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Understanding Addiction
You Tube ^ | 5/15/2018 | Ted Adamson

Posted on 05/15/2012 6:25:37 PM PDT by tedw

New You Tube Video on Addiction. Basically I am sick and tired of the so-called "experts" spouting off nonsense regarding drug and alcohol addiction.

The most current one I found was a licensed Clincial Psychologist "enlightening" (tongue in check) us that addiction is a "brain disease". You can find his link here:

http://tinyurl.com/d7h5c6q

The problem with these so-called experts is that they understand nothing. They do not recognize the spiritual realm so they reduce these problems to a physiological level.

They do not recognize the existence of demons or evil and the role it plays in addiction. As a consequence they help nobody. At best they adddict people to anonymous and only rarely is anybody ever really helped.

It's time we had a little light on the subject


TOPICS: Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Religion & Science
KEYWORDS: addiction; alcoholism; christianity; libertarians; medicalmarijuana; recovery; spirtitual
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To: Lazamataz

Words of wisdom. Thank you.


81 posted on 05/16/2012 9:26:27 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: don-o
Hear Hear! It was exactly postings like this on this board that gave me the courage to take my first steps toward recovery. And I had been in church all my life.

This testimony is it's own reward. So grateful you found peace. Bet you that your connection to God is greatly improved, and that your churchgoing experiences are far more rewarding. :)

God bless, brother.

82 posted on 05/16/2012 9:27:02 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The so-called 'mainstream' media has gone from "biased" straight to "utterly surreal".)
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To: tedw
You have a right to hawk your book anywhere you want. But I don't understand why some people beat up on addicts who find recovery in 12 step programs.

But then I only claim to speak for myself.

83 posted on 05/16/2012 9:29:03 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Lazamataz

My wife shared with me once a way she was taught in the soup kitchens to deal with difficult people. When someone is acting inappropriately, try to find out if they are:

1. Hurtin’ buckaroos

OR

2. Horse’s patoots.

I think both terms are self explanatory and I have found it useful for looking at my own behavior, as well as trying to understand others.


84 posted on 05/16/2012 9:31:10 AM PDT by don-o (He will not share His glory and He will NOT be mocked! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.)
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To: GSWarrior

I am not beating up on them. I spent decades of involvement with 12 step programs.

I am just telling my story and my experience.

Really, what I found is the spiritual awakening that is talked about in the 12 steps, but that so few people in AA and NA ever really find.


85 posted on 05/16/2012 9:34:05 AM PDT by tedw
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To: tedw

One thing I did not have to learn from 1the 12 steps is

Beware of Gurus.

That I learned through hard life experience. And I can smell them a mile away.

Fare thee well.


86 posted on 05/16/2012 9:40:58 AM PDT by don-o (He will not share His glory and He will NOT be mocked! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.)
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To: tedw
I agree with an earlier poster who said that addiction may not be a spiritual disease but many people find a spiritual solution.

I have come to realize that addictions are a symptom of something else, usually childhood abuse or neglect from the mild to the severe.

87 posted on 05/16/2012 9:41:12 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: GSWarrior

That’s true. But Childhood abuse itself stems from an evil spiritual source. It can play a role in addiction. Some call it Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

I write about that in the book.


88 posted on 05/16/2012 9:58:46 AM PDT by tedw
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To: GSWarrior

That’s true. But Childhood abuse itself stems from an evil spiritual source. It can play a role in addiction. Some call it Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

I write about that in the book.


89 posted on 05/16/2012 9:59:21 AM PDT by tedw
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To: tedw
I call it dysfunctional behavior handed down from generation to generation. I don't think we will ever know the source for certain. But I am okay with your characterization.

Personally, I don't see it as a choice between good and evil, but rather a choice between joy and sorrow. Too much pressure involved in choosing between good and evil...I don't want to make the wrong choice and succumb to evil. Yikes!

I would suggest a more gentle path.

90 posted on 05/16/2012 10:06:48 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Larry Lucido

No more rum for me sadly. For some reason it now makes me black out before I’ve had too much. Maybe there’s too much sugar.


91 posted on 05/16/2012 10:12:52 AM PDT by wastedyears ("God? I didn't know he was signed onto the system.")
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To: GSWarrior

The late Dr. Malachai Martin,Catholic advisor to three Popes and a Church exorcist, called it generational possession.

It is entirely possible for evil to be transferred (thru hatred) from a parent to a child thru abuse. I know. It happened to me.


