An Answer for Addiction
What is addiction? How is addiction healed?
This new TED talk—“Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong”—connects these questions about addiction to shame and honor (granted, it uses language besides “honor” and “shame” to do so). Research shows addiction is the effort of unconnected people to bond with something. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.
This guy’s style is a bit quirky, but he has some fascinating examples that made me rethink things. How do people get free of addiction? By punishing their transgression, or replacing isolation with connection?
Also, your probably not addicted to drugs, but you’re still an addict of some kind. What is your heart addicted to? Is that addiction connected to shame/isolation? How can connection overcome your addiction?
Enjoy the clip! This is the final post in this series “Putting Honor Into Action.”
This new TED talk—“Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong”—connects these questions about addiction to shame and honor (granted, it uses language besides “honor” and “shame” to do so). Research shows addiction is the effort of unconnected people to bond with something. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.
This guy’s style is a bit quirky, but he has some fascinating examples that made me rethink things. How do people get free of addiction? By punishing their transgression, or replacing isolation with connection?
Also, your probably not addicted to drugs, but you’re still an addict of some kind. What is your heart addicted to? Is that addiction connected to shame/isolation? How can connection overcome your addiction?
Enjoy the clip! This is the final post in this series “Putting Honor Into Action.”
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Wow! Thanks for sharing that. It makes so much sense in a Christian (relationship with God) context.
As a therapist with some experience with addicts of every sort. I have treated sex addicts, porn addicts, food addicts, alcohol addicts, cocaine addicts, nicotine addicts, digital addicts. Here is my take from a Biblical View that includes Guilt, Shame, Bondage and Pride. All effective treatment must deal effectively with Shame and Honor as well as Guilt.
Addictive Behavior = Compulsion + Dependence.
AB=C+D
Compulsion Behaviors are designed to deal with and cover up inner Guilt and Shame. A person can exist without being an Addiction.
Dependent Behavior is designed to reinforce Positive feelings. A person can exist without being an Addiction.
When both exist it is an Addiction. To treat the Compulsions we must help the Client resolve Guilt and Shame with forgiveness and knowledge of being in God’s family.
To treat Dependency we must support positive or high feelings from Christian ideas that replace the bad behaviors. This will stop feeding the Guilt and Shame that feed Compulsions.
Grace and Mercy underlie all such treatment.