Addiction can simply be defined as a state of being captive or enslaved towards doing something that leads to development of a habit or certain behavior of which to some extend one has no control over. Surely, addiction comes with strong feelings of attachment and desire for something or to certain specific behaviors. Every human being to some extend has a form of addiction which may range from trivial to life-threatening forms.
They may either be psychological, neurological or even spiritual. These addictions act as a driving force from within that tends to enslave and abuse our freedom, hence one ends up acting in a manner that is contrast to what he or she would wish to. As it has been deduced, addiction can really take charge of someone‘s life to the extend of being life threatening.
When it gets to such extend, quick measures should be taken before the situation gets out of hand. Documented research has shown that in the same way one gets addicted to alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, one can get addicted to ideas, power, relationships, religion (May, 1988).
If one gets obsessed with a certain idea or even with another person and cannot control the feelings or thoughts, has been enslaved and hence addicted. One can also be spiritually addicted in the sense that he or she is entangled by the doctrines and can not have an independent thought or think logically outside the governing doctrines and law hence obsessed by the religion and considered as an addict.
Addiction can be perceived from different angles, addiction of the mind, body or spirit depending on the prevailing situation that leads to the addiction (May, 1988). Some of the substances, drugs and behaviors that one can get addicted to include alcohol, cocaine, nicotine for example cigarette, sleeping pills, marijuana, caffeine, aerosols. Behavioral addictions may include computer games, gambling, overeating, love for money, power, sexual addiction, relationships or even ideas.
There are signs and symptoms that come with various addictions and could be used to detect development of addictive behaviors. Some of the symptoms to checkout for include: tendency to do something repeatedly over and over again so as to obtain pleasure, when the individual stops using the substance they tend to feel uncomfortable and unsatisfied with a sense of lacking something vital.
Another symptom is having difficulties in controlling and managing oneself and spending most of your time to acquire the substance or indulging in certain activities. Signs of addiction are the outward expressions that emanates from the addictive substance or behavior that one has.
These signs are not universal, they may differ from one individual to another. Some of the major signs of addictions include mood swing where one tends to be anxious and at times relaxed; happy at one time then sad the next moment, changes in the size of the eyes and the pupils, tendency to over sleep, sudden weight loss or gain, change of friends, becoming confined and secretive. These and other signs can act as perfect indicators of individuals under the influence of drug and substance abuse.
Human beings were never created to be fully satisfied. There is always a desire to have more and more. There is a need to have self control and know your boundaries and limits so as to avoid going overboard and becoming victims of addiction. Most of the
things that chain and enslave us in life are mostly our own makings. We have come up with our own ideologies and objects that we worship and attach strong emotions and feelings on them, this has made mankind to drift away from God’s love and the love for one another and end up investing all the time in finding pleasure and satisfaction from drugs, addictive substances and behaviors which ends up eroding our dignity and scrapping away our freedom by enslaving us (May, 1988).
It is through the harsh life and bondage that comes with addiction that leads one to learn and appreciate the peace of mind and freedom that God has bestowed on us. It enables us appreciate the grace of God which is a freely earned favor emanating from God’s loving nature upon mankind.
To overcome these addictions, spirituality plays a very vital role. It comes from the believe and faith that we have in a supernatural being who is able to restore the dignity and peace that we have lost in the course of satisfying our humanly pleasures and needs. The faith and trust that we have in God is able to redeem and save one from the jaws of addiction.
Though there are many ways to deal with addiction like seeking for counseling and advice from professionals, going to the rehabilitation centre, joining help groups, having treatment program, it all boils down to you as an individual and your relationship with God and other people that you associate with. If one can amend these relationships then they are on the right lane towards attaining self freedom, redemption and control of their lives.
Through salvation which according to Greece or Latin means safety, one is made whole in Christ Jesus that is according to Christians, hence they become new creatures. With this faith, one is able to overcome any kind of oppression and slavery. Also getting involved with the right group of people with upright morals and who believe in God can help one change their bad habits and addictive behaviors.
Spirituality aids in promoting and upholding integrity and good moral values that may enable us shade away bad addictive behaviors and lead straight forward life, again we may have the will to do that which is good but the power to do it is not in us, so we ought to acknowledge God who is the giver of all powers and whose grace is sufficient to keep us safe from any kind of bondage and slavery.
In conclusion, addiction can be regarded as bondages that are of our own making and that are basically out of our control hence to sufficiently deal with any kind of addiction one has to submit to an external source of power that comes from God and through His grace that He has freely outpoured upon those who call on Him and follow His laws and commandments.
God’s grace is the ultimate hope and solution to the countless oppression and addictions facing mankind in the current times, hence there is hope for those who have been entangled by their own desires that have ended up being their worst enemies. Through grace has humankind found peace and satisfaction, for the heart of men will forever be restless until it finds rest in God.
Reference List
May, G. G. (1988). Addiction and grace: Love and spirituality in the healing of addictions. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.