THE HEART OF ADDICTION
CHAPTER 9
The Physical Components of Addiction
God has created our bodies with incredible adaptability to even some of the most harmful of substances. The world’s use of the term “dependent” is accurate, and involves a very real, observable set of circumstances and symptoms. It’s true that a person’s body may become physically “dependent” upon certain drugs if the substance is used excessively over time. One who is “dependent” is one who will experience definitive, physical withdrawal symptoms that vary according to the specific drug being used if the person were to completely and abruptly stop taking the medication or substance. For this reason, I urge you to submit yourself to the care of a medical doctor for any substance you have been using and have become “dependent” upon. God-given Appetites Appetites are “any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life.”75 These “instinctive desires” are placed in every human being God created. Appetites are internal alarm clocks to remind us that we must do such things as eat, drink, and sleep. When an appetite is satisfied, the satisfaction is only temporary as the appetite will reappear in a short amount of time. Appetites are designed to be satisfied at regular intervals and in moderation to help sustain your life. Appetites should remind us that we are finite, limited, and dependent upon God for our sustenance. We are created to have our batteries recharged regularly so to speak. Appetites are not the cause of the problem for the addict; everyone has appetites and not everyone is addicted. The heart attitudes that drive the habitual, destructive manner in which the addict fulfills instinctive desires are the root of the problem. The addict fulfills appetites by drinking alcohol or taking mood-altering drugs excessively, causing an addiction to develop. Again, addiction is not a “disease” but learned behavior. What is The Purpose of Appetites? The question, “Is it a sin to drink?” is akin to the questions: “Is it a sin to have sex?” or “Is it a sin to eat?” or “Is it a sin to work?” or “Is it a sin to sleep?” Your “flesh” has been ‘hardwired’ by God with five basic, natural appetites that He created for our good and His glory. He intended for sleep, work, food, drink, and sexual intercourse to be pleasurable.76 These appetites, in and of themselves, are not right or wrong. They are neutral appetites and natural desires. When these appetites are satisfied in moderation and under the right ‘biblically-mandated’ boundaries, there is no sin and therein is the blessing: pleasure. Appetites are blessings from God intended for regular and moderate, God-glorifying pleasure. It is not a sin for a married couple to have sexual relations every day; however, it is a sin for two unmarried persons to have sexual relations any day according to the Bible.77 God has given us protective parameters in the Bible for fulfilling our natural, God-given desires because He loves us and requires this from us. When we satisfy an appetite in an extreme manner and fail to meet our responsibilities to God, we are committing sin. God sets parameters for our own good to protect us; therefore, if we fulfill an appetite in a manner that is outside of God’s protective parameter, there is always danger of physical addiction and its consequences. Made to Worship One more God-given, spiritual appetite is the desire to worship something or someone. “Worship” as a noun is defined as “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.”78 What is the object that pleasurably fulfills your natural appetites, for which you have “extravagant respect and admiration”? What are you prone to devote your thoughts, words, and actions to obtaining? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ or is it an object of temporal value? Christian substance abusers and addicts have a worship problem (called idolatry) in that they seek to fulfill temporary appetites with temporary pleasures rather than disciplining themselves for godliness and eternal rewards. The Apostle Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 4:7b-8: “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” We must train ourselves to produce godly habits of worshiping our Creator and Sustainer. Instincts Instincts are God-given impulses that are automatic and are not learned. For example, if you skip lunch, then by evening when it is time for dinner, your stomach begins to function as if food is truly there. If food is not there, your blood sugar drops and you may feel as if you are starving. God gave us these “instinctive” mechanisms to make our bodies aware of our need for food. Hunger is an instinct. How you choose to fill that instinctive appetite of hunger is “inherent” and learned. For example, it is dinnertime, and you are “instinctively” hungry, and you “inherently” desire to eat a meat and two vegetables because that is what you have always eaten at dinnertime since you were a child. Throughout your lifetime, you have learned to “inherently” desire the meat and two vegetables at dinnertime; therefore, your “instinctive” appetite for food in general has been “inherently” learned to be satisfied specifically by a meat and two vegetables. Now when you are hungry, you think specifically about a meat and two vegetables and that is what you are craving. Appetites trigger learned behavior called “inherent” desires; desires that you learn to fulfill in a certain way. A person can learn to eat any type of food to satisfy the appetite. Some people eat only vegetables and do not eat meat. Some people eat “junk food” rather than a vegetable, so when hunger is experienced, they crave “junk food.” What you feed your appetite will become a learned, or “inherent,” desire. Alcohol