“When Demons Take Control of the Soul…”

1. Father Parthenius, what do you believe drug addiction represents?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Drug addiction is not simply a somatic disease. It is a disease of both the soul and the spirit. In a spiritual dimension, or rather defined from the perspective of a person’s spiritual state, drug addiction is primarily that severe suffering of the soul known as passion. In other words, it is another of the many trials of the human race—a vice that grows on the foundation of a lack of spirituality, or more precisely, on the desire to find peace without spiritual effort. However, it is also a problem that leads to dependency, both psychological and physical, resulting in the complete enslavement of the individual. I would confidently say that drug addiction is not so much a physiological and psychological bondage as it is a satanic one—it leads to the demonic possession of the person.

What must not be overlooked is the fact that drug addiction becomes a way of life. If this were not the case, we would not be able to provide help, approach the treatment of the afflicted properly, or achieve any results.

2. What are the reasons that lead a person to use drugs?

Archimandrite Parthenius: With the birth of humanism as a philosophical viewpoint that placed man at the center of everything, humanity was elevated to an idealized grandeur. The development and spread of this philosophy in the West led to the displacement of God and the deep entrenchment of atheism in Christian societies. Science and philosophy suddenly reduced man to a mere machine, stripping the concept of personal freedom of its meaning.

Looking back, humanity divorced itself from Divine revelation and, in attempting to become something individual and independent, followed the path traced by its prideful humanism, only to realize that it is nothing more than an accidental collection of molecules—the exact opposite of what humanism envisioned.

If that is true, then philosophers like the Frenchman Sartre are right when they say that life is absurd. For when there is no Absolute, no universal truth, nothing has real meaning. Many Orthodox theologians describe such a society, which is now referred to as post-Christian and was built on the foundations of humanism, as having turned into a pagan and atheistic one—a philosophy of despair.

Returning to the question of the causes of this spiritual and demonic epidemic, I would emphasize that they lie precisely in the worldview of young people. Seeking an escape from the meaninglessness offered by the modern, atheistic worldview—which today we witness fighting against all moral Christian values—they turn to drugs. In this way, they flee from the harsh reality into a fantasy, imaginary world, becoming the children of the father of lies and fantasies—the devil.

3. If you were to rank the severity of different passions, where would you place drug addiction?

Archimandrite Parthenius: According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, the most severe state to which a person can be brought due to apostasy is demonic possession. In this regard, drug addiction surpasses and becomes the mother of all passions, and I would therefore compare it directly to demonic possession. Of course, the term “drug addiction” is relatively new and as such does not appear in the writings of the Holy Fathers, but it is inextricably and genetically linked to the concept of drunkenness (the passion for drinking wine). Thoughts and ideas related to this passion can be found in many writings and sermons of the Holy Fathers. In this context, I would highlight an example from the Holy Fathers, specifically the reflection of St. Nilus of Sinai, who speaks of the state of drunkenness as follows:

“When demons take control of the soul, they treat it so vilely and destructively that they provoke a rush of shame and ruin within it. Stripping away all the garments of virtue, clothing it in the rags of vicious passions, and filling it with every sort of filth to their liking, they lead it to self-praise and extreme mockery. The demons never tire of this vile and filthy treatment of the human soul. Therefore, the one enslaved to alcohol, the more he drinks, the more he burns with desire for drinking. The evil spirits insistently, strongly, and savagely attack the soul, aiming to wound it even more deeply. They strike and overpower it from all sides, thus infusing it with their poison. They do not depart from it until they have brought it to the same state in which they themselves exist, or until they see that it has already departed from the body.”

This condition, described by this great saint, can be compared to anyone who uses drugs. This example is actually a patristic confirmation of the previously mentioned opinion and the stance of most contemporary theologians who deal with this issue.

4. What is the stance of the Orthodox Church regarding drug addicts?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Humanity’s greatest problem arose through the sin of disobedience, and with it came death. However, the incarnate Son of God, taking upon Himself human mortal nature, healed it and bestowed immortality upon it. Thus, in Christ, man is not only called to do good deeds and sacrifice for his neighbor but also to deify himself. In this way, Christ is the purpose and meaning of every person. His Church is a spiritual hospital for all those who, through baptism, have put on Christ and thus carry within themselves the pledge of immortality and eternity.

Christ came to earth to save the sinful man. In a beautiful Orthodox prayer, it is said: “He does not desire the death of the sinner but that he should be saved and live.”

