Addressing Addiction Myths (Part 2 of 3)
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Myth #4: People who continue in addictions are hopeless
While quitting a habit is an important first step towards a lifetime of victory, occasional relapses do not mean absolute failure. Psychological stress from work or family problems, social cues, changes in living environment, or even encountering streets, objects, or smells associated with a broken habit can all trigger a setback. Addicts are most vulnerable to relapse the first few months after quitting. For some of the most gripping addictions, recovery is a process and the recovering addict must never give up. The more times a smoker tries to quit and fails, the greater the chance that on the next attempt to quit, they will succeed. As long as there’s life, there’s hope.
Myth #5: Relapse can happen without warning.
The road to relapse always starts in our minds. It’s been estimated that humans think as many as 10,000 or more thoughts a day. When those thoughts are negative and self-defeating, they can really pile up. We are often our own worst critics. Listen to your thoughts. Correct those that are counterproductive immediately, before they have a chance to fester and gain momentum. Victory—like relapse—also starts in the mind. By con- trolling your thoughts, you can take an important step towards a continued recovery.
Myth #6: It’s too late for me to change harmful habits. The damage is done.
The truth is, it’s never too late. The body is incredibly resilient, and while not all addiction-related damage is reparable, much healing can and will occur. When you quit a harmful habit such as smoking, the benefits from “kicking the habit” begin to accrue as soon as 20 minutes after the last cigarette, and continue to grow for years.
Individuals who quit harmful habits are in for a psychological treat as well. The inability to defeat long-term addictions tends to beat us down, frequently leading to anxiety, depression, a sense of powerlessness, or a lowered sense of self-worth. In contrast, beating a habit can have a very healing, encouraging effect on the human psyche.
Myth #7: The addict has to “want” help.
One challenge faced by many who are addicted is that in the beginning, they don’t really want to change. They may gain immense enjoyment from the addictive behavior or substance, or even more likely, they are fearful of the extreme anxiety, pain, or boredom that will inevitably accompany any attempt at withdrawal.
The good news is, we don’t have to be entirely willing to get started. Studies from many successful “drug courts”, which force users to make a choice between treatment and going to jail, have yielded some encouraging results with regard to willingness: apparently, participants who were initially unwilling have just as high a ratio of success as their voluntary, self- motivated counterparts. So if your main and only motivation for trying to give up cigarettes is that your spouse gave you an ultimatum, take heart. You may find other encouraging motivations as you get into the process. Though it seems farfetched at the moment, the day may come when you even thank your sweetheart!
In the words of one counselor, “we don’t care so much about how you got here, as why you’re staying.” People may stop a bad habit for even wrong reasons, but in the end, the point is that they stopped. The brain fog starts to clear, thought processes begin to work more effectively, and though the initial motives may not have been totally noble, the end result is good. The key is to get started, and if motivation for even a small start is notice- ably lacking, the constant prayer should then be “Lord, make me willing to be willing.” We can rest assured that such a prayer, when prayed sincerely, will be heard and answered.