Divine TruthDivine Truth

Challenging AddictionsChallenging Addictions

Purpose Of This Purpose Of This Presentation Presentation To outline the practical process you To outline the practical process you

will have to engage if you are ever will have to engage if you are ever going to be free of addictiongoing to be free of addiction

To help you get from a place of To help you get from a place of intellectual awareness and into intellectual awareness and into emotional release of the addictionemotional release of the addiction

RemindersReminders

The Deconstruction Process AppliesThe Deconstruction Process Applies Jesus outlined the process of moving from Jesus outlined the process of moving from

intellectual awareness and desire to change intellectual awareness and desire to change to soul-based awareness and desire to to soul-based awareness and desire to changechange

The deconstruction process Jesus outlined The deconstruction process Jesus outlined must be engaged with addictionsmust be engaged with addictions

In this talk I will discuss the process of In this talk I will discuss the process of challenging addictions when intellectual challenging addictions when intellectual awareness already existsawareness already exists

The process I describe must be engaged The process I describe must be engaged from a soul perspective from a soul perspective

Mary's Personal Journey Mary's Personal Journey

Taking personal responsibility for Taking personal responsibility for addictionaddiction Until I desired change I took no Until I desired change I took no

responsibility for challenging my addictionsresponsibility for challenging my addictions All challenges happened externally, mainly All challenges happened externally, mainly

via Jesusvia Jesus This did not grow my will to love muscleThis did not grow my will to love muscle This meant that I only made limited soul This meant that I only made limited soul

changeschanges This happened because I didn’t yet have a This happened because I didn’t yet have a

sincere desire to changesincere desire to change

Mary's Personal JourneyMary's Personal Journey

Three factors limited & prevented Three factors limited & prevented my desire to change:my desire to change: 1. Lack of Faith1. Lack of Faith

In selfIn self In GodIn God

2. Fear of Emotional Overwhelm2. Fear of Emotional Overwhelm 3. Resistance to Truth3. Resistance to Truth

Mary's Personal JourneyMary's Personal Journey

Before I was sincere challenging my addictions Before I was sincere challenging my addictions I had to:I had to: Deal with some of my feelings of a lack of faithDeal with some of my feelings of a lack of faith Deal with some of my fears about emotional Deal with some of my fears about emotional

overwhelmoverwhelm Deal with my own personal resistance to wanting Deal with my own personal resistance to wanting

God's TruthGod's Truth As I worked through these issues I began to As I worked through these issues I began to

engage my will to loveengage my will to love It is only recently that I have begun to engage It is only recently that I have begun to engage

the process I am about to describethe process I am about to describe That is, to emotionally notice and challenge addiction That is, to emotionally notice and challenge addiction

for myselffor myself This is part of me now growing the will to love This is part of me now growing the will to love

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction The deconstruction process of The deconstruction process of

Addictions has already been Addictions has already been described by Jesusdescribed by Jesus

What are some additional practical What are some additional practical steps we can engage to challenge steps we can engage to challenge addiction?addiction?

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Notice the addictive event or Notice the addictive event or

interaction & acknowledge that it is interaction & acknowledge that it is a sina sin Do I really feel that the addiction is Do I really feel that the addiction is

unloving (a sin)?unloving (a sin)? Do I really feel it is my responsibility? Do I really feel it is my responsibility?

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Feel the addictive emotional Feel the addictive emotional

responses responses Refer: Addiction diagramRefer: Addiction diagram Feel the addictive emotional response Feel the addictive emotional response

before you do anythingbefore you do anything Feel the addictive emotional response Feel the addictive emotional response

when the addiction is metwhen the addiction is met Feel the addictive emotional response Feel the addictive emotional response

when the addiction is denied or not when the addiction is denied or not metmet

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Don’t judge the addictionDon’t judge the addiction

Don’t get caught up in shame or ‘I Don’t get caught up in shame or ‘I can’t believe I’m like this’can’t believe I’m like this’

Self-punishment is just another Self-punishment is just another addiction to avoid real feelings addiction to avoid real feelings

Judging the addiction causes us to Judging the addiction causes us to ignore the addictionignore the addiction

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Don’t feed the addictionDon’t feed the addiction

Instead stop satisfying the addiction; this will Instead stop satisfying the addiction; this will EXPOSE the emotion driving itEXPOSE the emotion driving it

This is not an act of ‘will power’; it will need to This is not an act of ‘will power’; it will need to be a pure will based desirebe a pure will based desire

We stop feeding the addiction so we can find We stop feeding the addiction so we can find and feel the emotion the addiction coversand feel the emotion the addiction covers

You may choose to confront the addiction in You may choose to confront the addiction in many ways many ways

You may even SEEK OUT confrontation of You may even SEEK OUT confrontation of addiction to discover more about your addiction to discover more about your emotions emotions

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Emotionally feel the addiction itselfEmotionally feel the addiction itself

(Addiction Diagram)(Addiction Diagram) Allow the emotions of wanting the addiction (painful, Allow the emotions of wanting the addiction (painful,

desperate)desperate) Allow the façade’s justifications for the addiction to Allow the façade’s justifications for the addiction to

be exposed and felt be exposed and felt Allow the emotions of resistance to feeling hurt and Allow the emotions of resistance to feeling hurt and

afraidafraid Experience your false beliefs as emotionsExperience your false beliefs as emotions

e.g. Its not possible to feel this, I can’t be free of this e.g. Its not possible to feel this, I can’t be free of this addictionaddiction

e.g. My partner is hurting me by not loving me as I e.g. My partner is hurting me by not loving me as I wantwant

e.g. Everyone is rejecting me by not meeting my e.g. Everyone is rejecting me by not meeting my addictions addictions