Thus, the Church, through its divinely instituted Holy Mysteries, is directed towards the complete healing of every person who accepts such a sacramental and God-pleasing life. Every sin leads to death, and drug addiction is a sin that surpasses all others, encouraging all other sins in a person, hastening and imperceptibly leading them toward eternal death.

The Church must open wide its doors and fight against this terrible epidemic of sin, for it, as a Theanthropic organism, is the greatest teacher in the struggle against passions and sin.

5. What causes a person to become enslaved to passions, and what motivates them to seek liberation?

Archimandrite Parthenius: A person’s estrangement from God leads to spiritual poverty, turning away from their goal of becoming like God, and making them a slave to their own passions. Here, the parable of the Prodigal Son serves as a lesson. In describing the state of the son while he was in communion with his father, the Lord presents him as someone who lives in abundance and wealth. This refers to the inheritance given by his father. In patristic terms, the inheritance represents all those spiritual riches that a person possesses as a gift from God: faith, hope, love, enlightenment, and wisdom. But the son in the parable, driven by self-love, decides he no longer needs communion with his father, demands his inheritance, and goes to a distant, foreign land. There, he wastes his inheritance recklessly, and eventually, stripped of his wealth, is forced to become a servant to the master of that land. Here, the Savior clearly reveals what happens to a person who turns away from God. Living in the land of sin, they become spiritually weak and impoverished, and there, in the realm of sin, the only thing left for them is to serve and be enslaved to the instigator of sins and their master—the devil. In the end, estranged from his father, he goes from being a wealthy man to a servant feeding swine, symbolizing the passions in which he miserably wallows.

But there is hope—the return to the Heavenly Father, who with open arms welcomes the sinner and prepares a bountiful feast for him in His house, the Church.

6. What does a spiritual guide and spiritual guidance represent?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The spiritual father has played a crucial role in the Church’s life since apostolic times. He is someone who, by the grace of God realized in Christ’s love, selflessly forgets himself and completely imparts his spiritual experience to his spiritual children, whom he spiritually fathers. As the Apostle Paul says: “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19).

A good shepherd is willing to sacrifice even his own salvation for the salvation of his neighbor. In his struggle to bring about the birth of souls and the burning desire to bring new life in God to a person, his interest in himself and his own needs fades or disappears entirely. He gives his life so that a new life may be born. By shedding blood from the heart, he bears witness to the blood of Christ.

In this witness to Christ’s sacrifice lies the essence of the extraordinary power the spiritual father has over the soul of the disciple and the miraculous force by which the spiritual father resurrects the soul entrusted to him to eternal life. With an invisible power, he frees it from the bonds of sin and leads it to freedom before the face of the living God.

7. What is your role as a spiritual guide in the healing process?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The love, care, and prayers of the spiritual father are essential to the life of every Orthodox Christian. Specifically, in cases of drug addiction, particularly in working with recovering addicts, the love and self-sacrifice of the spiritual father are more than necessary. The spiritual father does everything to find the “lost drachma.” Yes, to find the disoriented and lost person, to bring them back and guide them on the right path. In this regard, I, the least of all spiritual fathers, strive according to the gift given by God to bring Christ closer to all those who sincerely open their hearts to me.

8. What is your method or approach in the process of treating drug addiction?

Archimandrite Parthenius: All methods of treatment are of a spiritual nature. This includes individual or group conversations between the spiritual father and the addicts, mandatory attendance at church services, daily listening to the Gospel, and teachings during meals. In short, the entire arrangement—the liturgical order, the meals, the obediences—serves as a spiritual method for directing them toward a true Christian life. This is precisely why the Bigorski Monastery is visited by many people from various walks of life. Here, they become acquainted with the true sacramental Christian life, so that a holy Christian community is formed, within which people, even outside the monastery, support each other, sacrificing for one another as they walk the path of salvation.

What is most important to emphasize here is that true sacramental living in the Church is the spiritual remedy most needed by all people, regardless of whether they have fallen into the temptation of drugs or not.

9. What is obedience, and how important is it in the healing process?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The Holy Fathers placed obedience above fasting and prayer because it maintains communion with God. Closely related to humility, obedience establishes in a person the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of salvation. The person who is obedient to his spiritual father directs his life according to God’s will and walks confidently on the path to salvation. “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord,” says the psalmist David. Therefore, obedience comes first, and everything else will be given by God as a gift.

