Православната терапевтична общност и оставането във вярата след православна рехабилитация: духовни подходи за личностна устойчивост
The orthodox therapeutic community and staying in the faith after orthodox rehabilitation: spiritual approaches to personal resilience

Summary/Abstract: Orthodox therapeutic communities (OTCs) are establishing themselves as an alternative model for rehabilitation, in which the liturgical-sacramental rhythm is combined with contemporary psychosocial approaches. The aim of the study is to identify the spiritual approaches through which OTCs form personal resilience and support remaining in the faith after completing the program. The approaches were identified based on reflection on my many years of experience as a parish priest and spiritual mentor of addicts in the OTC „St. Boyan Enravota”, the city of Varna, and were verified through a systematic review of the literature and documentary analysis of statutes, reports and testimonies. As a result of the study, five interacting mechanisms were identified – the Holy Eucharist as the center of the believer’s life, accompanied by confession, cynicism, ascetic practice and spiritual mentoring, the cumulative dynamics of which transforms addiction to the psychoactive substance into church affiliation. Models such as the „90-Day Package” and parish „adoption” of acceptance into a church community reduce religious relapse by 25-30%, while socio-economic pressure and family ambivalence remain major risks. This publication contributes by outlining an interdisciplinary framework for understanding and treating addiction, combining Orthodox anthropology and psychological theory of the ability to survive. Based on our conclusions, the text also offers specific practical tools for clergy, medical professionals (doctors - specialists) and politicians. The results of the study are currently limited by the lack of primary data and linguistic one-sidedness. For their deeper validation in the researched issues, long-term qualitative research in different Orthodox contexts is recommended.

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