Throughout my own personal journey, the battle with addiction has been a struggle that I have had to confront head-on. It has taught me valuable lessons about the significance of having a strong support system in place, cultivating intentional and meaningful friendships, delving deep into the root causes of addiction, and ultimately surrendering to God. These insights have propelled me towards a path of healing, growth, and a newfound sense of identity in my faith. Addiction has shown me that it is not merely a physical or psychological dependency, but also a spiritual one, highlighting the importance of seeking a relationship with God. Which led me to embark on a path of healing, growth, and renewed identity in Christ. It began innocently …show more content…
As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, I found myself sinking deeper into the abyss of despair and hopelessness. Yet, alcohol was merely the gateway to a world of substances that would further entangle me in their web. From opioids that promised temporary relief from both physical and emotional pain, to psychedelics that offered an illusory escape from reality, and even marijuana which seemed to soothe my nerves, each substance became a stepping stone for my addiction to spread its influence over my life. The depths of depression became my constant companion as I battled against the relentless hold addiction had over me. It was as if invisible chains bound me, preventing any form of freedom or relief from which they promised me. The insidious nature of addiction had me trapped in its clutches, robbing me of joy, purpose, and self-worth. Every time I desperately attempted to break free from my addiction, the grip tightened and coiled around me with an unrelenting force. It felt as though a noose was slowly constricting my neck, suffocating any ounce of …show more content…
Although I was initially lost and clueless about how to overcome my addiction, I clung onto the unwavering belief that there had to be a way out of this seemingly endless cycle. After countless failed attempts to get sober, I finally made the life-changing decision to seek help from Teen Challenge. This organization became the turning point in my recovery journey, providing me with the necessary tools and knowledge to break free from the chains of addiction. At Teen Challenge, I discovered the power of developing a strong sense of community and support structures. Surrounding myself with individuals who understood my struggles and offered unwavering encouragement played a pivotal role in my recovery process. The concept of accountability was also instilled within me, teaching me the importance of taking responsibility for my actions and seeking guidance from others when needed. I made a conscious decision to surrender myself to the divine power of God. It was during this process that I unearthed the underlying cause of my struggles – the deep-seated trauma from my childhood. At the age of eight, I endured
Gerald May’s book Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions is a wonderful book that addresses grace, freewill, and forgiveness around addictions. The reader should keep in mind that the book is written from May’s personal views and experience. May (1988) states that he is “neither a trained theologian nor a scriptural scholar [and] this book is full of my own theological assumptions” (p. vi). The book is written to help the reader understand how addiction keeps one’s focus on things other than God. The reader learns about the struggle with sin and how the conflict creates awareness to addictive behavior. While the book offers some great understanding regarding addictions and spirituality, it is also based on a reflection of May’s own personal view and experience with addictions.
Many people dislike the term ‘addiction’ in relation to drugs or other substances, particularly as it infers that a person is powerless over their use of a particular drug or in some circumstances, a number of substances. Whilst others maintain it is this powerlessness that is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment – that treatment is not possible without recognition of addiction itself as the ‘problem’ being addressed. The professional and public perception of addiction is complicated. There are many approaches and models to explain addiction, the role of the addict, and their environment. This essay will compare and contrast two of these approaches, the medical/disease and the social model. Initially this essay will describe the origins of each model, and follow by explaining their respective strengths and weaknesses, and finish with an overview of the key differences between them. This essay will conclude by demonstrating that a holistic approach, and a cross-pollination of these models is the most successful approach to treating addicts. As is the case for all diseases, there are multiple treatment options, and as ever person is different, the results in each individual cannot be predicted.
In the reality of the postmodern world, where nature is gone and has been replaced by technology, where the world and humankind have become fused with the machine, and the existence of morality and reality are uncertain, it is difficult to find hope for a better existence or motivation to attempt to change one's existence. Addiction then becomes a logical avenue of escape from these bleak circumstances--not affecting reality, but transforming it into something bearable. The addictions that Case turns to allow him to escape from the hard reality of his life th...