92 posted on 05/16/2012 10:21:22 AM PDT by tedw
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To: Lazamataz
I have. While I am probably not able to fully understand it (not wired that way), I stand by my point.

If I was to take my friend and lock him up when he was drinking, he would stop drinking (by force). My other friend would still have cancer. One has a problem that requires an act to give the condition, the other has it no matter what. Now, is there brain changes or predispositions that can affect addictive behavior? Of course. My friend has an addictive personality. What worked for him, and others, is to change the cue and habit that caused him to drink and do drugs with something else. He did it first with smoking cigarettes, and lately with exercise.

My point is that I have seen people with destructive behavior say “it is a disease!” and then stop trying to change. May be the people I have managed and known, but calling it a disease was not helpful. When they admit that 1. Have a problem that is out of control, and 2. That there is a possibility to get it under control, they start to get help. Those who have have said "It is a disease!" have had no motivation to change or get help. They view the addiction as something that can not get fixed or treated.

Now this is just from my experience with the people I have known. And from my experience with people is that once you let them take on the mantle of "victim" they loose motivation to change.

93 posted on 05/16/2012 10:49:04 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: ctdonath2

Meant to ping you to 93.


94 posted on 05/16/2012 10:51:27 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: redgolum
Now this is just from my experience with the people I have known. And from my experience with people is that once you let them take on the mantle of "victim" they loose motivation to change.

Now you have met one person, me, who was conferred the status of victim, but recovered and changed.

They say in the program, "You may not be responsible for your disease... but you ARE responsible for your recovery."

It's not an absolution from all responsibility, for us to accept that the addiction is the disease part.

95 posted on 05/16/2012 10:52:58 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The so-called 'mainstream' media has gone from "biased" straight to "utterly surreal".)
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To: Lazamataz
And I believe you.

There is a neat little book called “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” that I am reading now, and considering having the managers at my plant read.

AA changed your habits. Much like it has done to quite a few friends of mine. It, and other programs like it, do “brainwash” you to a point. They give you tools to change your habits to a more constructive pattern. Your old patterns remain, but they are (hopefully) redirected.

96 posted on 05/16/2012 10:56:33 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: redgolum

Diseases require treatment.

Anyone who declares “it’s a disease!” and doesn’t treat/manage it by changing behavior suffers the effects until it destroys them. Some diseases require active treatment, some are managed by avoidance. A diabetic declaring “it’s a disease!” who then consumes a chocolate cake will do himself harm, while many diabetics avoid problems and medication by avoiding certain foods; either way, they’ve still got diabetes and it’s still a disease even though it hinges in large part on cognitive choices.

Those you refer to are just choosing to not treat it, in this case by avoiding imbibing certain beverages. Yes, “victim” status is demoralizing and inhibits effective treatment - regardless of the problem (which sometimes doesn’t exist). Perhaps they’ve never seen someone say “yeah, ok, so I’m a victim - so be it, I’ll do what I must to get past it.” It’s still a disease.

The problem, which you state yet overlook, is that it’s a matter of “take on the mantle of ‘victim’”. Anyone who does, whether or not there is a disease/problem, will lose motivation to change (hence the welfare state). And some just decide that suffering the disease’s effects is preferable to treatment; chocolate cake still tastes real good to a diabetic, and the effects of some chemicals is - for some - preferable to straight-up reality or the possibilities therein.


97 posted on 05/16/2012 11:20:00 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (Cloud storage? Dropbox rocks! Sign up at http://db.tt/nQqWGd3 for 2GB free (and I get more too).)
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To: redgolum

You have a plant? Holy toledo, I’m talkin’ to a Genuine One Percenter! :)

Hire me for your web presence. :)


98 posted on 05/16/2012 11:41:53 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The so-called 'mainstream' media has gone from "biased" straight to "utterly surreal".)
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To: Lazamataz

LOL! I am an engineer. No matter who says they “own” it, it is MY PLANT!

Ask any plant engineer. :)


99 posted on 05/16/2012 11:52:23 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: Lazamataz

Radio interview about addiction not being a disease

http://podroom.a2zen.fm/podcasts/angela-levesque-health-and-healing/on-health-healing-ted-adamson-on-up-from-down-one-

or

http://tinyurl.com/7nnhol3


100 posted on 05/16/2012 2:00:01 PM PDT by tedw (addiction)
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