All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under it's power. (1 Corinthians 6:12)
We humans are creatures of habit. That which we do habitually can either serve us well or serve us ill. But it is when we become a willing or unwilling slave to habits that we have entered the realm of addictions.
The lie we often tell ourselves is that we are still in control - that we still hold the power over our minds and bodies - that we don't have a problem - that we don't need help. Once we tell ourselves the lie often enough, we begin to believe it. And once we believe the lie, anyone who reaches out to us, anyone who wants to help us "see it", becomes our enemy. An addict can deny the facts and fight the loved one who only wants to help. The truth is that no one CAN help us....until we are willing to help ourselves and accept the help of others.
When the Apostle Paul, by revelation, wrote the verse cited above (1 Cor 6:12), he knew that habits have the potential to bring a man or woman under their power. Whether it is alcohol, a prescribed drug, or street drugs; whether gambling, sex, or porn; whether eating, shopping, or smoking; whether sadism, masochism, or hedonism; whether cutting, purging, or video gaming - ALL have the potential to bring us under their power and enslave us.
The role of a Christian counselor in helping with addictions is often overlooked. If you truly desire to break free from the shackles of enslavement, we look forward to seeing you set free, not merely by the power of your own free will, but by the life-changing transformational power of GOD.
