Greetings,
Today I'm going to shed some light on a very uncomfortable and sensitive topic, because it has affected and continues to affect the lives of millions of people across the globe: substance abuse. From alcohol to pornography, there are millions of people right now, who are clinging onto whatever substance is providing them with a temporary relief from their psychological and spiritual traumas, at the expense of their well-being in every other area of their life. Let's start with the stats:
A quick Google search revealed the following:
- Approximately 30% of South Africans are at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol, since that is the primary drug of choice here.
- As it stands, 17.5 million South Africans are affected by alcohol.
- Another stat shows that of the people classified as binge drinkers, 48% are men, 32% are women, the remaining 20% I'm assuming are children, which is a sad statistic indeed.
Most of us have drank, and remember our teen years, where drinking was seen as a rite of passage, and a way to find social acceptance with our peers. I've never struggled with alcohol addiction thanks be to God, but I do understand the circumstances that can pave the way to alcohol addiction, because there was a time many years ago where I started moving from "social drinking with friends" to having "a drink or two on my own just to wind down from a stressful day". Thankfully I recognized the dangers of the pattern I was slowly starting to form and put a stop to it immediately. The danger with any substance is when we adopt it as a crutch to continue moving forward from day to day. When we've reached a point where we "need" a substance to function, then we have a coping mechanism which is a problem firstly because life is meant to be lived not coped with, and secondly, we need to accept the fact that we have an addiction.
That's the hard part... While I cannot speak from personal experience of substance abuse because I’ve not been afflicted with an addiction, I have sadly come across quite a few individuals and families where substance abuse has caused lots of devastation, and I can honestly say, substance abuse ruins the victim as well as the immediate family around the victim, especially if the victim doesn’t see they have a problem.
It’s a tiresome back and forth where emotions are high and relationships are broken as a result of broken promises, finger-pointing, judging and just general frustration.It’s hard for the addicted person, because they are using the substance as a crutch to try and escape the inner traumas they are refusing to deal with, and it’s hard for the immediate family around them, because they are caught between wanting to help their loved one, without enabling their addiction, and this is a very thin line that quickly becomes blurred. While the addict doesn’t admit the problem and get the help they desperately need, a whole process of broken promises, emotional manipulation in the form of guilt trips, and continuous drinking ensues which takes everyone on an emotional roller coaster ride with them, as they watch their loved one destroy themselves with their own hands. It’s gut-wrenching and heart-breaking, and I have seen it one too many times.
I recently chatted to a friend about the 12 Step Program which was designed initially to help people with alcohol addictions and has since been adapted to help with people who are afflicted with addiction to other substances. I watched this video below and was amazed to see how rooted in spiritual healing it is. That for me, is the crux of the matter, we often look at a problem from the outside in, because our outside is the tangible part of us. But in actual fact, most if not all problems have a root that is inside, and hidden from the naked eye. Addiction is no different. The person needs to face the inner traumas and afflictions that have shaped their thoughts and made them vulnerable and susceptible to addiction. As a Christian, I believe in spiritual warfare, and know that not enough attention is paid to the spiritual side of our healing.
The medical field is geared at physical, psychological and emotional healing, but often the spiritual aspect is ignored, when in actual fact our spiritual well-being is the deepest part of who we are and the foundation upon which our identities are built. I believe for healing to be complete, we need to include spiritual healing as well, and there is no better manual available to man for spiritual healing than the bible, and the 12 Step Program is a wonderful tool because it focuses on every aspect, including the spiritual healing of each individual, and this is an area I hope to move into by God's Grace someday with my studies. The beautiful thing about spiritual healing is that we don’t need to rely on our own strength, it’s a transformation by surrender to the love of The Lord. I will share some scriptures below that illustrate the importance of spiritual healing:
- Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
- John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
- Psalm 34:18: The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
May The Lord by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, strengthen all those who have been afflicted by addiction and their families to take the necessary steps towards healing… first and foremost, by starting at the foundation which is surrendering themselves to the love of The Lord with all their hearts, minds, and souls by accepting the Holy Spirit. To anyone who finds themselves imprisoned by an addiction, please know that The Lord loves you and is close to you, if you would just give Him a chance. I believe wholeheartedly that programs like The 12 Steps are one of the ways that The Lord reaches out to those who are afflicted by addictions. Please, if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for those you say that you love. Get the help you need and become the person that deep down you know you can be, and if you ever doubt that it’s going to work, please keep the following scripture in mind and know that at the end of the race, peace will be your reward. Peace that not even you will understand:
- Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Be safe in Christ, take care of yourselves and each other.
🩵
Marcio.
No comments:
Post a Comment