With recovering addicts, we begin first with obedience. From the very moment they enter the monastery, they encounter an unusual order—the typikon of the monastery. Therefore, they must practice obedience to the typikon itself. Obediences also refer to all the tasks they are assigned later on. Specifically, for them, obedience strengthens their weakened will, making them more disciplined. As they themselves begin to see the spiritual benefit of obedience, they start to perform their obediences out of love rather than obligation.

10. What is repentance, and how important is it in the healing process?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The concept of repentance is expressed by the Greek word “metanoia,” which literally means a change of mind, a change of one’s thinking, a reorientation. In other words, repentance is a change of attitude, a transformation within the person. Repentance is an examination of one’s views, a transformation of one’s life. St. John Climacus says that it is a renewal of baptism, a cleansing of the conscience, a reconciliation with God through the performance of good deeds that replace previously committed sins.

Without repentance, it is simply impossible for a person to correct their life. Therefore, recovering addicts must be brought to a state of repentance, which enlightens them, ennobles them, and changes their way of life and their entire relationship with everything around them. With repentance, they begin to see the world with different eyes. After their repentance, their transformation becomes evident to all. Their eyes shine with joy, filled with the grace of God, which is given to them as a gift precisely because of their repentance. Through repentance, they strive to put to death the old man, who is decaying in deceitful lusts, and to live as new people, renewed by Christ, our Creator.

11. How often do you perform confessions and communions for addicts, and what is their significance?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Confession holds immense spiritual importance for the healing process, as it is a spiritual hospital so effective that it immediately destroys any poison, eradicates every invisible disease, and restores the soul to its original state of grace. It is a hospital where supernatural remedies operate, surpassing all the works of nature combined, as the justification granted to the soul of the sinner is a deed incomparably more significant than if the Lord were to create another, new world.

The epitrachelion worn by the spiritual father during the Holy Sacrament of Confession is the outstretched hand of Christ, which caresses the sinner, forgives, absolves, and leads him into a new life. It is the connection between God and man, a restoration of the prodigal son to the embrace of the Father.

After the wounds of transgressions are exposed during confession to be cleansed, the remedy is given at the Holy Eucharist—Communion—which brings about complete union of man with God. There, at the Holy Eucharist, the heavenly Bread, “which is divided but never consumed,” sanctifies those who partake of it.

That is why frequent confession and communion are integral to the life of the monastery. This practice renews and unites the Church. We also apply this to recovering addicts. Without frequent and sincere confession and communion, there can be no spiritual progress or true Orthodox life.

12. What role does the Liturgy play in the healing of addicts?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Through the Incarnation and the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, human nature has been fully healed. The Liturgy, containing within itself the mystery of the Incarnation, the Cross, and the Resurrection, truly makes present the Kingdom of God in this earthly life, allowing us to fully unite with Christ through His body and blood, which are given to us at the Holy Eucharist. The Liturgy is the essence of our life and self-awareness. It maintains the unity of the individual and the unity of our entire liturgical community.

The Divine Liturgy is not a gathering of people united around a narrow interest, understanding, or mission. For us, the Liturgy is the freedom with which Christ has set us free. In the Holy Liturgy, we learn to live, to offer ourselves. By participating in it, we learn to love. Here is where true, free life is born, a future life that has already been given to us.

Experiencing and living the Liturgy in this way, the Christian embarks on the path to deification, and when, in this case, the addict begins to live liturgically, they are fully healed.

13. Do you use special or perhaps personal prayers for the healing of addicts? What does prayer actually represent?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The monastery itself is created for prayer. Life within it should be prayerful, so that everything in it exists and moves toward prayer and the Liturgy. It is a true school of prayer. The Holy Fathers say that if a monk prays only when he is in church, then he does not pray at all. The Apostle Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” These words are directed at all Christians.

In the spirit of this continuous prayer, we practice the short but very significant hesychastic prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner…” We teach this prayer to those who seek help from us. I believe this is the prayer that helps them the most. The recovering addicts practice it during their healing process, and later, throughout their lives, it becomes a vital necessity.

Prayer is the conversation of the human soul with God. True prayer is complete union with God, a meeting with the beloved Lord deep within the human heart.

