Readings

About addictions

Addiction gets in the way of living simply. One thing brain scientists know for sure: “addiction” is about more than alcohol and drugs. After more than thirty years of research, neurobiologists know that the neurotransmitters—brain chemicals—involved in addiction can create lifestyle and identity traps no matter what the addictive source. Examples you’ll recognize: sex, television, success, some foods. A fairly recent example: the overwhelming and continuing urge to shop has now been used successfully in the legal defense of a person caught shoplifting.

This broadening view of addiction—“feel good” brain chemicals flooding significant brain structures repeatedly—yields a scary possibility: If we’re not careful, we might all be addicted in one way or another.  Or to say it another way, lifestyles crammed full with pleasure-seeking may be addictive.

Didn’t want to hear that, did you?  Too close to home? Many of us know the feeling, because we’ve had to reckon with that likelihood.  Work, public approval, love, coffee—these are all possible candidates.  The possibility exists that instead of being a committed servant of Christ, we’re actually the committed servant of nicotine, television or others’ approval. Scary.  Maybe even humiliating.

Getting beyond addiction is pretty difficult.  Ask any recovering addict. A brain used to feeling good about a singular source of pleasure isn’t readily changed to a different chemistry.  (Ever try to stop drinking caffeine-laced beverages, hmm?)  But we have to do so, or else ideas like “disciple” and “steward” may become hypocritical descriptions of our actual brain chemistry. 

“Cures” for addiction seem to lie within the disciplined intent to change the behaviors that cause the feel-good neurotransmitters to do their mind-bending work.  With help from those around us, we can substitute one set of behaviors—giving time and energy to helping others—for our addictive behaviors—excessive buying of more toys so that we’ll have more fun.  In our friendships, in our congregations gathered around worship of God, in earnest conversation and insistent accountability—in these places God’s Spirit can come into our brains and lay forgiveness over the sinful self-service of addictions and offer us another choice for how to live.

And wouldn’t that be something to feel good about?