Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Does Weakness = Addiction?

I was talking to a friend during our daughters' violin lesson this morning, and she mentioned something that I had never thought of before, so I'm passing it along in case anyone might have some input into the question. I mentioned to her that during the quiet hours this morning before anyone else was up, I was folding laundry while listening to an audio file of the Church's Addiction Recovery Manual. I read a book years ago written by a woman who helped set up the church's program by adapting the Alcoholics' Anonymous 12-Step program to reflect the values and teachings of the LDS Church. It's a fabulous program, and I decided I wanted to do it again, with my focus being to get over my sugar addiction. I figure if all goes well, when I'm done, I'll start over and tackle another of my issues. Anyway, when I showed the manual to my friend (I had stuck it in my bag in case I had time to work on it while I was out) and asked if she had ever seen it, she laughed and said that she had bought one a while back for their family, since her bishop had said in church that every family should have the Preach My Gospel and the Church's Addiction Recovery Manual in their home. He said that if anyone thought they didn't have addictions, they needed to think again, because everyone has them and this manual would help with them.
After she said this it was as if something went off in my brain and made a connection with the study I'm doing about weaknesses. Are they the same thing? What are my weaknesses, could they be called "addictions"? Let's see sugar, spending money, books, the computer, anger, etc. and that's probably all I want to admit right now. :) Two of the the definitions of weakness, according to the dictionary are: "a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing" and "an object of special desire; something very difficult to resist." Well, that sounds kind of like an addiction, though maybe a mild form. What is the definition of addiction? Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance [and I will add "habit-forming behaviors"]. Okay, so what are habit-forming substances or behaviors? Anything we do that we feel compelled to keep returning to over and over again, seemingly beyond our ability to control. If I look back up at the partial list of my weaknesses, every single one of them fits into the category of an addiction. The reason they are weaknesses is precisely because I can't seem to just shake them off. If so, they wouldn't be weaknesses any more. Wow. I don't know if I'm just a little slow, and that is something that everyone but me has already figured out, but that is an amazing discovery for me. What would happen if I started treating my weaknesses as addictions? Well, I'm already a little ahead of myself on this one, having listened to the first lesson of the addiction recovery program this morning, but the first step in getting over addictions, is to realize and then admit that we have them, and the second thing is to realize that we are dependent on God and the atonement of His Son Jesus Christ to help us get rid of them.
So that's where I am in my thinking on that subject, having only had this thought for a couple of hours. Maybe I'm way out in left field, but at the moment that's my opinion, which is always subject to change pending further data input.


3 comments:

lucydee78 said...

Melody,

I'm glad that you are able to vent your thoughts here and I did get a few laughs from reading some of the things you have posted. As for this particular post, I do have an opinion which is still forming and I am typing this with a throbbing head cold so please bare with me. I don't think that weakness equals addiction. However I do think weakness can lead to addiction. I have read through the addiction recovery manuel a number of times and I agree that everyone can bennifit from it. One of the things I have come to understand about addiction is that you can't get from weakness to addiction without pride. But there is a middle step there that you can't forget and that is habit. Weakness can lead to habit, which then can lead to addiction. Habits can be broken. Addictions are much harder to shake. I picture a habit as something we can teach ourselves to do, like practicing a piano piece over and over until it becomes second nature, but an addiction is more mental and physical. It's like wrapping yourself up in some sort of behavior over and over until you become so entangled with it that it seems virtually impossible to get out of. Those ties are painful and sufficating and frustrating. It takes a certain amount of pride to get to that point. When you place the need for that behavior to comfort you before your own relationship with God. So anyone who can say they have concured(sp?) an addiction has my full respect because they have truely had to humble themselves and truely had to make some tremendous life changes to be able to say that. So does weakness=addiction? My answer is no. But weakness can sure lead to addiction. Thanks for listening and I look forward to reading more of you posts. Say hi to your family and wish them the best for us.

Lucy

Melody said...

Thanks,Lucy! That's a great response and it makes perfect sense. I will be adding that to my data base and adjusting my thinking. If that's what you come up with in the midst of a head cold, I'd love to see what you do when you're feeling well! ;) Hi back to your family! :)

Unknown said...

Thanks Melody! I love reading your post's. I agree with the weakness/addition comments.
The most important thing we need to be listening to is the Spirit! Those that choose not to listen gain more weaknesses and then the habits form and before long they have an addition! I work hard each and everyday to listen so my bad habits don't turn into additions!! Thanks again for the inspiration.