Christians Are Part of the Opioid Death Problem
A Christian who became addicted to opioids from taking them for pain wrote a beautiful post about how his faith contributes to the problem. He calls the Christian criticism of drug use "bad theology."
The group Alcoholics Anonymous has been successful for many decades claiming that the path out of dependence on either alcohol or other drugs is handing oneself over to a "higher power." It is claimed this is not meant exclusively to be the Christian god. That, however, is the most commonly held concept of a higher power in the Christian world. I know people who attend the AA meetings. They say some groups talk openly about giving oneself to Jesus while other groups avoid to a degree this overt Christian worship.
The link author went off opioids by taking alternative drugs for a long time. He was given opioids in decreasing amounts by trained professionals using tested drugs. It is exactly what modern science based treatment programs advocate. There is more than one national and growing group that treats the opioid addiction problem in this way and never mentions 12 steps or dependence on some "higher power." The 12 step program of AA was never based on science and no statistics were available until recently about its success. Now we have learned 12 step offers little more success than no treatment program at all.
Belief in the twelve steps, however, persists. At its heart, many conclude, is that drinking or drugs is a sin. The sooner the person is "clean" the sooner he/she is free of sin.
The "get clean" and sin free idea is a recipe for going off drugs before the person is ready. That, in turn, pushes the person to find tainted drugs from illegal sources. Drug overdose and deaths are the result.
The Christian faith could help reduce over dose deaths by urging people to rely of science based drug treatment programs and abandon the notion any higher power can help them.
After reading the topic and the attachment , some key words and phrases come to mind. "Get clean, sin free, American protestant ethic, giving oneself to Jesus, drinking or drugs is a sin," just to name a few, are sure indications of extreme pietism. I'm surprised he didn't include dancing and cards. "A friend wanting to start a church", is another sure indicator of pietism, and the "specialness of self". "American Protestantism" or American Christianity are both umbrella terms for American Pietism, with roots in Calvin, Armenius, and Wesley. (All of which were involved in prohibition by the way.) The broad brush of both terms does not apply to all Protestants,
ReplyDeleteAt one time, AA was about the only show in town. I was invited to a couple "open meetings" by friends to observe the program. One thing I took away from that was Catholics seemed to beat themselves most over imposed guilt, and those most affected by that were female Catholics. Imposed by the church via husbands and priest. (probably the reason they drank.)
There are many drugs, including opioids (hydromorphone, oxycodone, tramadol) and non-opioids (gabapentin, duloxetine, ) where medical professionals require a weaning off of the drug rather than a cold stop. There is no competition with God as to how to reduce the addictive nature of a drug. However, if medical science fails, there is no harm in prayer and 12-step, 6-step or 2-step solutions.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I have no addiction to opioids despite having been on and off them for the past 3.5 years. I have had adverse medical effects to stopping use of gabapentin cold-turkey. When I gradually increase or decrease use of gabapentin, I have no problems.
Opioids can have mind-altering effects from 'heavy' use/dosages. When on certain opioids, I am careful not to drive. For other opioids, I feel no mind-altering effects, just pain reduction; but I still don't drive. I have absolutely no mind-altering effects from gabapentin, duloxetine, baclofen, tylenol, aspirin, fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, multi-vitamins, melatonin, turmeric, alpha-lipoic acid or eye vitamins. However, I notice increased pain levels when I don't take gabapentin or tylenol.
Your convoluted logic about Christianity and opioids is dangerous. Christianity is not causing overdose deaths. Even you conclude that the 12-step approach to alcohol is helping to some extent.
Whether sin or not, it is not good to be addicted to a harmful substance. The best advice is to follow sage medical direction. It is never a bad idea to understand the saving power of Jesus Christ for any and all problems.
I don't know much about drugs, other than the 12 steps don't work so well with them and some such as crack actually change the brain. I understand and have read that supervised slow reduction and counseling is more effective.
ReplyDelete“A better theology could help shift our approach to addiction and drug policies, creating a powerful force for change.” I do not understand why some Christian denominations find “harm reduction” aversive. It seems like a natural fit for the faith. But I guess it all depends on the set of verses from that masterpiece of equivocation, the Bible, one chooses to believe. Getting nailed to a cross is the one true path to meaningful redemption. Poppycock.
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