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Allow your hurt self’s feelings whatever Allow your hurt self’s feelings whatever

they arethey are Experience the hurt emotions that are now Experience the hurt emotions that are now

exposedexposed Some of these may have been suppressed in Some of these may have been suppressed in

your childhoodyour childhood Some of these you may have suppressed Some of these you may have suppressed

throughout your life into adulthoodthroughout your life into adulthood Until we are willing to experience the Until we are willing to experience the

hurt emotions that the addiction covers hurt emotions that the addiction covers we will not release the addiction we will not release the addiction

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Honour the increased awarenessHonour the increased awareness

As we engage this process sincerely we naturally become more As we engage this process sincerely we naturally become more sensitive to the price of addiction (you may think you are now but it sensitive to the price of addiction (you may think you are now but it is only a tiny awareness of how damaging and pervasive the is only a tiny awareness of how damaging and pervasive the addiction is)addiction is)

We recognise: We recognise: How pervasive the addiction isHow pervasive the addiction is What other elements there are to the addictionWhat other elements there are to the addiction The effects of the addiction in our life and the lives of othersThe effects of the addiction in our life and the lives of others Actions that we previously viewed as harmless or loving but which Actions that we previously viewed as harmless or loving but which

we now see are sinwe now see are sin More linked addictive behaviour in our life of which we were More linked addictive behaviour in our life of which we were

previously unconsciouspreviously unconscious Further possible emotional causes for our addictive behaviourFurther possible emotional causes for our addictive behaviour

We experience: We experience: Increased sensitivity to our addictionsIncreased sensitivity to our addictions Increased sensitivity to the harm we have caused ourselves and Increased sensitivity to the harm we have caused ourselves and

others through addictionothers through addiction Increased sensitivity to fear & grief, and our hurt self Increased sensitivity to fear & grief, and our hurt self

Practically Challenging Practically Challenging an Addiction an Addiction Revisit until its doneRevisit until its done

In order to be free of addictions we will need In order to be free of addictions we will need to:to: Repeat the process of challenging the addiction Repeat the process of challenging the addiction

multiple timesmultiple times Uncover more emotions that have been driving Uncover more emotions that have been driving

the addictionthe addiction

Becoming more sensitive to the cost of our Becoming more sensitive to the cost of our addictions makes us:addictions makes us: More likely to repeat the process of challenging More likely to repeat the process of challenging

the addictionthe addiction More likely to stop feeding the addiction More likely to stop feeding the addiction

Conclusion Conclusion

Addictions Will Not Leave Us Unless We Addictions Will Not Leave Us Unless We Challenge Them EmotionallyChallenge Them Emotionally Many people have been attempting to deal with their Many people have been attempting to deal with their

addictions through the use of will poweraddictions through the use of will power Will-power will never be effective, because the Will-power will never be effective, because the

addiction comes from emotions in the souladdiction comes from emotions in the soul To truly release addictions we must engage an To truly release addictions we must engage an

emotional process:emotional process: We must connect to the feeling that each addiction is We must connect to the feeling that each addiction is

a SINa SIN We must connect to the feeling that each addiction We must connect to the feeling that each addiction

has harmful effects to ourselves and othershas harmful effects to ourselves and others We must develop a sincere desire to expose and feel We must develop a sincere desire to expose and feel

the emotions driving our addictionsthe emotions driving our addictions Once emotions are felt, then the addictions will Once emotions are felt, then the addictions will

naturally leave us naturally leave us

HomeworkHomework

1. Journal exercise1. Journal exercise Challenging your addictions is necessary for Challenging your addictions is necessary for

each of you to engage if you are to progress!each of you to engage if you are to progress! What are the reasons why you aren’t engaging What are the reasons why you aren’t engaging

the challenge of your addictions every day in the challenge of your addictions every day in multiple areas of your life right now?multiple areas of your life right now?

What are the emotional reasons why you are What are the emotional reasons why you are justifying not engaging the emotional challenge justifying not engaging the emotional challenge of your addictions right now?of your addictions right now?

2. Challenge at least one addiction using 2. Challenge at least one addiction using the described techniquesthe described techniques Write about what you discovered in your journal Write about what you discovered in your journal

Common Areas We Live Common Areas We Live in Addiction in Addiction Interpersonal relationships (Cornelius Interpersonal relationships (Cornelius

has provided homework in this area)has provided homework in this area) Change the way you communicate & relate Change the way you communicate & relate

to othersto others If addicted to Avoidance and façade this If addicted to Avoidance and façade this

means that you will need to have more means that you will need to have more contact with others and commit to being contact with others and commit to being honest and openhonest and open

If addicted to Control and domination this If addicted to Control and domination this means that you will be quieter, listen more means that you will be quieter, listen more and focus on ethical exchangesand focus on ethical exchanges

Common Areas We Live Common Areas We Live in Addictionin Addiction Eating & drinking habits & personal Eating & drinking habits & personal

comfortscomforts Recognise and challenge an addiction Recognise and challenge an addiction

in this areain this area Change your eating habitsChange your eating habits Most of us eat for comfortMost of us eat for comfort Others of us strictly control and Others of us strictly control and

monitor what we eat monitor what we eat

Common Areas We Live Common Areas We Live in Addictionin Addiction TechnologyTechnology

Recognise and challenge an addiction Recognise and challenge an addiction in this areain this area

Reduce your use of technologyReduce your use of technology Technology is a way that many people Technology is a way that many people

meet addictions and distract meet addictions and distract themselves from what they feelthemselves from what they feel

You could commit to turning off your You could commit to turning off your phone, your internet, TV and phone, your internet, TV and computer for 23 hours a day, or even computer for 23 hours a day, or even days at a time days at a time