Recovery

Time for a lecture on addiction and recovery.   Some of you will understand this from personal experience; others may have heard this from a friend who is an addict or studied it in school; to others this will be new material.  I also know from my experience that some of you will completely reject what I have to say.  To those I say simply "you haven't walked this road."

Many things can drive an addict to seek help but the short answer is that in some way their life has stopped working.  For Christian addicts especially, it is VERY likely that they have spent a lot of time in the addiction cycle (pain -> addiction -> shame -> recovery).  I won't go into the psychology of the addict nor will I spend much time talking about the cycle except to say that each pass through the cycle brings deeper shame and despair. Today I am talking about what recovery looks like.

Addiction is forever.  Anyone that tells you they can be (or have been) cured is either delusional or naive.  Addicts are either recovering or practicing.  There are some situations, places, events, activities that will be off-limits to me forever.  Alcoholics know not to hang out in bars and many (serious ones) won't allow alcohol in their homes - for good reason.  Addicts who stay in recovery know that they will be attending meetings and having accountability partners forever (or as long as they intend to stay sober).

Successful recovery means changing the way you think, process pain and handle life.  This doesn't come from a 2-hour-a-week bible study, praying harder or having stronger faith (unless you think you are at Paul's level).  It comes from hard work, support, structured programs and perseverance.  12-step programs exist and are successful for a reason - they work!  The reason they work is that they set up the structure and the program for an addict to change their foundations and to create the tools they need for long term sobriety.  Addicts who won't (or can't) work "the program" (insert the program of your choice here) don't make it.  Oh they will get clean and sober and stay that way for a while.  On my own, I have done it in stretches as long as 9 months or so.  The problem is that if you don't make the changes I talked about earlier, it won't last. 

Living the the addiction cycle will eventually cost you everything - including your life.  You can't break the cycle by sheer willpower, self-control or praying harder.  Get help and get it today.  Make your recovery your number one priority.