Following are strategies for funding the help you need.
Be willing to sacrifice.
Review your budget or planned expenses. Which ones can you postpone? Can the roof last another year? What about your car? Can you cancel or scale down your vacation? What if you played less golf or exercised at the YMCA instead of an upscale health club? Choose to eat out less or cut your entertainment expense. Many things we take for granted are, indeed, luxuries. Most people find they can get by on much less if they have to – or if they decide they want to because funding something like recovery becomes a priority. If necessary, consider taking a second job and earmark all the earnings for treatment. Perhaps you can turn a hobby into a money-making enterprise. Get creative.
Treat the unplanned expense of therapy like a medical emergency such as an appendicitis or heart attack.
If your physical health were at stake, you’d do anything required to get well. While it’s a good plan to avoid increasing credit card debt, sometimes putting the cost of treatment on a credit card is a reasonable exception.
• Ask for help. If your budget simply won’t stretch, consider other options. Ask your church for a loan that you can pay back over time. If you have a pastor or other church leader you trust, approach him or her about your situation. You don’t have to disclose the details of your problem.
If you’re an addict, for example, simply confess that you’re seriously struggling to be the person God calls you to be because of sexual sin in your life, and share that you’ve found a Christ-centered program that offers help. If you’re a spouse, explain that your marriage is in shambles and you need help with coping with your difficult circumstances. Sadly, not all churches are safe places to be vulnerable about needing help, but some are.
Ask your recovery friends for a loan.
Maybe your support group could establish a revolving fund that helps people with the cost of treatment, is paid back over time, and then loaned out again.
Ask family members for a gift or a loan.
Again, you don’t have to be more specific than you choose to be. If you’re not comfortable sharing the whole situation, or if you fear your family may take sides in your marriage problems, explain the bare basics as described earlier. While some parents or siblings may not be supportive, you may be surprised at others’ willingness to help.
Have faith that God will provide.
This statement doesn’t necessarily mean that money will magically appear in your account. Our experience, though, is that when someone is truly ready to get well, he or she finds that God opens doors to make that possible.
Bethesda Workshops will do all we can to help you financially. Half of the workshop fee is due up front, and you can put the balance on a no-interest payment plan. Contact the Financial Coordinator to talk about your options.