When Faith Feels Forced, Recovery Shuts Down—Here’s What Works Instead

When Faith Feels Forced, Recovery Shuts Down—Here’s What Works Instead

Families often hear that spirituality is essential for recovery—but what happens when your loved one resists it at every turn? In this heartfelt episode of the Get Unhooked Podcast, Jason Coombs shares how his own hardened ego and spiritual resistance nearly cost him his life in treatment. What finally broke through wasn’t pressure, lectures, or rules—it was unconditional love.

Jason recounts his fifth attempt at treatment, where pride, shame, and defiance collided with a group that refused to let ego poison recovery. At the breaking point, he packed his bags to leave—but an unexpected moment of divine intervention stopped him. What followed was a vision that revealed God’s love in a way he could finally receive.

For families, this story offers a crucial insight: faith cannot be forced, but it can be nurtured. Validation, patience, and steady boundaries become the soil where a spiritual awakening can finally take root.

Episode Highlights

• [00:01:18] Treatment as a Mirror – Why group living exposes hidden defenses and becomes a training ground for real life.
• [00:05:01] Ego vs. Willingness – Entering treatment arrogant, rule-breaking, and masking fear with pride.
• [00:07:48] Protecting the Culture of Recovery – How Jason’s peers (including his brother) confronted his ego head-on.
• [00:11:36] The Fork in the Road – Packed and ready to leave, Jason faces divine intervention that keeps him in treatment.
• [00:16:33] Spiritual Anorexia – Why “force-feeding faith” doesn’t work, and the power of gentle encouragement.
• [00:18:28] A Vision of Nathan’s Face – The breakthrough that revealed God’s unconditional love.
• [00:21:40] Hope for Families – Trusting that God’s providence is always at work, even when change feels delayed.

Key Takeaways for Families

• Faith can’t be forced: Pushing spiritual conversations often makes resistance stronger.
• Validation melts walls: Simple acknowledgment of where your loved one is can open doors pressure never will.
• Ego is fear in disguise: What looks like arrogance often masks shame and insecurity.
• Secrets keep people sick: Encourage safe spaces for honesty and truth.
• Boundaries create space for growth: Small, consistent commitments can nurture lasting transformation.

Closing

Jason’s story reminds families that spirituality isn’t about coercion—it’s about creating the conditions where God’s love can be received in His timing. Families can’t force awakening, but they can nurture it by validating, holding boundaries, and trusting that God is already at work.

For more encouragement, read Jason’s book Unhooked: How to Help an Addicted Loved One Recover (Amazon & Audible) and find family support resources at brickhouserecovery.com.

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For more information on treatment services, check out brickhouserecovery.com