Is My Drinking or Drug Use a Problem?
Abuse of alcohol and other mood altering drugs is the number one cause of preventable death in the United states.
It is estimated that Alcohol use disorders afflict 14 percent of the U.S. population every year. Lifetime prevalence of drug addiction is estimated to be as high as 10 percent of the population. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported 67,367 drug overdose deaths. Lung Cancer Deaths in the same year are reported at 150,050. The CDC estimates that 80 to 90 percent of these deaths are due to habitual use of tobacco. Admitting and seeking help for addictions is quite literally a matter of life and death.
Unfortunately, due to shame and stigma, addictive behavior often goes ignored and untreated until significant problems made addressing the issue unavoidable. A major outgrowth of shame associated with addiction is the process of denial. This aspect often involves not only the person struggling with addiction but also the surrounding family and friends who fail to identify or confront these issues. Recently, the factor of isolation from workplace activities and church community has only made addiction more of a problem. Addiction thrives in places of secrecy, isolation and lack of accountability.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
(1 John 2:16)
If you marked any of the three items above with a 1 or greater rating, this points to a significant risk of a developing addiction. The higher the score, the more likely that addiction has begun to take hold in your life or the life of the person you are rating.
Don’t Allow Addiction to Overtake Your Life
“…In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33b)
The first step in battling addiction is admitting that there may be a problem. This is an act of courage that many will avoid. In the brokenness of addiction, there is often a sense that we are alone, or abandoned. Eventually, addiction will result in complete loss of relationships. But here is the good news, Jesus does not abandon us in our struggles. He is worthy of our trust, and we can reach out to Him. In the above passage, Jesus tells His disciples to take courage. In spite of inevitable struggles (including addiction), Jesus promises to be with His followers. Through Jesus we can claim peace in the most troubling of times. This starts by reaching out to Him for help.
Confused on how to reach out to Jesus in faith? Call out to Him in prayer. Ask Him to save you from addiction. Reach out to His people in the church. Allow yourself to experience ministry and support in the faith community. Confused on how to start out on this? Call Christian Counseling Associates. We would be glad to stand by you or a loved one who is experiencing addiction.
Addiction affects many in our families and local communities. Many will struggle in silence and isolation. Assess whether you, or someone you know, may have an addiction problem using the short assessment above. Know that you don’t have to face the challenge alone. At Christian Counseling Associates, we have a counseling program, both on site in Greensburg and online that is available right now in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Help is available!
