The Frantic Cry for Comfort

Some thoughts on addiction for the Christian community

De: Richard Hindmarsh

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Are you struggling with an addiction? Do you have a loved one struggling with an addiction? What are the weapons that we need to fight this beast?Addiction is enslaving and killing our young people, devastating families, overstressing first responders and emergency room staff, and financially draining limited healthcare dollars. Addiction is a monster that needs to be understood and contained. Only when you know what it looks like and how it behaves will you have a chance of getting it into an appropriate cage.The field of addiction and addiction treatment is controversial. Much of the controversy is present because of philosophical differences and the feeling that treatment is often unsuccessful. There are many caring and well-meaning people who work in addiction treatment, but all of their efforts are barely scratching the surface of the immense problem. Honestly, we are losing the battle. There are three general approaches to addiction and its treatment with the adherents to those positions adamant about their belief. The three groups are; abstinence-based, recovery-based, and harm-reduction. Each group holds on tenaciously to their philosophy and methodology. Addiction is a disease of comfort-seeking. It is not a disease of drug-seeking. The addict seeks comfort as a cure for discomfort. The discomfort comes from the experience of pain and anguish. There are numerous causes of intense pain and anguish that can lead to or reinforce an addiction. We need to understand the pain if we hope to understand the power behind the addiction. The first part of this book looks at several of the more common sources of human misery and anguish. Pain and agony are very personal, and it is crucial to view the individual struggling with addiction as suffering, even if they are obnoxious or have criminal tendencies.How are we to treat those suffering from addiction? How do we know what boundaries are appropriate? As people of faith, how should we view this devastating condition? I have struggled with these issues for the last four decades as a family physician and, most recently, as an addiction medicine specialist. What does it look like to provide compassionate care? What role does my faith play in helping a struggling patient? What can you do for a friend or family member who is struggling with an addiction? Is there hope?