Drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental disorders know no boundaries. They affect people of all races, religions, colors, and creeds. In certain instances, people seeking treatment for such disorders are more comfortable being placed in facilities where they are among the majority.
Jewish Community And Addiction
Jewish people make up less than 3% of the population of the United States. In many Jewish communities across the country, there is still a deep level of denial regarding addiction.
However, roughly 10% of the population of the United States suffers from drug addiction and/or alcoholism. This stands to reason that roughly 10% of the 5.5 million Jewish people living in the United States struggle with addiction and alcoholism as well.
Jewish Recovery Centers
For many people considering a treatment facility, one of the determining factors is the level of comfort and acceptance they feel. Sharing a common heritage and background can help someone struggling with addiction to feel at ease entering a treatment facility. At such a challenging time, when most addicts and alcoholics have run their lives into the ground, finding a treatment facility that can help instill hope is crucial.
There are many Jewish institutions dedicated to helping people recover from drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental disorders. These facilities can utilize a number of treatment modalities, including:
- Psychotherapy
- 12-steps
- Behavior modification
- Harm reduction
- Jewish traditional spirituality
Myths And Misconceptions
Many people in the Jewish community are uneducated about addiction, alcoholism, and mental disorders. Due to this level of denial, it is often difficult for Jewish people struggling to come forward and seek treatment, much less feel comfortable in a facility where they are in the minority.
Besides, there is a stigma regarding addiction that Jewish people with faith can’t abuse substances, which makes it shameful for them to ask for help. Here are some misconceptions:
- Jewish people don’t need treatment because their faith protects them from addiction.
- It is not possible for observant Jews to abuse alcohol or drugs.
- Those Jews who abuse drugsor illicit drugs have lost faith.
- It’s a shameful act and a sign of moral failure, which the addict’s family should be ashamed of.
- As addiction is not a problem in Jews faith, there is no need to get help from the community.
Solution
The solution to this issue is simple:
- Publicizing the available help for Jewish men and women struggling with addiction and other mental illness.
- Educating the Jewish community at large about these issues.
The point is; there is help out there for Jewish people with these disorders. There are facilities dedicated to helping people and providing treatment.
If you are currently in recovery, check out this page for a list of Jewish twelve-step meetings In the U.S. and a few other countries.