According to the 2018 U.S. National survey on drug use and health, 14.8 million Americans struggle with alcohol use disorder. Another 8.1 million Americans have an illicit drug addiction. Countless more individuals struggle with pornography, gambling, or eating disorders. These addictions make carrying out daily activities difficult and can impair an individual’s ability to work or function in school, interact with family, or fulfill other major life functions.
All addicts fear admitting their problem to others, but Church members face additional pressures. In addition to the embarrassment of sharing their problem with family and friends, members fear being ostracized within their own wards. Often, parents or spouses of addicts don’t know how to help them, and ward and stake leaders lack information on available treatment options.
In 2005, the LDS Church took an important step forward to address this crisis by creating the Addiction and Recovery Program (ARP). This inspired program takes the twelve-step process developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and places those principles within a gospel framework. The program was designed in consultation with Church leaders and counseling professionals by individuals who suffered from addiction and experienced the healing power of the Atonement. It contains language-specific for Latter-Day Saints, including scriptural references and quotes from Apostles and other leaders. Its purpose is to help overcome addiction by encouraging participants to draw closer to the Savior.
Like Alcoholics Anonymous, the ARP format is based on weekly meetings. These meetings are organized by facilitators who lead participants in the discussion of topics from the Guide to Addiction and Recovery manual. Remote meeting technology assists facilitators in preserving the confidentiality of participants. Anyone can attend meetings anonymously or even connect to remote meetings in other stakes.
The Akron Stake holds weekly ARP meetings for men and women struggling with substance abuse, pornography, or other addictive behaviors. It has become known as the ‘Healing Through Christ’ program to emphasize the role of the Atonement in the recovery process. Meetings are conducted over Zoom calls, and all are welcome – you do not need to be a church member. Brother Derek Wilkinson and Brother Pat Callahan, both from the Akron Ward, serve as the stake’s ARP representatives. Brother Callahan is a retired social worker with several years of experience in recovery program work. He successfully overcame his own alcohol disorder prior to joining the Church and has witnessed firsthand the program’s effectiveness.
“In my role as a counselor and facilitator of the Church’s Addiction Recovery Program, I have seen several people overcome the devastating effects of addiction,” observed Brother Callahan. “ I have seen spouses and other family members find peace and healing. These experiences have shown me that there is nothing ‘too hard for the Lord’ (Genesis 18:14) No matter what your current circumstances are, or what your loved one is going through, there is hope!”
If your life has been disrupted by addiction, you don’t have to go through it alone. There are church and state resources that can assist you on the path to recovery. One starting point is the Church’s website for the Addiction Recovery Program, where you can access the program manual, find meetings in your region, contact information for local facilitators, and view testimonial videos made by those who have overcome their own disorders. You can also access the Spouse and Family Support Guide and find information about support meetings for family members. Hard copies of these manuals can be obtained by contacting Brother Callahan or Brother Wilkinson.
You can also visit the U.S. government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) SAMHSA website for information on government resources, including treatment centers located near you.
The most difficult part of obtaining help is to admit to having a problem. Anyone ready to take this step can experience a life of freedom and safety, encircled in the arms of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Those who enter the addiction recovery program can expect to receive understanding and fellowship rather than recrimination. These meetings are a place to gather with others seeking recovery and with those who have already taken this path and are living proof of its effectiveness. In recovery meetings, you will find understanding, hope, and support.
Available Resources
LDS Addiction Recovery Program Website
Support Guide: Help for Spouses and
Family of those in recovery
Akron Ohio Stake News 