Do you know that everyone has an addiction? Do you know what your addiction is? We may not be aware of our addiction, but we all have them. I found that I was addicted to the adrenaline of anger and the depressant of sadness. I explain this in greater detail on my website: www.hopeforcompletehealing.com. Addiction is a self-protective mechanism that inhibits painful feelings and memories. My book on my website explains how we can become free from our addictions and the key to breaking those strongholds. This post is not an exhaustive examination of what addictions are but an inquiry into what addictions we may have and not even realize it.
Most people think an addiction has to do with smoking, drugs, or alcohol and it does. Webster’s dictionary says that an addiction is a habit or practice, especially a bad habit. For example, are you in the habit of watching hours of TV every night, playing video games for hours, eating ice cream before going to bed, spending hours on social media, etc. These things are not necessarily bad habits in and of themselves. But they are bad in the sense that they rob the person of the freedom to not do it. Try to fast a day or even a week, something you are in the habit of doing. I feel compelled to watch the news every day, all day if I could. If I miss a day, I become distracted about what I may be missing? Do you feel the same or have a similar habit you are compelled to do?
The bad habit or practice may rob the person of quality family time, being productive, good health, strong relationships, etc. For some of us, like myself, I craved approval and if I did not get it I became depressed and angry. Some of us are addicted to worry, in which we can’t help ourselves, we just can’t stop worrying. How about shopping, eating too much, sweets, anger, pornography, sex, tobacco use, etc.? Do you see where you may have an addiction? Is there something you can’t possibly give up or you cannot stop doing? Often a person has more than one addiction.
For example, I had a serious addiction to anger. I could not control it; it controlled me, and I was very embarrassed by it. I was angry about everything, and it was destroying my family. I had to find a way to break my anger addiction. Christian people would say that anger and rage are a sin and to repent, and I would agree. But when an issue controls your behavior then you have a mental stronghold. To learn more about strongholds read: STRONGHOLDS PART I—What are they and how do they affect us?
I do want to note that I began my research with my own experience and how I recovered from many negative heart issues that controlled my behavior. I was healed of many trauma memories from abuse that lead to various addictions. I have shared my experience of freedom with many women that come to my county jail Bible study, and I have seen incredible transformations in their lives. One of the women had an addiction to lying, which caused her to extort money from people, which then landed her in the state pen. I watched her work through her issues that influenced her addiction to lying. These women have the hope of being free from their addictions and living a healthy life for the sake of their children and grandchildren.
Furthermore, all addictions have a compulsion element, a pleasure element, and a regret element. Regret is the element that indicates a person has a destructive addiction. You might say, “I wish I would not do that.” Or, “I want to stop but I can’t help myself.” What are your regretful comments? There is hope.
Begin today to read my short book about how I found freedom from many negative heart issues that lead to my addictions: 1–Healing Begins by Transforming Painful Memories
Hope for Complete Healing 