Sheff (2008) found that "Addict's family walks an unhappy path that is strewn with many pitfalls and false starts. Mistakes are inevitable. Pain is inevitable. But so are growth and wisdom and serenity if families approach addiction with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the acceptance that recovery, like addiction itself, is a long and complex process. Families should never give up hope for recovery-for recovery can and does happen every day. Nor should they stop living their own lives while they wait for that miracle of recovery to occur" (Sheff, 2008, pg. 230).
Life wasn’t always so bad, or at least that’s what they told me. From what I remember of my child hoods great memories my family speaks so highly of, if there were any at all, are all clouded in my mind by the what I can remember my life being. At times I find myself going thru old pictures of when I was a child and think to myself. Why can't I remember this day? I looked to be a happy healthy baby then my heart turns in a cold way. Growing up to a parent addicted to drugs and alcohol is no way for a child to be raised. I had to grow up at an early age and didn’t truly get to experience life the way a child should. My family tells me Marquise you were so loved by so many people and your Mom tried to do the best she
Gabor Mate 's essay “Embraced by the Needle” addresses important issues on the negative effects that childhood experiences have on the development of addictions, and the long term effects that drugs play throughout an addict 's life. The author states that addictions originate from unhappiness and pain that is often inflicted upon addicts at early age such as infancy. In Mate essay, he uses many patients past childhood experiences to help create a picture of the trauma that an addict faced as child and the link it plays with who they are today. Mate builds an impressive argument based on the way he organizes his ideas on what addiction is, and how it corresponds to a person 's childhood experience. The author does this effectively
It was 3 a.m., and I could hear the argument downstairs. My parents had to do this at 3 a.m.? I got up, walked around for a minute, and went back to bed- I had school the next day. This became an increasingly common occurrence, almost every other day the fall and winter of junior year. The argument had been more or less the same for the last month, centering around my dad's alcoholism and family's money troubles.
I’m actually kind of shocked I could write about recovery because it is a topic with a special meaning to myself. But, I found it easier to write about my own experience with a negative event this time, and I believe it is because I grew as a writer. I saw the value the personal testimony adds to a piece, and thus I could add my own story.
Gerald May does an incredible job of integrating spiritual concepts and theology into the treatment of addictions in his book Addiction and Grace. He clearly asserts that all humans are born with the desire for God’s love. This desire is what gives our lives personal meaning. Addiction is defined as any personal attachment that takes an individual’s focus away from God. As human beings, we all have addictions; personal attachments that can be viewed as positive or negative. Addictions are not limited to substance abuse (i.e. drugs, alcohol, and food). Addictions can also include behaviors (i.e. love, work, family, exercise). It can be difficult to view loving someone as a negative addiction; however, Gerald
In the book, Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, May explores how addiction develops and can be treated from a psychological, physiological, and spiritual standpoint. This theme is clearly shown throughout the text as it shows addiction from a whole person's perspective. The book covers the development of addiction from desire through the experience of addiction. The key focus is on looking at the matter of addiction from multiple stand points then broken down by explaining how addiction is an issue psychologically, physiologically, and spiritually. By focusing on these three areas, the author is able to present the reader with a clear understanding of addiction from all sides of the problem.
This experience helped me to recognize the internal struggle that a substance abuser faces on a continuous basis. In addition, I know that an individual can have a difficult time changing their behavior even when they have a strong desire to change; the smallest thing can cause a person to relapse.
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
In the United States today, drug use, substance abuse, and addiction are consistently growing dilemmas! At a young age we are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Answers vary from doctor, police officer, astronaut, etc.; it is hard to image an individual saying, “I want to be addicted to drugs.” However, society witness’s individuals tumbling into drug addiction or other forms of addiction daily. This, in consequence, can cripple and prevent any person from accomplishing their childhood dreams.
Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or old, and any race or ethnicity” (E Not Alone).
In the controversy of animal testing, there are two different point of views regarding the issue. One-side supports the animal testing due to its beneficial outcomes, and the other side opposes animal testing due to morality and the ethics of testing on animals. The people who support the animal experimentation are hoping for many medical breakthroughs like those that the past animal experimentations have found. The people who oppose the animal experimentation are against it, because they believe that the animal experimentation are just cruel ways to harm animals and kill thousands of animals through failing experimentations.