and drug abuse are learned (or inherent) behaviors. Substance abusers have learned to satisfy their “instinctive appetites” with “inherent substances” and their bodies respond to the physical impact of the chemical use. How is the appetite of thirst related to alcohol? Addictions to drugs and alcohol are “inherent” not “instinctive.” The distinction is that the abuser of alcohol chooses to satisfy his “instinctive” appetite of thirst with a beverage that has a high content of alcohol in it so that he will get inebriated. He is not satisfying his thirst with water but willfully choosing to satisfy it with alcohol. His thirst could have easily been satiated by drinking water. Again, what you feed your appetite will become a learned, or “inherent,” desire. What Are Cravings? Cravings are real, physiological experiences of desire for a substance that has been used excessively. The body adapts to the majority of conditions to which it is exposed. Drug addiction is no different. “Tolerance” to alcohol and drugs increases as the substance is increasingly used. This means it takes more and more of the substance to get the same original effect. In particular, the alcohol-addicted person must drink a certain amount of alcohol just to avoid the “shakes,” which is a “street name” for withdrawal symptoms. The addicted ones have often declared, “Now, I merely drink alcohol to feel normal.” They are telling the truth. This is the physical component of tolerance and cravings, and for this reason, a physician’s care is necessary. For an opiate addict,79 cravings manifest soon after the effects of the drug ceases. Before long, the opiate addict is physically craving the drug again as his or her body has become dependent upon it. Tolerance can be illustrated in the following example: Suzie takes two or three opiate pills as prescribed by her physician each day for her lower back pain. Over time, the pain in her back still persists after she takes two or three pills, but she finds that by taking five or six pills, the pain disappears. Suzie’s body is increasing its tolerance. Suzie’s body says to itself, “Wow, Suzie keeps getting these opiates in such a great quantity that I (her body) do not have to make any natural endorphins for her anymore. This is great because I can make other things that Suzie needs since she obviously does not need any natural, pain relievers that I can make.” Suzie now has a problem called “dependence” as she now requires these opiates that come from outside of her body in order to feel “normal.” Cravings are legitimate, diagnostic, and physical phenomena that come from the excessive fulfilling of natural appetites. If you are experiencing cravings, you have developed a more serious problem than you realize. Whether you believe you are a “hard core” substance abuser, or drug addict, or an “occasional user who sometimes goes to excess,” you need God’s guidance for living your life in a way that pleases Him. This comes from being self-controlled. The final fruit of the Spirit discussed in Galatians 5:23 is “self-control.” Notice that the object under control is “self.” Self is not the source of control. Rather, it is the object of control. Self is the object that must be controlled.80 Self must continually remain under the control of the Holy Spirit, not itself. If you continue to sin by satisfying your natural appetites in excessive and uncontrolled ways, you will develop tolerance, dependence, and cravings. These will become an “inherent” and essential component of your being. Even if it seems difficult, you must conform your will to God’s will. God is not as interested in your happiness as He is in your holiness. When you become “holy,” you will likely become more joyful. The Bible teaches that your holiness, or obedience, will lead to more joy, happiness, and contentment.81 By remaining obedient to Him, you will avoid developing insatiable and powerful cravings for your drug of choice. Obedience will enable you to avoid problems of cravings, dependence, and tolerance. Your biggest problem is not your appetites for alcohol, drugs, sex, sleep, or food. It is your sinful heart attitudes that indicate you prefer satisfying temporary pleasures with drugs and alcohol rather than fulfilling them with a thriving relationship with an eternal God. Excessive satisfaction of temporary appetites leads to sinful ways of acting, thinking, and speaking along with tolerance, cravings, and dependence upon the drug. In this sense, your flesh and its lusts and desires are your primary problem and your own worst enemy. God’s grace will empower you to overcome your addictive tendencies of your heart. His grace is your primary solution!
Prayer of Heart Change and Application:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for revealing your approach to my addiction problem. Thank you for redefining the world’s definition of addiction because it gives me real hope for change. I know that Jesus died for sin and He died for my sins of addiction, drunkenness, selfishness, lying, and other sins. Reveal the truth to me. Help me to live by eternal principles found in the Bible rather than by feelings, cravings, appetites, and temporary desires. I realize that my appetites are not under the moderate control of your Holy Spirit. You have given me a body to glorify you and I have abused it for the temporary pleasures of ___________________ and ___________________ and to escape from the pain of my life. Cause my mind to hear and understand these new definitions of cravings, appetites, and addiction. Stir in me a desire to conform my will to yours, Lord God. Thank you that you are patient with me and that you are telling me the truth about addiction because you love me and want what is best for me. Amen.