14. Have the addicts ever told you that they use their own, special prayers? According to their testimonies, how helpful have these been?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The children who came to the monastery for treatment believed in God, but in their own way, knowing nothing about prayer or the Orthodox sacramental life, even though when asked about their faith, they firmly identified as Orthodox. But what does that mean? They actually learned about Orthodoxy here in the monastery. None of them knew how to use an Orthodox prayer, but we can say that the cry of their soul for help from God is also a prayer. Usually, this was their prayer, expressed in their own simple words. And certainly, the Lord heard such a prayerful cry and such faith and guided them on the right path.

15. Do addicts find it difficult to attend Liturgies, morning and evening services, or compline?

Archimandrite Parthenius: In the beginning, when they are still unrepentant and ignorant, they do not feel the services and consider them a burden. But once they feel the grace-filled power of the service, simply put, of prayer, they come to the communal prayers with joy, participate in them, and those with a musical ear and voice also learn the church singing.

16. What are spiritual virtues, and how did you stimulate them in addicts?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Good deeds or Christian virtues are fruits born of faith, like good fruit from a good tree, as the Savior says: “By their fruits, you will know them” (Matthew 7:16). Elsewhere, He says: “By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). And in the First Epistle of John, it is written: “By this, we know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).

So, to make it easier to understand what spiritual virtues are, I will say that good deeds or virtues are the fulfillment of God’s commandments, which a person voluntarily keeps with God’s help, in cooperation with their reason and will, out of love for God and their neighbor. The most fundamental virtues, without which no one can be saved, are faith, hope, and love. The Apostle Paul enumerates them when he says: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Faith is the ray, hope is the light, and love is the circle of the sun. Together, they form one radiance, one brilliance. The Apostle Paul says that the greatest of the three virtues is love because it is the imitation of God to the extent that is accessible to people. The Holy Fathers say that love is the source of faith, an abyss of patience, and a sea of humility. It is the source of the grace-filled fire—the more it burns, the more it inflames the thirst of the thirsty. Love is the life of angels.

From these three virtues, all others are born, which should adorn every Christian soul. These include prayer, fasting, charity, and from them: wisdom, justice, courage, temperance, and others.

Our brotherhood, striving to live according to the eternal Gospel values and inspired by Christian virtues for constant service to our neighbor, is a stimulus and example for all who come to the monastery.

17. What are the prerequisites for an addict to be admitted for treatment at the monastery?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Of particular importance for the addict is their readiness and voluntary decision to be treated at our monastery. This is the first condition. For this purpose, before their arrival, we have several telephone conversations in which we explain the monastic order and the living conditions in the monastery. Secondly, if they are on methadone therapy, they must reduce their dosage to a minimum and completely discontinue it, if possible, before their arrival at the monastery. If not, they must discontinue it within a week of arriving. If they are not on such therapy, we immediately proceed to withdrawal, using their jargon, “going dry,” with the administration of medications such as diazepam or tramadol, which we provide in consultation with medical professionals, depending on the withdrawal symptoms.

18. Do they need to be believers?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Since we are dealing with a monastery, from the first contact, they declare themselves to be believers. However, considering that knowledge of faith in Macedonia is very limited, that religious education is minimal and only takes place in a few churches, and is not practiced in most families, young people do not have the opportunity to become acquainted with faith or with God as a Person. Therefore, for a young person who has succumbed to the temptation of drugs, it cannot be said that they are truly a believer; their faith is something vague and relative. Because a person who has come to know God and lives sacramentally in the Church would never remain in such a passion. They will become a believer in the true sense of the word after successful treatment and leaving the monastery.

19. If the person is an atheist or of another faith, would you still accept them for treatment? If such cases have occurred, have you treated them in your monastery? Is conversion necessary?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Christ said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

With this, the Church became a mother who, with open arms, welcomes all who seek help from her because her mission is to enlighten all nations.

Anyone who accepts the conditions for living in the monastic community will have the opportunity to become acquainted with God’s revelation and His entire plan for the salvation of the world and, in the end, by their own free will, choose their path.

20. Are there stages or phases in the treatment process, and what are they?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Based on my many years of experience and dedicated work with our brethren who have fallen into this spiritual and demonic illness, I would divide the treatment and complete recovery into three phases.

The first phase consists of detoxification, frequent conversations with the spiritual father about addiction as a great evil, pointing out all the miseries that arise from it, and as the second part of the first phase, pointing to literature for basic knowledge of Christian truths—catechization. This is necessary because these are mostly young people who lack basic knowledge of the faith. This phase lasts one to two months.

