Recovery from Addictions

“Flee from youthful lusts.”
—2nd Timothy 2:22 (NIV)

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” —James 4:7 (NIV)

Setting Captives Free.com offers a free email program to cure sexual addictions. They also have programs for spouses and mentors.

Stand True.com is a coalition of Christian websites such as Anti PMS (Pre Marital Sex)

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” —Roman Senator Seneca

“Courage is Grace Under Pressure” —Ernest Hemingway

“Paralyze resistence with persistence.” —Frank Tyger

• "Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."

• "Courage is fear in action."
• "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."

• "Don't be afraid to try something for fear you will fail; if you have not the will to try you have already failed."
• "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." - Henry Ford
• "A fear faced is a fear erased."
• "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." —Vince Lombardi

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
—Hebrews 12:2-3 NKJ

He can help those who are tempted, because he himself suffered and was tempted.
—Hebrews 2:18

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
—Romans 12:1-2 (NKJ)

How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest?
They Take The Psycho Path!

Get this print framed for your wall!

euphoria are happy thoughts/feelings
dysphoria are bad thoughts/feelings.

• Abstinence is about behavior, but recovery is about attitude.

• "There is pain in recovery. Misery is optional.”
• "You got a problem with drugs? Try our program for 90 days. If you're not satisfied, we'll refund your misery.”

• "Life is like wrestling a gorilla. You don't stop when you get tired, you stop when the gorilla gets tired.”
• "Today there's still a monkey on my back. He's just sleeping. He's real easy to wake up.”

• "Change only happens when the pain of holding on is greater than the fear of letting go.”
• "Change is mandatory, Progress is Optional.”

• "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor."
• "Do you really need it to feel OK?"

• "If you really want to stay sober, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.”
• "A winner makes commitments; a loser makes promises.”

See the arm reach out from within the drawing to repair the drawing? From Incredible Optical Illusions by Nigel Rodgers, 1998; Quarto, Inc

“if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
—Genesis 4:7b (NIV)

“but my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
—Hebrews 10:38-39

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:9

“For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
— Titus 3:3-7 (NIV)

“Being an alcoholic does not give me the excuse to act alcoholically.”

Those in Rational Recovery use different words than Alcoholics Anonymous. RR does not view addicts as victims of circumstances but as those who who practice “self-indulgent behavior.” RR says “Recovery from addictions is an individual's, and not society's, responsibility.”

RR views "relapses" not as something that just happens to people, but as “reversals of intent.” They believe that anyone is “capable of defeating any appetite.”

RR asks addicts to make the “Big Plan”—an “all or nothing” commitment to complete permanent abstinance and “ never change your mind.”

Don't look back. Don't Entertain the Thought.

THE 12 STEP PROGRAM OF RECOVERY FOR WEB ADDICTS

Submitted by Bud Manuel and Michael Frisoli

1) I will have a cup of coffee in the morning and read my newspaper like I used to, before the Web.

2) I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand typing.

3) I will get dressed before noon.

4) I will make an attempt to clean the house, wash clothes, and plan dinner before even thinking of the Web.

5) I will sit down and write a letter to those unfortunate few friends and family that are Web-deprived.

6) I will call someone on the phone who I cannot contact via the Web.

7) I will read a book...if I still remember how.

8) I will listen to those around me and their needs and stop telling them to turn the TV down so I can hear the music on the Web.

9) I will not be tempted during TV commercials to check for email.

10) I will try and get out of the house at least once a week, if it is necessary or not.

11) I will remember that my bank is not forgiving if I forget to balance my checkbook because I was too busy on the Web.

12) Last, but not least, I will remember that I must go to bed sometime ... and the Web will always be there tomorrow!

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. — James 5:16

• "Relationships will do to you what alcohol couldn't."
• "Any chance I had of being the victim I took, because it was a lot easier to blame you than to look at my own life."

  RR calls recovery groups “a mutual procrastination society that diverts the attention of seriously addicted people away from the immediate task of becoming securely abstinent” —a place where people “excuse their decisions”.
  RR's founder, Jack Trimpey, author of the book The New Cure For Substance Addiction, quips that “One commitment to abstinence is worth a lifetime of meetings.”
  Believing that “groups don't keep you sober; you do.” RR Self-Help Network meetings, volunteer coordinators make “no effort to convince addicts to abstain”.

  RR recommends that addicts “form new relationships based on common interests (passions!) rather than common problems.”

  Don't just count the days. Make the days count.

“live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

“anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
—Romans 6:7 (NIV)

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
—Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”
—Psalm 119:133

The Serenity Prayer used by AA:

Get this print framed for your wall!

God, grant me
The serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and
Wisdom to know the difference.


RR does not subscribe to this because RR originated from “humanistic self-help” in that they do not look to a “Higher Power” (God) who can provide strength, even if only as a focus on something else which helps addicts maintain their dedication.

RR does not acknowledge the spiritual dimension to addiction.

RR does not rely on the efficacy of prayers to the creator of the universe who could grant supernatural deliverance from addictions.

Chuck Colson (message in Real Audio) quotes statistics which show that faith-based programs have the best recovery rate.

I joined Gambler's Anonymous. They gave me two to one I don't make it. —Rodney Dangerfield

These and other quotes in italics are from Humor Anonymous and Twisted Serpent, where Laughter Heals in 13 Steps:

• Are you walking towards a drink or away from one?
• All alcoholics stop drinking but it is nice to be alive when it happens.
• For me, my worst day sober is not better than my best day drinking. But my worst day sober is better than my last day drunk.

• Do what you did and you get what you got.
• One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.
• The topic is "living in the now?" I used to live in the now when I was drinking--as in "let's go get drunk right now. "
• Changing from alcohol to marijuana was like switching deck chairs on the Titanic.
• Drinking has gotten me 2 things in life: Fat and Broke.
• I had three sponsors: HBO, Cinemax and Showtime.
• I didn't use drugs and alcohol; they used me.

• I listened like only the dying can.
• The position for the God job was filled a long time ago.
• At the start of meetings we always ask, "Is there anybody new or coming back?" We should also ask, "Is there anybody old and going out?"
• My brain said more, but my body said enough!
• I thought I deserved to win the lottery because I stopped drinking.
• I'm stark raving sober.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” —Romans 12:12 (NIV)

Prayers

What is Letting Go?

When We Just Can't Stop: Overcoming Addiction

Addictions discussions Pod
• recoveryconnection.com has a self-test
• The Web of Addictions is dedicated to "providing accurate information about alcohol and other drug addictions. We wanted to provide a resource for teachers, students and others who needed factual information about abused drugs. You won't find glib, hip treatment of this very serious topic here."
• Rite-Aid Pharmacy
• The Virtual Drugstore reference guide to pharmaceuticals. [thwso]
• A centralized network resource for alternative "wholistic" approach healing possibilities.
• Holistic Health Diagnostic Profile Questionaire
• Dealing with Pornography
• His Mansion Recovery from alcohol, drugs, food, sex, physical abuse
• Sid Galloway's Biblical Counseling & Training Center
• David Kyle Foster's Mastering Life Ministries
• To report someone involved with child pornography over the Internet, call 1-800-BE ALERT (1-800-232-5378) or email c3@customs.treas.gov.