God has created our bodies with incredible adaptability to even some of the most harmful of substances. The world’s use of the term “dependent” is accurate, and involves a very real, observable set of circumstances and symptoms. It’s true that a person’s body may become physically “dependent” upon certain drugs if the substance is used excessively over time. One who is “dependent” is one who will experience definitive, physical withdrawal symptoms that vary according to the specific drug being used if the person were to completely and abruptly stop taking the medication or substance. For this reason, I urge you to submit yourself to the care of a medical doctor for any substance you have been using and have become “dependent” upon. God-given Appetites Appetites are “any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life.”75 These “instinctive desires” are placed in every human being God created. Appetites are internal alarm clocks to remind us that we must do such things as eat, drink, and sleep. When an appetite is satisfied, the satisfaction is only temporary as the appetite will reappear in a short amount of time. Appetites are designed to be satisfied at regular intervals and in moderation to help sustain your life. Appetites should remind us that we are finite, limited, and dependent upon God for our sustenance. We are created to have our batteries recharged regularly so to speak. Appetites are not the cause of the problem for the addict; everyone has appetites and not everyone is addicted. The heart attitudes that drive the habitual, destructive manner in which the addict fulfills instinctive desires are the root of the problem. The addict fulfills appetites by drinking alcohol or taking mood-altering drugs excessively, causing an addiction to develop. Again, addiction is not a “disease” but learned behavior. What is The Purpose of Appetites? The question, “Is it a sin to drink?” is akin to the questions: “Is it a sin to have sex?” or “Is it a sin to eat?” or “Is it a sin to work?” or “Is it a sin to sleep?” Your “flesh” has been ‘hardwired’ by God with five basic, natural appetites that He created for our good and His glory. He intended for sleep, work, food, drink, and sexual intercourse to be pleasurable.76 These appetites, in and of themselves, are not right or wrong. They are neutral appetites and natural desires. When these appetites are satisfied in moderation and under the right ‘biblically-mandated’ boundaries, there is no sin and therein is the blessing: pleasure. Appetites are blessings from God intended for regular and moderate, God-glorifying pleasure. It is not a sin for a married couple to have sexual relations every day; however, it is a sin for two unmarried persons to have sexual relations any day according to the Bible.77 God has given us protective parameters in the Bible for fulfilling our natural, God-given desires because He loves us and requires this from us. When we satisfy an appetite in an extreme manner and fail to meet our responsibilities to God, we are committing sin. God sets parameters for our own good to protect us; therefore, if we fulfill an appetite in a manner that is outside of God’s protective parameter, there is always danger of physical addiction and its consequences. Made to Worship One more God-given, spiritual appetite is the desire to worship something or someone. “Worship” as a noun is defined as “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.”78 What is the object that pleasurably fulfills your natural appetites, for which you have “extravagant respect and admiration”? What are you prone to devote your thoughts, words, and actions to obtaining? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ or is it an object of temporal value? Christian substance abusers and addicts have a worship problem (called idolatry) in that they seek to fulfill temporary appetites with temporary pleasures rather than disciplining themselves for godliness and eternal rewards. The Apostle Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 4:7b-8: “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” We must train ourselves to produce godly habits of worshiping our Creator and Sustainer. Instincts Instincts are God-given impulses that are automatic and are not learned. For example, if you skip lunch, then by evening when it is time for dinner, your stomach begins to function as if food is truly there. If food is not there, your blood sugar drops and you may feel as if you are starving. God gave us these “instinctive” mechanisms to make our bodies aware of our need for food. Hunger is an instinct. How you choose to fill that instinctive appetite of hunger is “inherent” and learned. For example, it is dinnertime, and you are “instinctively” hungry, and you “inherently” desire to eat a meat and two vegetables because that is what you have always eaten at dinnertime since you were a child. Throughout your lifetime, you have learned to “inherently” desire the meat and two vegetables at dinnertime; therefore, your “instinctive” appetite for food in general has been “inherently” learned to be satisfied specifically by a meat and two vegetables. Now when you are hungry, you think specifically about a meat and two vegetables and that is what you are craving. Appetites trigger learned behavior called “inherent” desires; desires that you learn to fulfill in a certain way. A person can learn to eat any type of food to satisfy the appetite. Some people eat only vegetables and do not eat meat. Some people eat “junk food” rather than a vegetable, so when hunger is experienced, they crave “junk food.” What you feed your appetite will become a learned, or “inherent,” desire. Alcohol and drug abuse are learned (or