HOW TO BREAK ADDICTIONS?
This new regular feature is for those who are ready for a deeper biblical insight into how young people can live a more holy life. Sunil James shares his ‘8 step method’ to break the chains of addiction.
Understanding Addiction
Addictions!! At different stages of life, most of us are fascinated by or are attached to certain stuff which we find difficult to break away from. For the younger lot reading this article it might be gaming, anime, cartoons; for the teens it will be “those” kind of things; for the youth it will be all the stuff from the teen years plus alcohol, drugs, gambling, and more. Addictions are often a cover up for our damaged emotions and over time addictions take control of our lives. When we indulge in certain things, they bring us momentary happiness, but they can become a real bondage that keeps us enslaved to a behavior that is destructive. This can bring on feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness, despair, failure, rejection, anxiety and humiliation. Like passive smoking, addiction not only affects us but also our loved ones. So, how do we break the chains of addiction? What can we do? I want to share my ‘8 Step Method’ that worked for me.
1) Acceptance
Often we are in denial and are not willing to ACCEPT that we are addicted. Once we accept it, then we can bring the problem to Jesus, who is the only one able to break our chains of addiction. Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
2) Repentance
We need to go to Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and honestly admit that we have fallen again. Each time we do this we will grow stronger. Repentance brings so much fruit, man! When we truly repent and go to Confession, Jesus gives us His grace not to fall into that sin again.
3) Healing
When we put a plaster on a fresh cut, it still bleeds and takes time to heal from the inside. Inner healing is very important with addictions in order to heal the root cause of the addictive behavior within us. Ask Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament or in your personal prayer time for inner healing by simply saying, “Lord, I am broken and I am struggling with these issues (name them specifically). I need your healing touch, Lord”
4) Prayer
When we start backsliding into our sins, our personal prayer time with the Lord will suffer and start to decrease. Even if our prayer becomes boring, we should keep at it. Push through it. In prayer we are opening our hearts to God, so be patient with Him. God always has a beautiful plan for you, to prosper you and not to harm you and to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
5) Reading the Bible
Reading the Word of God will strengthen us. It is due to God’s mercy and grace (Romans 9:16; 2 Corinthians 12:9) that we do not fall back into addictive behavior. If you don’t normally read the Bible I would recommend starting by reading the New Testament. Try to memorise key verses like Philippians 4:13, Romans 8:38, Romans 10:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Luke 10:19, Romans 16:20, Philippians 3:7, Psalms 119:11, etc. Reciting these will help you when you are tempted.
6) Praying the Holy Rosary
The intercession of Blessed Mary will help us to stay strong in the face of temptation. Meditating on the five decades of the Rosary is the same as reading Sacred Scripture many times over. So it’s a double Whammy!
7) The Holy Sacraments
The Sacraments were instituted by Jesus to help us because He knows that we are weak. But through receiving Jesus’ healing in Confession and receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, we are filled with supernatural grace to break the chains. The more actively we participate; the more easily the chains of addiction will slip off.
8) Friends
Come on guys, let’s be really honest. Some friends lead us to fall again and again while others help us to grow stronger. We’ve got to learn to keep away from those who hinder our spiritual and mental growth and nurture the friendships that support us. The other thing to realise is that WE ARE NOT ALONE IN OUR ADDICTIONS.
JESUS
Jesus is the ultimate solution for all our problems. He can break the chains of bondage and save us. Therefore, we must call on His Name every time we are feeling tempted. An honest cry from a humble heart is enough for Him to set us free. In Matthew 8:1-3 we see a leper who cried out, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Jesus replies, “I do choose. Be made clean.” When he asked Jesus, the leper was healed.
HEALING
Jesus died on the cross so that we could have life in abundance. Following these steps has definitely helped me. Remember, the more we practice, the more it will become engrained in us. We should never be afraid to ask Jesus for forgiveness because He says, “Anyone who comes to me, I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) So if we fall, we can stand up, go to Confession and try again. An addiction is a real problem and inner healing takes time, so we should not expect it to be instantaneous. But when we are healed, the freedom and the joy that we will experience will be immense. So let’s try our best and God will do the rest.
BE ADDICTED TO JESUS!
