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How to Support Addiction Recovery with Orthodox Christian Priest and Clinician Fr. Dimitri Moraitis

no name given · Orthodox Christian Network (OCN) · 2026-10-02 · Source

Hope · main message Care · carrying Community · carrying

Addiction is a treatable disease with biological, psychological, social, and spiritual causes, and the Orthodox parish can effectively contribute to recovery through education, community, and spiritual accompaniment.

Addiction affects nearly every family, including families in our own parishes, but shame and secrecy keep most people who are struggling from ever getting help.

The text is a description of a podcast episode in which an Orthodox priest and clinician speaks about addiction as a treatable disease. Biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors of addiction are discussed. It deals with the role of priests and parishes in supporting recovery. Enablement and codependency as family dynamics are thematized. The 12 Steps and their connection to confession are addressed. Relapse is presented as a possible part of the recovery process. A personal story of the speaker is mentioned. The text calls on listeners to share the episode and to share their experiences in the comments.

Worldview

what this means

What, according to this text, is the root of the evil?: Illness, death, and transience as the fundamental problem; Clinging, desire, the inability to let go (inferred)
Where does the evil reside?: in the heart, the will, or the soul of the individual
What helps against it?: solidarity, mutual help, belonging; prayer, worship, meditation, repeated practice
What is human being according to this text?: fallen, not able to be made whole by one's own strength
Where is history heading?: it is getting better, development towards the good (inferred)
What does the text base its claim on?: on personal experience, testimony, encounter; on tradition, the fathers, an established practice
To whom does the text's call for devotion apply?: to one's own fellow believers
Where is the text's criticism directed?: at one's own community and at oneself

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What the text calls for

die Folge weitergeben (interpersonal)
Erfahrungen und Reflexionen in den Kommentaren teilen (interpersonal)

Measured

Basic stance: 1 from -2 to 2
Insistence: 2 of 3
Reach: 3 of 5
Concreteness: 2 of 3
Boundary: 0 of 3
Time: past 0, present 2, future 1

Analysed with qwen3.8-27b, version v3. The same standards apply to every tradition, see Values.

Show the full text

Addiction touches nearly every family, including families in our own parishes, but shame and secrecy keep most people who struggle with it from ever getting help. IIn this episode of Direct & Unapologetic, Fr. Chris Metropulos sits down with Fr. Dimitrios Moraitis, an Orthodox priest and clinician, to discuss addiction as a treatable disease, the biological, psychological, social and spiritual factors behind it, what priests and parishes can do to support people in recovery, and how enabling and codependency affect the whole family. We also talk about the 12 steps and their connection to confession, why relapse is often part of recovery, and a personal story Fr. Dimitrios doesn’t often share. Share this episode with anyone who may benefit from the information discussed in this episode, or the hope shared for people with substance use disorders and their loved ones. We’d love to hear your experiences and reflections in the comments on YouTube . About The Show Direct & Unapologetic is a series of candid conversations about topics that matter to Orthodox Christians and seekers. We’re talking about Addiction, Grief, Relationships, Family Conflict, Mental Health as well Spiritual Discipline, Engaging with Contemporary Culture, Conversion, Prayer, Passing on the Faith and a deeper understanding of our Scripture. This program is being made possible through a generous donation from the George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation. See all episodes and download promotional materials HERE . The post How to Support Addiction Recovery with Orthodox Christian Priest and Clinician Fr. Dimitri Moraitis appeared first on OCN .