In the second phase, after the addict has completely cleansed physically and become acquainted with God’s revelation and accepted it in faith, we move on to discussions that should provoke true repentance—discussions emphasizing the great importance of the Sacrament of Repentance or Confession. This phase also includes the first confession and first communion. In many cases, the first confession is not entirely sincere, so the true grace-filled feeling, which comes from the Sacrament of Repentance and later from union with Christ in the Eucharist, does not follow in full. However, after this, there are many other confessions where the addict is fully open, learns sincerity and obedience to their spiritual father, and feels the need for spiritual conversations and confessions for everything they have done throughout their life. With this, the addict already shows significant psychological and physical progress, which is easily noticeable by their surroundings and their parents, who have the opportunity to visit them in the monastery. This phase lasts three to four months.

In the third phase of treatment, the addict is fully delivered from the destructive passion, and the thought of resorting to drugs is entirely excluded from their mind. They have already entered into the sacramental Orthodox life, are responsible for every obedience given to them in the monastery, show visible interest in reading spiritual literature, participating in services, and a desire for frequent communion. In this phase, they also return to their homes, socialize, find employment, often with a recommendation from the monastery itself. Outside, as we monks say, “in the world,” they are accepted and fellowship with all members of the church community. Their attachment to the spiritual father and the monastery, like that of all other Christians, remains until the end of this earthly life—which means eternal fellowship in Christ because in Him there is no death.

21. When and how do you establish the first contact with addicts?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The initial contacts are usually made through phone conversations, as many people living within the Church are well aware of our work and direct addicts to us. Sometimes, the first contact is direct; the addicts come to the monastery, either brought by their parents or on their own, without prior notice. For such individuals—whether they will be accepted or not—we decide based on their psychophysical condition, as well as the conditions in the monastery.

22. At which stage of the treatment do they need you the most?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The need for a spiritual father is constant. Of course, when it comes to addicts, the greatest need arises in their first phase, when it is most difficult for both them and the spiritual father. This is the period when they need to feel how sacrificial the spiritual father is for them, how much time he devotes to them, the extent of his patience towards their weaknesses, and so on.

23. Did you establish contacts with their parents, and how often?

Archimandrite Parthenius: In many cases, the individuals treated here are brought by their parents. Therefore, contacts are established from the very beginning and continue throughout the process. These contacts between the parents and the monastery are spiritually beneficial, both for the children themselves and for the parents.

24. Can you describe the condition of the addicts when they first seek help from you?

Archimandrite Parthenius: In the first few weeks, their condition is desperate. Psychophysically, they look completely terrible. On their faces and in their eyes, a spiritual deadness is evident; these are entirely passion-ridden and darkened individuals. It is easy to see that their personalities are controlled by the demon through the terrible passion. A great struggle awaits us, with God’s help, to free them from the clutches of this spiritual possession. Initially, these are not the same individuals I come to know later. Only after the first repentance, through many conversations, and with the cooperation of God’s love and the grace of the Holy Spirit in the monastery, does the personality begin to surface. Then, I recognize in them individuals with their own values. This brings me great joy.

25. Why do they seek help from you, the Church, or the monastery?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The Savior says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…” And further, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”

Thus, all are called to follow Christ, who is the Way, the Light, and the Life. I often tell them in my teachings how grateful they should be that, through someone’s prayers, they heard the voice of the Savior and came to seek healing right here in the monastery. And the monastery, though hidden in these forests, is a Gospel city that has shone as a light on a hilltop for 1,000 years. With the revival of monasticism in this last decade, as a great gift to all of us, it has once again, gracefully and evangelically, illuminated as it did in the past throughout its long history.

26. Before seeking help from you, were they treated elsewhere (e.g., in a medical facility)?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Before coming to us, most of them were treated in medical facilities. Those children who had wealthier parents were treated individually by psychiatrists, paying large sums for it. Many of them were on methadone therapy, and so on. Unfortunately, all of them, soon after withdrawal, returned to drugs.

27. How did they cope with withdrawal crises, what were the manifestations, and how long did they last?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Withdrawal crises are one of the most challenging periods for an addict. This period is usually accompanied by a lot of pain, excessive sweating, nervousness, a need for calming medications, and many thoughts of leaving the monastery. It is the hardest battle. With God’s help and the help of the spiritual father, most of them emerge as victors. These crises, accompanied by physical manifestations, typically last no more than a month.

