Addiction had a profound effect on my life. I was raised with an addict. As an adult, I would learn that I too was an addict. But very few people would even recognize my addiction as an addiction.
I am not an expert on the subject, but I would venture to guess that there are more addicts in the U.S. than there are non-addicts.
As greed and self-gratification have become revered the value of family, and all of its virtues and benefits, is devalued. Likewise, as the family is devalued we seek self-gratification to fill the void left by the loneliness of our isolation.
Pharmaculture pervades our society. We don’t look to solve problems, we only seek to mask symptoms. Some people use food to cope; others use sex; many turn to alcohol, pills, and other drugs.
The deeper we retreat into ourselves and our addiction the greater the toll on our familial relationships. Christians were some of the first to see this phenomenon coming but they are misguided in their assesment of the cause. They apply moral judgement to a mental and physiological disorder.
I don’t have an easy solution to offer. All I can say is that most of us are living wrong and it’s our goal, here, to demonstrate a better way to live that nutures mind, body, spirit and community.
Anytime I write about addiction I will use this tag so if you are interested in the subject of addiction you can find it here.
My friend Brian always says, when the student is ready, the teacher arrives. I’ve seen that quote play out in my life countless times, but never so much as when, on a whim, I decided to try my first diet.
I’ve always enjoyed the grocery store ever since I was a little kid. Like all of the most important parts of our lives, the grocery store fades into the background like the soft music playing overhead, as you meander the aisles.