Addiction, a Terrible Illness

Addiction is a terrible illness. It not only affects the addict, but everyone they know, especially their family members. The people who care for the addict the most usually get hurt the worst. Often those same people out of love, guilt or a desire to help end up enabling the addict more than assisting them to get the help they truly need.

No one starts out to become an addict. No one ever sits down and says, “You know, today I think I will make a conscience decision to ruin my life by abusing alcohol and drugs. As a matter of fact I think I will cause as much wreckage to my family, friends and acquaintances as I possibly can.” Addiction simply occurs for a variety of reasons. For some people it is genetic, for others it is through pure usage and abuse. Nevertheless, no matter how one becomes an addict, it is a disease that leads to a variety of “bottoms,” of course the ultimate bottom being death. But in the course of the addict’s behavior and actions they endanger everybody around them, especially if they drive a car or operate machinery. The sad part is that the addict only thinks of themselves and also believes they are hurting no one but themselves. It is a vicious lie!

Addiction leads us down paths that we never would believe. It is a disease of desperation and constant worry over having enough substance to get high. In order to maintain our disease we will go to lengths that often are offensive to others as well as painful. We find ourselves hitting bottom after bottom in order to feed our disease. We lie, cheat and steal to get the necessary funds to maintain our addiction. Under the influence of alcohol and drugs we don’t care who we hurt. It is a nasty disease that leaves a destructive path a thousand miles long and a thousand miles wide. And of course the addict lives in a state of denial. They stay high in order to not have to deal with the reality of their life.

What should we do in dealing with the addict? Should we simply write them off as a lost cause and let the chips fall where they may? After all they make us so angry and hurt us so deeply it is only normal to desire to lash out at them. But we must remember the addict is not a bad person who wants to do good, rather they are a sick person who needs to get well. We should treat them as if they are sick, yet at the same time refuse to enable them. There is a term known as “tough love” and that should be our response to the addict. In our heart of hearts we know that they are children of God; and God doesn’t make junk! They are simply very sick human beings who need help.

Addiction is a sad situation to watch someone suffer through. But since the addict often spurns all our offers for assistance, most of the time all we can do is let them go and give them to God. We can pray for them and hope that they will come to the realization on their own that they need help. We pray that they reach that point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. We can ask God to do for them what they can’t do for themselves and that’s to seek help for their illness.