September is National Recovery Month.
My blogs will focus throughout September on addiction and its life-destroying tendencies.
The writings derive from my experiences of battling addiction and living a life of recovery.
These writings aim to give anyone mired in the throes of addiction some hope.
For the next few days, I will continue to focus on the Acknowledge piece of the acronym ACT.
ACT leads to sobriety…
A – Acknowledge you have a problem, are powerless over it, and need help.
CÂ – Connect with a power greater than you and people with solutions to help you conquer your problem.
T – Take positive, recovery-oriented action every day.
Today’s blog continues a post from Sept. 4…
So why did it take me three years to seek professional help for my problem?
I can narrow it down to three things: PRIDE, SHAME, and GUILT.
Three of the devil’s favorite life-crushing feelings.
PRIDE – Up to this point in my life (August of 1987), there was nothing I couldn’t whip on my own…the devil reminded me of this fact daily.
Not whipping drugs and alcohol on my own would represent little or no willpower. I had more willpower than the average human being…so I thought.
It was my willpower/pride that almost led me to my grave.
SHAME- I knew what I was doing was wrong. My actions were not aligning with who I was and what I stood for. I had to fix this problem alone because I didn’t want anyone to know I had a weakness called addiction. I was ashamed of what I had become.
I reached a point in my addiction where the only way the shame would go away was by using…the devil had me right where he wanted me.
GUILT- I felt guilty for what I was doing…in moments of sobriety, the devil would remind me that I was a thief, a liar, and a cheat. The only way to make those feelings disappear was by drinking or drugging.
Because of my pride and my need to fix my problem alone, shame and guilt took me to a very dark place. A place where I thought the only way out was by taking my own life.
The above cycle was orchestrated beautifully by the devil, who has three goals for everyone’s life: Kill, Steal, and Destroy.
I’m so grateful to be one of the few who escaped the bondage addiction had on my life.
Tomorrow we will be looking at a critical part of the Acknowledgment stage–Step 2: I came to believe a power greater than myself could restore my sanity. This power became my bondage breaker.
These writings are captured in my book, “Victory Over Opiates.” Click on the title for more information.
John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.”
James 4:7,” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
