St. Christopher’s Addiction Wellness Center was founded in 1998 to provide a range of high quality addiction treatment services at an affordable price. All program development strives to offer evidenced based treatments that are also cost-effective. We have been able to offer a nationally-referred to and recognized program at costs well below the national and regional average. This in part is due to the owner’s commitment to keep our number one priority number one – and that is to have the privilege of helping fellow addicts, alcoholics, and family members find hope and a new life in recovery. Our staff recognizes that the addictive process can have a profound negative impact on an individual's self image.  Shame often accompanies addiction, and shame can perpetuate addictive behaviors.  We work with our clients to help them be accountable in a non-condemning manner so that they can regain dignity as sober members of the community. 

All of our programming is based on the disease model of chemical dependency. The disease model views addiction as a pathological process outside of the addicted person’s control. Much like an untreated malignant tumor progresses rapidly and becomes a chronic, ongoing medical condition which can lead to impaired functioning and fatality, untreated addiction can alarmingly progress in terms of how much the person uses, how often, what they are willing to risk to continue their use, consequences of their use, and the increased hurt and anxiety within the addicted person’s family and loved one’s lives.

Even though the disease model endorses personal powerlessness over mood-altering chemicals it does not reduce the chemically dependent person’s responsibility to accept help and do the work necessary to find and maintain recovery. This concept is no different than a cancer or diabetes patient being responsible to following treatment protocols and recommendations. The most prominent differences between chemical dependency and other disease processes are the emotional devastation to the addict and family, the level of spiritual bankruptcy, and the height of denial (i.e., inability to realistically and accurately view a situation) associated with chemical dependency. Accepting addiction as a disease helps reduce the level of shame, embarrassment, and stigma associated with active addiction

Recovery methods that most thoroughly addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual conditions of the disease of addiction are strongly grounded in the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has been the single-most effective way to recover from chemical dependency for over seventy years. Our treatment programs help clients learn how to apply the 12-steps in a supportive and non-coercive way. We also care enough about the clients we serve to gently confront behaviors that are not conducive to recovery and the process of denial that so many chemically dependent folks cling to.

All of St. Christopher’s treatment programs utilize medical and social stabilization, group therapy, individual therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapies, motivational interviewing,  emotive therapies, gestalt therapy, nutritional guidance, intensive family work/therapy, learning to apply the principles of the 12-steps in daily living, and attendance at 12-step meetings to help the chemically dependent person build a solid foundation of recovery. Our program also stresses the importance of the illness being a family matter, and thus family involvement in the treatment process is paramount.
(Please see Family Programming for further explanation of family services).

The St. Christopher’s program offers various levels of care to appropriately address each individual’s situation. The combined experience of our treatment team has been that longer-term treatment provides the client and family with a stronger foundation of recovery and increased success rates. Our staff is able to develop a specific treatment plan and course of treatment for each client we serve. If you are unsure which program level of care meets yours loved one’s needs, please do not hesitate to contact our admissions staff at (877) 782-4747 for a complimentary consultation.

The St. Christopher’s program views the disease of chemical dependency as a process that takes similar forms in each client we work with (e.g., most chemically dependent folks are extremely dishonest, have made using their priority, have excessive amounts of emotional pain, etc.), but we also view each client as an individual who has unique life perspectives and experiences along with differing family histories that must be taken into account during the course of treatment if we are to achieve success. Our treatment team can employ various therapeutic supports and interventions to help clients identify and address their individual issues such as anger, sexual trauma, shame, sexual acting out, low self-esteem, history of being suicidal, family of origin issues, eating disorders, etc. Furthermore, we have Dual Diagnosis Services available to all of our clients.

In short, St. Christopher’s treats addiction as an illness of the mind, body, and spirit. As such, our programming focuses on the emotional, physical, and spiritual consequences of active alcohol and drug addiction along with the process of healing these areas of the person’s life.  Our programming also stresses the importance of family involvement in treatment, individualized treatment plans, and the availability of dual diagnosis services.

A Working Definition of Chemical Dependency:

“The continued use of mood-altering chemicals (including alcohol) despite harmful consequences related to the use” (Edwards, J., 2000, Working with Families: Guidelines and Techniques.)

Advantages of this definition:

1. It is problem-based. It focuses on the effects the drug has on the life of the patient and other people in the patient’s life.
2. It is a “greater leveler” in that it does not take into account the type of drug, amount of drug, or frequency of use. These factors are not a necessary part of this working definition of chemical dependency, but will become relevant in the person’s treatment program.
3. Since our focus is problem-based, we are not as concerned about labels such as “alcoholic,” “drug addict,” “coke head,” etc.
4. A problem-centered approach interferes with denial by making a direct connection between substance use and client problems.

What are the reasons for calling chemical dependency (CD) a disease?

1. The World Health Organization defines a disease as a “pathological condition resulting in impairment in the mental or physical functioning of an individual.” Under this definition, CD certainly qualifies.
2. The main reason for calling it a disease lies in four of the disorder’s characteristics: primary, chronic, progressive, and fatal.
3. A. Primary means it isn’t the symptom of some other disorder. CD is a disorder in itself.
   B. Chronic means that once you have it, you always have it.
   C. Progressive means that it tends to get worse over time.
   D. Fatal means CD can kill the person through accident, suicide,  homicide, or biological deterioration.

What are the clinical advantages for using the disease process?

1. The disease process- which is taught to clients and families in most treatment centers and is endorsed by Alcoholics Anonymous and the American Medical Association, reduces the shame and stigma associated with the disorder.
2. If the individual and family see Chemical Dependency as a disease they are less likely to view it as  weakness of character, personality flaw, irresponsibility, immaturity, or moral failing.
3. “Disease” implies that there is a treatment for it.
4. “Disease” implies that the disorder is serious and is beyond the will power of the user.
5. “Disease” gives the client and family something to manage. Like the disease of diabetes or hypertension, chemical addictions can be successfully managed, but not cured. The main form of management for chemical dependency is a program of abstinence and recovery.