Christianity and Mental Health: Addictions

Survey questions:

Please do not include tobacco use in your questions.

What was the first drug you tried?

Was this the drug you became addicted to or did you try it and others before becoming addicted?

How long after your first use of the drug you became addicted to did you notice you were addicted?

How did you feel about knowing you were addicted to a drug?

Did you experience any hardship such as financial or loss of relationships?

At what point did you decide to get help for your addiction?

What kind of help did you get and was it effective?

How many times did you relapse before finally becoming clean?

How long have you been clean?

How has your life improved?

Anything else you would like to add?

These are the questions I asked some people I knew who struggled with addictions at some time in their lives.  At this point I only received one reply.  I wonder if I am qualified to write this post.  I have not been addicted to anything beyond my morning coffee, ever.  Yes, I smoked when I was a young adult, but I quit cold turkey and when I tried cigarettes again I did not feel the need to start smoking again. 

So why am I trying to write about addictions?  Well, part of my graduate program I took five extra classes to earn a graduate certificate in addictions counseling.  I did this to better my chances of getting a job as a counselor.  It was not effective.  It has been seven years and I have forgotten most of what I learned because I never used it. 

So how can I help those who struggled with addiction?  Addictions can take people by surprise.  You try something once and enjoy the feeling it gives so you try it again.  However, it is not long before you have to use a higher dose to get the same effect.  Or you like the feeling you get when you “use” you find you like it better than real life, so you use it more and more often. 

Some things, like tobacco, can be instantly addicting.  I did a research paper in grad school based on the thesis: “People who start smoking before they reach 18 years old have a more difficult time quitting than people who start at an older age.”  The thesis proved to be true and still today I often ask people, when appropriate, at what age they started smoking and how many times have they tried to quit?  Almost all said they started before their 18^th birthday and many have said they tried to quit several times.  I did not ask tobacco users to fill out these survey questions but maybe I should have.

Many find nothing wrong with using marijuana regularly.  They argue it relaxes them and helps with their medical problems.  I know there is some research out there for the positive effects of medical marijuana use but do the good effects outweigh the bad?  For instance, smoking a joint is more harmful to the lungs because the particles ingested are much larger.  One of my textbooks shows pictures of lungs which have been repeatedly exposed to marijuana smoke and cigarette smoke.  The marijuana lungs were much more damaged.  Another study I recently read about showed people with serious mental health issues often become more violent when they smoke marijuana.  One person who read the study and commented on social media he smokes marijuana every day and never has a problem with violence.  I asked him if he had a medical condition he needed it for, and he said no.  I wonder where someone like that gets the money to buy enough marijuana every day.   Many of my textbooks state regular marijuana use decreases cognitive functioning.

 Narcotic pain pills are another common drug which people become addicted.  I know of at least two people who struggled with this addiction.  Thankfully, neither one is addicted anymore and are doing well.  One has gone on to become a lay counselor for people struggling with addictions.  I am so proud of her. 

There are many other types of drugs and other things people become addicted to and I could write about them if I had time.  One last addiction I will mention is alcohol.  Alcohol can be consumed without causing addiction in many people.  However, when it does alcohol is a very difficult drug to quit.  I know of some who have gone to rehab several times before finally giving it up. 

Addictions ruin everything good in life.  Addictions ruin relationships because the “drug” does not want anyone to take its place.  It ruins a person financially both by being expensive and it lessens one’s ability to stay employed.  My one respondent to the survey reported she lived in her car for a short time because of her addiction.  Finally, addiction becomes your god and God, being the gentleman He is, will not force Himself on you.  God wants to have a relationship with you.  He wants first place in your life because He loves you so much and knows what is best for you.  He is good.  Drugs cannot say any of those things.  So next time you are tempted to use a “drug” think of all the harm it will cause and say no to the drug.  God bless!

Books you might like to read from Christianbook.com are below. Disclosure: I earn a small percentage of the price of the book at no additional cost to you. It helps keep this website to stay open.

The Last Addiction: Own Your Desire, Live Beyond Recovery, Find Lasting Freedom – eBook By Sharon A. Hersh This is not a book of “self-help” answers or “how-to” steps. It is a book about falling down and getting up again, about realizing that we need more than ourselves to be saved. The truth is, we’re not as bad as we think we are – and we are worse than we ever dreamed. When we live between those two realities, we are ready to let go of the last idol: the belief that we can save ourselves. A Focus on the Family Recommendation. Lily in the Valley By M. D. West Understanding and Loving a Person with Alcohol or Drug Addiction By Stephen Arterburn & David Stoop When a family member or friend is addicted to drugs or alcohol the situation can feel hopeless and confusing. In Understanding and Loving a Person with Alcohol or Drug Addiction, David Stoop and Stephen Arterburn help readers develop a plan of action by offering: Insight into brain chemistry and addiction Real-life ideas for encouraging healthy choices Guidance in how to help without enabling The connection between depression, ADD, and trauma Stoop and Arterburn have helped thousands of people around the country understand chemical addiction and how to love someone well in the midst of this gripping disease.