28. In the beginning, during the detoxification phase, do they use methadone or other medicinal therapies, and how long does this last?

Archimandrite Parthenius: My experience has shown that methadone therapy, if used for an extended period, creates a dependency with symptoms similar to, and in some cases worse than, those of the drug. Therefore, in the monastery, the use of such therapy can last no more than two weeks, during which time the dosage is gradually reduced to zero, followed by complete discontinuation of the therapy. During this process, the addict may occasionally receive diazepam or other calming medications in very small amounts, with the goal of eventually giving up these medications as well, and achieving calmness of spirit through a truly Christian way of life.

29. Did they feel exhausted and tired, and how long did that last?

Archimandrite Parthenius: In the first two weeks after arriving at the monastery, the addicts mostly spend their time in bed, feeling exhausted, accompanied by a lot of pain in their bones. They are late for the morning service and cannot stand upright during the services. This intense physical crisis usually does not last more than two weeks.

30. Did you consult with or contact a doctor?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Whenever I needed advice, I consulted with doctors who are my spiritual children, who often visit our monastery, are aware of the work we do here, and are always ready to help with their professional advice.

31. During the withdrawal crises, do addicts face any particular kind of temptations?

Archimandrite Parthenius: A specific temptation that I can highlight during that period is the weakness of will, the doubt about whether they can endure to the end. At that time, many conversations are needed to strengthen their will and encourage them to persevere through all temptations.

32. What conditions do you observe in their intellectual abilities?

Archimandrite Parthenius: At first, all kinds of intellectual weaknesses are noticeable, such as slowed thought processes, distraction, the need for a longer period to memorize what has been heard or read, and difficulty understanding what others are explaining. However, these conditions are eventually overcome. For some, this happens over a shorter period, while for others, it takes more time. This likely depends on how long they have been using narcotics, but perhaps to a small extent, also on the intellectual background and capability of the addict.

33. How did you handle their negative behaviors, and did you take any actions in response?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Considering their deeply entrenched and passionate state, I often find myself irritated. However, I remind myself of the words of Apostle Paul: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This helps me calm down, and I strive to overcome all problems with love, ultimately aiming to extract a spiritual lesson from the situation.

34. What was the source from which they drew strength to persevere through temptations?

Archimandrite Parthenius: In moments of temptation, their source of strength was the love, care, and teachings of the spiritual father, who directed them to the source of living water—Christ. By drinking from Him, they gained the spiritual strength to endure all temptations.

35. Were they completely, entirely sincere during confession? What contributed to that being the case?

Archimandrite Parthenius: During the first confession, it sometimes happens that they hide something, not because they haven’t repented, but out of shame. Subsequently, in all other confessions, they are completely sincere. They feel deep repentance and remorse for everything they have done. What leads them to sincere repentance is the spiritual atmosphere in the monastery, the services, the conversations, obedience, reading spiritual literature, and so on.

36. What was the hardest thing for them to confess?

Archimandrite Parthenius: When a person experiences true repentance, knowing that with every truly confessed sin, they will experience a full grace-filled communion with God, they confess all their sins, no matter how difficult it may be to do so.

37. Did they ever lie during confession or perhaps conceal something?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Only when confession is prompted by true repentance does one not lie or conceal anything. When this is not the case, the spiritual father notices it and continues to guide his spiritual child, striving to awaken them to true repentance and confession.

38. How do they feel when, during the next confession, they reveal what was previously hidden or lied about?

Archimandrite Parthenius: At the next confession, they are encouraged by the grace of God, which gives them the courage to finally open their hearts to their spiritual father. By doing so, with sincerity, they surrender their hearts to be cleansed through the Holy Sacrament of Repentance from any stain of past sin.

39. Did they experience repentance, did they cry, did they feel guilt? Did they want to apologize to anyone, did they seek forgiveness?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Repentance is also a state in which a person, seeking forgiveness from God, seeks forgiveness from all those they have wronged. The recovering addicts, in their repentance, ask for forgiveness from everyone they have hurt. And not only that, but they also completely change their attitude toward them, that is, they begin to live a Christian life of love, both with them and with everyone else.

40. What changes or transformations did confession and repentance bring about in them? This refers to their feelings, thoughts, conscience, views on life, and physical changes.