inherent) behaviors. Substance abusers have learned to satisfy their “instinctive appetites” with “inherent substances” and their bodies respond to the physical impact of the chemical use. How is the appetite of thirst related to alcohol? Addictions to drugs and alcohol are “inherent” not “instinctive.” The distinction is that the abuser of alcohol chooses to satisfy his “instinctive” appetite of thirst with a beverage that has a high content of alcohol in it so that he will get inebriated. He is not satisfying his thirst with water but willfully choosing to satisfy it with alcohol. His thirst could have easily been satiated by drinking water. Again, what you feed your appetite will become a learned, or “inherent,” desire. What Are Cravings? Cravings are real, physiological experiences of desire for a substance that has been used excessively. The body adapts to the majority of conditions to which it is exposed. Drug addiction is no different. “Tolerance” to alcohol and drugs increases as the substance is increasingly used. This means it takes more and more of the substance to get the same original effect. In particular, the alcohol-addicted person must drink a certain amount of alcohol just to avoid the “shakes,” which is a “street name” for withdrawal symptoms. The addicted ones have often declared, “Now, I merely drink alcohol to feel normal.” They are telling the truth. This is the physical component of tolerance and cravings, and for this reason, a physician’s care is necessary. For an opiate addict,79 cravings manifest soon after the effects of the drug ceases. Before long, the opiate addict is physically craving the drug again as his or her body has become dependent upon it. Tolerance can be illustrated in the following example: Suzie takes two or three opiate pills as prescribed by her physician each day for her lower back pain. Over time, the pain in her back still persists after she takes two or three pills, but she finds that by taking five or six pills, the pain disappears. Suzie’s body is increasing its tolerance. Suzie’s body says to itself, “Wow, Suzie keeps getting these opiates in such a great quantity that I (her body) do not have to make any natural endorphins for her anymore. This is great because I can make other things that Suzie needs since she obviously does not need any natural, pain relievers that I can make.” Suzie now has a problem called “dependence” as she now requires these opiates that come from outside of her body in order to feel “normal.” Cravings are legitimate, diagnostic, and physical phenomena that come from the excessive fulfilling of natural appetites. If you are experiencing cravings, you have developed a more serious problem than you realize. Whether you believe you are a “hard core” substance abuser, or drug addict, or an “occasional user who sometimes goes to excess,” you need God’s guidance for living your life in a way that pleases Him. This comes from being self-controlled. The final fruit of the Spirit discussed in Galatians 5:23 is “self-control.” Notice that the object under control is “self.” Self is not the source of control. Rather, it is the object of control. Self is the object that must be controlled.80 Self must continually remain under the control of the Holy Spirit, not itself. If you continue to sin by satisfying your natural appetites in excessive and uncontrolled ways, you will develop tolerance, dependence, and cravings. These will become an “inherent” and essential component of your being. Even if it seems difficult, you must conform your will to God’s will. God is not as interested in your happiness as He is in your holiness. When you become “holy,” you will likely become more joyful. The Bible teaches that your holiness, or obedience, will lead to more joy, happiness, and contentment.81 By remaining obedient to Him, you will avoid developing insatiable and powerful cravings for your drug of choice. Obedience will enable you to avoid problems of cravings, dependence, and tolerance. Your biggest problem is not your appetites for alcohol, drugs, sex, sleep, or food. It is your sinful heart attitudes that indicate you prefer satisfying temporary pleasures with drugs and alcohol rather than fulfilling them with a thriving relationship with an eternal God. Excessive satisfaction of temporary appetites leads to sinful ways of acting, thinking, and speaking along with tolerance, cravings, and dependence upon the drug. In this sense, your flesh and its lusts and desires are your primary problem and your own worst enemy. God’s grace will empower you to overcome your addictive tendencies of your heart. His grace is your primary solution!
Prayer of Heart Change and Application:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for revealing your approach to my addiction problem. Thank you for redefining the world’s definition of addiction because it gives me real hope for change. I know that Jesus died for sin and He died for my sins of addiction, drunkenness, selfishness, lying, and other sins. Reveal the truth to me. Help me to live by eternal principles found in the Bible rather than by feelings, cravings, appetites, and temporary desires. I realize that my appetites are not under the moderate control of your Holy Spirit. You have given me a body to glorify you and I have abused it for the temporary pleasures of ___________________ and ___________________ and to escape from the pain of my life. Cause my mind to hear and understand these new definitions of cravings, appetites, and addiction. Stir in me a desire to conform my will to yours, Lord God. Thank you that you are patient with me and that you are telling me the truth about addiction because you love me and want what is best for me. Amen.