In the past few weeks, we have been exploring various domains of post-traumatic growth (PTG). Our society is inundated with information regarding PTSD. Many books, counselors, medications, and non-traditional treatments offer hope to those willing to swipe their credit cards. While I don’t dismiss these treatments as ineffective, we often see people suffering from PTSD for decades without relief.
One hallmark symptom of PTSD is negative rumination, defined as repetitive, intrusive thoughts about past regrets, injustices, or fears of future dangers. This constant dark loop dominates the mind and is difficult to break. The secular medical culture suggests that long-term counseling and medications can restore a certain level of functionality.
About 90 years ago, a stockbroker and a surgeon, both suffering from severe alcoholism, encountered the Oxford Group – a Christian group believing in the transformative power of the gospels. After finding freedom, they helped other alcoholics break free using the Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13, and the book of James. Their work eventually became “Alcoholics Anonymous,” a Christian group founded by Christians for Christians. Over the decades, as our culture has shifted towards humanism and secularism, the program has evolved, and now includes Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, and new-agers, often diluting its original effectiveness.
The twelfth step begins with “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps…” This raises concerns for those wary of diluting Christian principles with New Age thinking. Written in the 1930s, the step was firmly rooted in Biblical understanding. So, what should we think about this “Spiritual Awakening,” and how might it help us move from PTSD to PTG (post-traumatic growth)?
If I am asleep in a room with a dresser and a chair, awakening reveals these items, though they were there all along. Similarly, when a person is deeply involved in addiction, they focus solely on acquiring, using, and hiding their drug of choice. As they achieve early sobriety, they begin to see the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives, which had been there all along, waiting for their spiritual awakening.
Learning to “renew the mind,” as Paul describes in Romans 12, allows transformation for the newly sober individual. Frequent prayer, meditation, spending time in the Word, and filling one’s life with godly content facilitates this crucial shift from negative rumination. The ancient Christian practice of centering prayer, where a short phrase or word is slowly repeated and focused on, helps distract from the dark thinking that held the person back. Ten minutes of measured breathing while focusing on “Come Jesus,” can set the stage for renewed vigor in addressing past hurts and discovering God’s “good, pleasing, and perfect will” for our lives.
The Dunamis Effect doesn’t compromise on choosing any higher power; we believe in Christ Jesus and the God of the Bible. We aim to bring the 12 steps back to Jesus, where they started, allowing the kind of awakening we all desire in our new walk with Christ.
Just wake up and experience growth into the kingdom of heaven.
The Dunamis Effect is a Christian 12-step program designed to support those seeking new possibilities and freedom from any form of addiction. Contact us to learn how we can support the people you serve.
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