Archimandrite Parthenius: Living the sacramental life of the Church brought about a profound change in them. They are no longer the disoriented, doubtful, and insecure individuals who first arrived at the monastery. They have become people whose talents, bestowed by God, have been brought to light through the faith of Christ. These are individuals with whom we joyfully share fellowship. They have become our brothers and sisters, fellow travelers on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. If yesterday they were insensitive, focused only on finding drugs, trampling on and offending their parents and those around them, today they are sensitive, seeking forgiveness from their parents and everyone they have wronged. In the monastery, they are always ready, with self-sacrifice, to help newcomers—often quite successfully—identifying with the words of the Apostle Paul: “…because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb. 2:18)

41. Did they experience spiritual purification, and what were the manifestations that indicated such cleansing?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Spiritual purification occurs from the first confession, and it is also reflected in their outward appearance. The vague look in their eyes and the dark expression on their faces disappear. In their place comes a spiritual light in their eyes and a graceful joy on their faces. Their demeanor becomes calm, filled with love for all, and they are full of gratitude to the monastery, where they learned about true values and the real purpose and meaning of life.

42. Did they fall into states of apathy, hopelessness, despair, and how do you, as a spiritual guide, view these states? What is the remedy for them?

Archimandrite Parthenius: At the beginning, all of them exhibit states of hopelessness and despair. However, surrounded by love and care, first from the spiritual father, the brotherhood, and all those who, seeking God, dwell in the monastery, the addicts quickly overcome these states. Such conditions are undoubtedly due to the weak and extremely formal faith they previously had. When true faith takes root in the heart, these states vanish, just as darkness disappears when even the smallest ray of sunlight shines.

43. Among other temptations, did they experience suicidal tendencies?

Archimandrite Parthenius: As we previously discussed virtues, I would add that suicide, by its nature, is a denial of the three greatest virtues—faith, hope, and love. A suicide is a person who has lost faith. For him, God has ceased to be a real force of good that governs life. He is also a person who has lost hope and has fallen into the sin of despondency and despair. Finally, he is a person without love, thinking only of himself and not of others, of his neighbor.

Regarding the addicts, I will say that most of them have had such suicidal thoughts. For many of them, the monastery was their last hope.

Here, in the monastery, they have learned that faith, hope, and love overcome suicide as an individual phenomenon. Thus, faith, hope, and love transform the instinct for death and self-destruction into the voluntary and joyful bearing of the cross of life.

44. Does their mood frequently change? What mood predominates?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Initially, their moods are changeable and unpredictable. Fear, uncertainty, and insecurity dominate. However, through conversations and confessions, their moods become stable, and they grow confident in themselves and in the path they are following.

45. Do they ever feel the desire to use drugs again, or do they return to drug use? What do you do in such cases?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Those who are defeated by such thoughts in the first phase of treatment and who leave the monastery are the ones who return to drug use. Typically, these are individuals who struggle to accept obedience and the advice for becoming part of the Church, which also means they do not fight against the remaining passions they possess. They remain merely abstinent but have not embraced the spiritual aspect of treatment, which is the only successful approach. Such individuals often leave the monastery, claiming they will no longer use drugs and that a month or two in the monastery was enough to cure them. Unfortunately, my negative prognosis for them always proves correct—they return to drugs.

However, contact with them continues, and the doors of the monastery remain open if they wish to return. Many of them, when they realize the need to change their way of life, return to the monastery, this time determined to endure to the end.

46. What does a cured addict represent to you, and do you have such cases?

Archimandrite Parthenius: After spending time in the monastery and successfully embracing all spiritual advice and methods, the addicts undergoing treatment transform into new, Christianized, and churched individuals. These cured individuals become good Christian examples in the community they return to. They fully embrace the Orthodox way of life, which includes fasting, prayer, battling passions, regularly attending church, confession, and Holy Communion.

Most of the individuals who sought help from the monastery have been successfully cured. To our great joy, these individuals are an inspiration to many young people in their environment. Seeing the transformation in these people, their constant spiritual joy, and following their example, they find Christ as the way and light of true life. I must point out that today, if young people do not live according to Christian values, they mostly become slaves to numerous passions, such as the most prevalent among them—lust, drinking, smoking, etc. These passions, depriving them of the true joy of life, lead them to complete spiritual emptiness, despair, and hopelessness.

