I saw a story on the news the other day, most of you probably saw it too. A man and a woman were found passed out in their car from a heroin overdose. In the backseat, strapped to his car seat and unable to get out on his own, was a little boy. Overnight these two became the face of a growing problem in our country, heroin addiction. But, if we really look at the larger picture, heroin only one part of the problem plaguing our society, addiction itself. Alcoholism and binge and underage drinking remain a concern, as do other issues such as addiction to drugs like Methamphetamines, cocaine, sex addiction, or issues like anorexia, or bolemia.
Addiction is not always so sinister though. Many people would say they have an addiction Netflix (guilty), or sweets (guilty again), or there are a select few who would even say they are addicted to books (you know who you are, and yes, also guilty). While they represent a more innocent side of the problem, a case could be made that these things are also, in fact, addictions. The definition for alcoholism varies, but MedicalNewsToday defines an alcoholic as “A man or a woman who suffers from alcoholism – they have a distinct physical desire to consume alcohol beyond their capacity to control it, regardless of all rules of common sense” (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157163.php). Take out the word Alcohol and put in Heroin, narcotics, eating, anorexia, sex, anything fits. Addiction is the disease, the manifestations of that disease might be different, as might the symptoms or severity, but it is all addiction. It is all some sort of out of control urge.
I was reading this blog, “beautybeyondbones,” written by a girl who suffered from severe anorexia (seriously, if you haven’t, go check her out, https://beautybeyondbones.com/read-this-first ). The way she speaks about her addiction is a clear beacon of truth. Not only does she describe her own journey, which is nothing short of amazing, but she also puts clear words to the thoughts, feelings, and lies that she had to deal with during her recovery. Anyone who knows someone going through an eating disorder, struggling with it themselves, or going through any sort of addiction could benefit from her blog. As I read through her story I found myself agreeing, understanding, relating, and even taking notes to apply to my own life. See there is another side of addiction that is not typically considered. Sin. Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, ” I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Christian or not, know this, sin is wrong not just because God declared the rules and made some things okay and others not okay. Sin is literally missing the mark. There is a way that leads to True Life, to the best life possible, and sin is not that way. Sin, although it may seem fun or right at the time (sound at all like addictive reasoning?) will ultimately have negative consequences. So anyone who struggles with sin, especially those who know what is right but still fall short, would benefit from knowing more about addiction.
It all starts with a lie. Typically it is whispered and you won’t even know you’ve heard it. Only years later, often after lots of therapy and struggle, do the actual words emerge. But it almost always goes like this. When I am _____ I need _____ to be okay or happy. It can be even more generic than that. It could just be a belief that you need ____ in order to function. Example, “When I am stressed I need to get away, shut down, just have a drink, cut loose, the list goes on, in order to be okay and function.” In most 12 step groups there is an acronym, HALT, that stands for extreme emotions those with addictions should avoid: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. The understanding is that emotional or physical extremes make us want comfort and support, they cause us to reach for our “drug”, be it something as sinister as narcotics, or as innocent as a tub of ice cream. Sound at all like sin? If you know what is right, but you choose to do something wrong, part of you looked at that situation and said that the wrong thing was the only way to get through it.
If you know what is right, but you choose to do something wrong, part of you looked at that situation and said that sin was the only way to get through it.
So how do you deal with addiction? The answer is like the disease, obvious and a lot harder than it sounds. You combat the lie with truth. The first lie to be conquered is that the addiction is the only option. For those in the throes of addiction, where the disease has begun to severely damage their everyday lives, addiction is the only option. Their “drug” is the only way to feel normal, to deal with stress, to be happy, to get through the day. Life has taught them that any time they don’t turn to the “drug” they won’t be satisfied, they will still long for it, and they will end up going back. Especially in cases like severe alcoholism or narcotic addiction, there are mountains to overcome before this lie can be conquered. After all, any effort to stop using is immediately met with withdrawals. Without the drug they get sick, shaky, feverish, nauseous; it feels like they are dying. So they go back. Even in the case of more “innocent” addictions, it can be hard to see other options. And if you find them, there will be a voice in your head, telling you that the “better” way is really just a patch, only the addiction is actually going to satisfy. Sin is not easy to let go of.
So… given all that… here are a things to consider.
- Jesus said, “I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life” (John 14:6). You want to deal with an addiction of any severity? You have to combat it with truth. The best way to do that? Focus on it constantly. Both on the truth that you don’t need your “drug of choice” to live, and also on the truth of how Jesus describes life in general. This is not a magical cure that will win the fight in a day, sin still has consequences, but this is the WAY out. This will ultimately set you free.
- The best way to prevent an addiction? Know the truth from the start. It is much harder to be deceived by a lie when you actively know what is true. The Bible urges us to meditation on the truth day and night (Joshua 1:8), and Jesus says that those who listen to what he says and do it are “like a wise man who built his house on the rock.The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24, 25). If you actively know Truth it will be much harder to fall for a lie.
- The first step is admitting there is a problem. The second is getting help. The Bible commonly talks about sin in terms of darkness. There is a reason for that. Secrets thrive in the shadows. In the shadows we don’t have to admit that the problem exists, or how bad it has gotten. In 12 step programs the first couple of steps deal with how to quite “using”. The rest deal with revealing how bad the problem was. If you want to deal with an issue you have to admit that one exists. One of the best ways to do that is to get help. Either tell a friend or family member, seek counseling, or get other professional help if the issue is that severe.
Every man and woman in this world is an addict. They could be on the news because their addiction has become that severe, or they could be living beside us day by day, secretly hiding their small sins. They could be writing a blog. There is a way that leads to life free of addiction, free of sin, and it starts with the truth.
The Preachy Grub 