs, connecting or reconnecting with your faith and God, and improving your overall wellness.

Answer: Seventh-day Adventists may get the most out of rehab programs that follow their beliefs.

Even if you’re not a Seventh-day Adventist, but you desire a closer relationship with God and want to make healthier decisions in your daily life, you may benefit from this type of rehab treatment.

Overview: Christian Protestant rehabs have a mix of commonalities that distinguish them from non-faith-based programs and distinctions that set them apart from one another.

Seventh-day Adventist rehab may include practices encouraged by their belief system. For example, meals might be healthier than those offered at other drug rehabs. Outreach and exercise may be strongly encouraged if not required.

Non-faith-based rehab can include the promotion of healthier lifestyle habits and some spirituality, but it will have a different tone than a Seventh-day Adventist program.

Find the rehab that works the best for you. If you are a Seventh-day Adventist and wish to find a program that fits how you want to move forward with your life, you’ll need to look for treatment centers that match your ideals.

On the other hand, you may feel that another option is better for you, so search accordingly. The most important thing is that you receive the care and help you need for your addiction.

Answer: No two Seventh-day Adventist addiction treatment programs will match exactly. But there are some elements that may be present in each of them.

Seventh-day Adventists view addiction as a sin and sins as separating people from God. The religious parts of their rehab program will have the ultimate goal of helping you develop or build your connection to God and other believers as part of the recovery process.

In addition to working with a health care provider and receiving medical care for your addiction, you may spend time in:

• Prayer
• Fellowship
• Worship
• Bible study
• Outreach

While what you receive in terms of treatment will depend heavily on multiple factors, Seventh-day Adventist rehab can include many of the following treatment services.

Inpatient or Residential Treatment

Designed to provide around-the-clock care, inpatient treatment can be a shorter or longer component of your overall plan. Most will be at least 30 days but may be several months.

From there, you might transition to a residential treatment program that still provides more attentive care. The Seventh-day Adventist emphasis on healthy practices may affect meals and movement during your stay.

Chapel, Prayer, and Worship

Prayers, singing, and sermons are standard parts of worship for Seventh-day Adventists. If you’re less familiar with them, know that Saturday is their Sabbath rather than when most Protestant denominations hold services, which is usually Sunday.

Also, Sabbath school usually happens immediately before worship, and it’s a time of study for Seventh-day Adventists.

Depending on how the treatment program is structured, the Sabbath may be a time for you to step back from a lot of what you’ve been doing during the rest of the week and simply observe what you’ve accomplished and what God has done for you.

Gender-Based Care

While women and men may be separated for most parts of rehab, know that there are very few female pastors in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Even if all other treatment providers for a woman’s rehab program are female, the pastor most likely won’t be.

Seventh-Day Adventist Fellowship

One common practice in the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to hold meals after service. While this may not be standard during rehab, you may see it more in later recovery.

Vegetarian or vegan diets are common because of their belief system and lifestyle choices. Any shared meals may reflect that.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient treatment is something that usually allows you to sleep in your own bed, so you won’t be at the treatment facility 24/7. If it’s an intensive outpatient program (IOP), you may spend long hours there before returning home each night.

The severity of your drug or alcohol addiction will contribute to how long your outpatient treatment lasts.

Counseling and Therapy

Seventh-day Adventists see caring for others as an important part of life. But they also emphasize the importance of self-care practices, so you can care for others.

Counseling and behavioral therapy may reflect elements of the Health Message and 28 Fundamental Beliefs.

Detox

Seventh-day Adventists disagree among themselves about what medications are acceptable to consume, and this may affect what types of detoxification will be offered at a treatment center.

Additionally, they aim to keep these types of processes as natural and healthy as possible.

Support Groups

Support groups can be those that have been created by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, or they may be groups that simply meet on the church grounds.

The privacy status of a Seventh-day Adventist rehab center will be a big factor in its total cost. Know that there are a number of hospitals around the world that have been built and are run by the denomination.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church also offers many rehab facilities that treat substance use disorder, and the costs may be covered by financial assistance.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of a Seventh-Day Adventist Rehab Program?

Answer: Possibly. You’ll have to look into what your insurance provider covers and whether the Seventh-day Adventist rehab program you choose is in their coverage area.

If the program you choose is a medical one rather than social, it’s more likely to be covered by your insurance company.

Coverage under Medicare or Medicaid will include substance abuse treatment, though some services may require a referral from your doctor to be covered.

Answer: You seek the next steps. Your treatment plan should include aftercare options that align with your belief system.

Seventh-day Adventists encourage themselves to follow NEWSTART, which stands for:

• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Water
• Sunlight
• Temperance
• Air
• Rest
• Trust in God

These tools can provide you with a useful acronym to help you cope during recovery after you’ve completed your rehab treatments.

You can also include a continuation of therapy, support groups, and other tools like sober living communities in your aftercare plan. Just be sure to discuss it with your doctor.

When you’ve reached the point of admitting that you need help with your addiction and are actively seeking rehab options, it’s easy to get discouraged by the search. Fortunately, there are plenty of organizations to help you find the right rehab facility for yourself or a loved one.

These are some of the top resources for Seventh-day Adventist rehab treatment centers:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — This government website offers many resources for addiction recovery, including findtreatment.gov, a site for searching treatment options in your area.
• Adventist Recovery Ministries Global — Run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this site connects addicts and family members with coping resources.
• North American Division Family Ministries — Part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church North American Division, this website includes a search feature for Christian counselors.

Taking care of yourself in recovery should be your focus. RehabNet can help you locate a Seventh-day Adventist drug and alcohol rehab facility near you with our database of pre-vetted, high-quality treatment centers.

Need to talk to someone while you figure out the logistics? Our helpline is available 24/7.