47. How is a day in the life of addicts organized in the monastery?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Life in the monastery follows the liturgical order established according to the typikon of Athonite monasteries. The day begins early in the morning with several hours of prayer, consisting of various services such as Midnight Office, Matins, and finally the Divine Liturgy, which is performed daily in the monastery. This is followed by the monastery meal, always accompanied by an instructive word, where everyone is together—the monks, the guests, and those in treatment. Next, according to the spiritual father’s blessing, everyone performs the tasks assigned by him, which means the entire day is filled with various work duties, which is very important for the addicts themselves as it helps them develop work habits. This is followed by the evening service, then a second meal, time for spiritual conversations, Compline, and prayer again. As one holy father says in his teaching to the monks: prayer and work, work and prayer…

48. With what types of activities/obediences are the addicts engaged? Are these obediences different from those of the individuals who are not addicts (other guests in the monastery, the monks)?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The addicts are engaged in the usual activities and obediences in the monastery. They always perform their obediences together with the monks—some in the monastery kitchen where food is prepared, others in the fields or orchards, some help with construction activities, and some participate in making monastery souvenirs. In all these obediences, they have a supervising monk who, from time to time, besides the work, teaches them with various spiritual lessons.

49. Do they learn trades or perhaps other skills that will help them in life after leaving the monastery?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The most important thing is that they develop work habits and gain work experience in various fields such as food preparation, making souvenirs, agriculture, and orcharding, which will certainly be useful to them in their future lives. Love for work among Christians should always be at a high level because the Apostle Paul says that those who do not work should not eat.

50. Do you help them start earning their own living?

Archimandrite Parthenius: Even while they are still in the monastery, during the third phase of treatment, they become responsible in their obedience. The monastery helps them socialize. In this regard, with my blessing, they have the support of the entire church community outside the monastery.

51. Do your contacts with former, now cured, addicts continue after they leave the monastery?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The contacts continue and are of a purely Orthodox, sacramental, communal nature, like the relationship between a spiritual father and a spiritual child.

52. How would you try to prevent young people from turning to drugs?

Archimandrite Parthenius: A young person, thrust into an atheistic way of life with lost moral values, desperately seeks an escape. Fleeing from harsh reality, the fallen world offers the young this weapon of the wicked one against man. Drugs are a substance that, at least for a while, allows them to achieve the desired state of pleasure and sometimes even enjoyment. It is an experience that a person can never completely forget. Such an experience suppresses the true joy of life, which God naturally gives to man. The Apostle Paul writes to us: “Rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16). Joy is the natural state of a person who believes in God. But let us also remember the words of the Savior, who says: “In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Indeed, how can a person rejoice when there are so many suffering people around them? Nevertheless, despite all the tragedy of human life, Christians do not cease to rejoice in communion with God. Although that joy is now perhaps imperfect, because true bliss and true joy can only exist in heaven, even here on earth, if a person is with God, they feel the grace-filled waves of heavenly joy.

But that joy must be felt at least once so that we know how bad it is without it, how life itself loses meaning without that joy.

Unfortunately, young people lack such spiritual experience. If young people could know the joy of communion with God, they would never think of using any chemical substances that alter human behavior, creating false joy. They would then realize that all that hinders them from feeling the joy of communion with God is evil and would not cross the threshold beyond which lie lies, deception, and cunning in the form of various traps that the devil has scattered throughout the world to tempt, if possible, even the elect.

Christ, being true joy, light, and love, is the way out and the solution to this problem.

53. What joy do you feel when the dull gaze of an addict clears up, like the sky after a storm, under the influence of God’s grace and your love and help?

Archimandrite Parthenius: The sacrificial love of a spiritual father and, in general, the communion between a spiritual father and spiritual child is a holy mystery. In a mysterious, sacrificial way, the spiritual father, according to the gift of the Holy Spirit, in the love of Christ, spiritually gives birth to his child. Therefore, the spiritual progress and complete transformation of these once fallen individuals bring me such great joy that it motivates me to even greater self-sacrifice and love for this holy and spiritual mission, filled with many risks.

54. Do you have anything to add in conclusion that you were not asked?

Archimandrite Parthenius: I believe that the problem of drug addiction can be successfully addressed only if we do not close ourselves off but instead take on part of the responsibility for the fate of our youth and if we can, with our own example, word, and deed, convince young people of the necessity of living according to God’s commandments.