Pain & Addiction
One of the main reasons people continue to abuse alcohol and drugs, in spite of the problems it causes, is they are attempting to medicate their pain. Most who have become involved in an addictive lifestyle are not aware of this, but never-the-less, it is true. What are some of the pains people try to medicate? Loneliness, fear, rejection, anger, etc. Anger is a major, major cause of pain. Has anyone ever pushed your buttons, causing you to experience real anger? Have circumstances in your life caused you to feel frustrated and angry? Have memories of past abuse caused you to experience anger? I think we all can relate to those times when we have felt anger. Some find this emotion to be overwhelming at times, and some even seem to get stuck in anger. You should know this very important fact; Anger is painful. Anybody who experiences anger over an extended period of time will need to medicate their pain. I don’t know your method of medicating. For some it’s chemicals. Others use sex. For some it’s overeating. Whatever you use to medicate your pain, it can be harmful both to you and to those with whom you are in close relationship. No one likes to experience pain. All of us seek some form of relief when we experience pain, regardless of whether it is physical or emotional pain. Those who have been caught up in an addictive lifestyle will reach for their usual painkiller even if logically they know that what they are doing to obtain some relief will cause them more pain in the long run. Our immediate need to escape pain eliminates all of our logical reasons for not using our painkiller.
Fear is another emotion which if not dealt with can be very painful. The problem with fear as well as with anger is that it often goes unrecognized. Even more so with fear. Most people if asked, “Do you have any major fears?” would respond with a strong denial. Yet upon closer examination, they would have to admit there are times when they feel up tight or anxious for no apparent reason. Men especially have a problem getting in touch with their fears. It’s part of their macho image. But honestly speaking, we all have fears. Are you fearful when you are out looking for work, and are about to enter a prospective employer’s office? How about when you are going for an interview? How about if you are called upon to do any kind of public speaking? How about when you go to the dentist? Or when the doctor wants to give you a shot? I have seen some big burly men faint dead away when they saw that needle. Then there are the fears we experience every time we find ourselves around a certain type of person, or in a certain environment. Those times when the anxiety gets so strong we feel like saying, “Man I need a drink!” Those panic attacks can usually be traced to a time in our childhood when we were placed in danger or abused in some way. Often we have no recollection of these childhood events, but people, places, or events can trigger our subconscious memory, and here comes the anxiety attack, and with it, our need to medicate.
Those of us who come from broken families or whose parents were substance abusers, often feel the pain of rejection. Also, those whose parents worked so much that they weren’t available when we as children needed them. Have you ever been through a divorce, or experienced the end of a meaningful relationship? Was the rejection you felt painful? It’s those times that the loneliness becomes overwhelming! It’s time to medicate.
I have been working with recovering addicts since 1980 and while I have seen many who have overcome their addictions, for some it was very difficult, with many relapses. I have pondered long and hard as to why someone who did so well in one of our programs would within a very short time find themselves once again in the grip of addiction. Thankfully with new knowledge about the causes and effects of addiction we have improved our percentage of those who have remained drug free. But still, some of our most promising clients would relapse. Why?
God has caused us to take a closer look at the relationship between pain and addiction. We are learning new methods of assisting people to get in touch with the origin of their pain, so they can receive their healing. You see, it is not enough just to identify one’s pain. You must get to the root of the pain. Too often we find those in the medical profession just treating symptoms rather than getting to the cause of their patients’ distress. They have a pill for everything, but they are only treating symptoms. Unless you get at the root, you will be like the person trying to eradicate crabgrass by tearing off the shoots. Unless you dig it up by the roots, it will just come back again.
In our ministry to ex-offenders we have had some success in using a teaching called Inner Healing. This enables a person to examine the correlation between spirit, soul, and body, and begin the healing process in the soulish realm where our feelings originate. We are able to demonstrate how abuses in our childhood (physical, sexual, and emotional) caused deep imbedded memories of pain. Often these memories cause feelings of anger or fear to surface when triggered by current events. Many have been able to allow Jesus to revisit them at the origin of their woundedness and receive their healing.
Recently we were introduced to another healing ministry that has tremendous promise in setting captives free. The reports we have heard show where many who have struggled for years with emotionally crippling illnesses have been set free in one or two sessions. One report dealt with a number of ladies in an Adult Victims Of Sexual Abuse support group. After years of attempting to overcome the pain and ongoing dysfunction with only minimal success, many who participated in this new therapy reported their feelings of fear and anger completely gone. On follow up visits, months later, they reported no reoccurrence. Dr. Ed Smith, the founder of this ministry, tells of another case where a man sought his help in dealing with homosexual temptations. He reported that he had accepted Christ as his Savior 15 years earlier and had remained abstinent since that time, but really struggled with these temptations. After one 45 minute session where this therapist took him back to his childhood and dealt with a rape and several other incidents that brought confusion about his sexual identity, the patient then experienced a healing encounter with Jesus. He reported that for the first time in his life he felt completely free. Six months later this patient telephoned Dr. Smith to tell him that not once in all that time had he had a homosexual thought. He was completely free!
We recognize the potential this therapy has in helping anyone who wants freedom from their addiction. All of our staff are presently receiving training in this ministry. In spite of our inexperience with this concept we have already had some success with the first few people who have allowed us to work with them. For the most part this has been our own staff. If this therapy measures up to its advance billing it could revolutionize recovery ministries. It could greatly shorten the time needed for the recovery process. We would like to be able to shorten the length of our Prison After Care Training Center program.
A number of years ago I wrote a tract on pain. In it I spoke about the fact that all of us experience pain, but most of us don’t handle it very well. You see, pain is inevitable, whether we like it or not, we had better learn how to deal with it. Back then, I thought it was just a matter of learning how to do a better job of coping with our pains, but I believe God is now showing us the need to find the origin of our woundedness and get our healing. Once that is accomplished we are in a much better position to deal with our current issues.
All of the teachings used by this ministry are based on Scripture. The healing therapies utilized recognize that Jesus is the Healer, and we are just instruments He uses to bring people to Him so He can touch them. We are interested in breaking the cycle of pain and addiction with its subsequent consequences, and will do everything in our power to make this ministry more effective.