Guilty of Addiction!

I confess! I have an addiction. Most people do! Any "bad" habit you have that you can't seem to stop yourself from doing is an addiction. Not all addictions are illegal. In fact, more are legal than illegal! I'm sitting here currently trying to think of only the addictions that are illegal and guess what I'm only able to come up with a couple of them. Drugs, child pornography, and prostitution. Smoking, drinking, gambling, adult pornography, body piercing, tattoos, (I have had people admit to me that piercings & tatts are addictive) and video games are all legal addictions. What about other addictions? How about food, shopping, nail biting, chocolate, candy, sweets, and the dreaded soda pop? 

Many of the above cause withdrawals. Some withdrawal symptoms can be headache, shakes, sweats, elevated heart rate, yearning for the item, and the need to pace back and forth all the while thinking of the thing you want to do or taste. Then you give in and do or have the desire. Satisfaction! The high that takes you away from reality, the sugar rush from sweets or just the taste buds being satisfied, the playing of one more game to try to win, or the great purchase at the store. The NEED has been met but at what cost?  

For me, it's the bubbles from a cola (especially RC or Pepsi) as it hits the back of my throat! I love the feeling...especially first thing in the morning on a dry thirsty throat! It brings happiness to my soul... as it brings destruction to my body. Most addictions bring some sort of destruction -- eventually. 

God has used this addiction to teach me, humble me and help me better understand others. I admit that I used to look down on or allow myself to feel a twinge of superiority over someone who has drug or other serious addictions. I work hard these days at keeping that in check. My soda addiction is not nearly as tough to beat and yet here I am still sucking it down on a regular basis. It comforts me. It is really the only "comfort" food I have. It is my go to when I miss my mom (which is still often) and when I am upset or having a tough day. 

So, while I don't fully understand getting started on some of the horrible addictions out there, I understand addiction much better than I used to. When the addict continues to go back and go back and makes awful choices to have the addiction, I do understand it's not really them acting as much as the addiction driving them. This is not an excuse for their actions but it is a way to hate the sin of addiction and not the addict. They need help in quitting. They need help making the appropriate changes. Sometimes it may mean that it's time for tough love and not enabling them to continue. Often times, if they are not enabled by friends and loved ones, they wake up much faster to the fact they need to stop. 

You may ask how someone is enabled. They are enabled by someone helping provide the addiction. They are enabled by covering up and making excuses for their behavior. They are enabled by someone baling them out with money. When they waste their own money on the addiction and can't pay bills or purchase necessities such as food and utilities but someone always helps them with those daily supplies; they have no reason to make better choices. This is enabling them to continue in the addiction and not get help to stop!

Just a reminder that most of us have an addiction in our lives. Let's not get our halo crooked by thinking we are better just because our addiction won't necessarily land us in jail. Work on yourself and help others when you can by helping them quit! Don't enable them to continue because that's not help!