Where does addiction begin?

  • Internet Pornography
  • Opioid Epidemic
  • Alcohol
  • Food
  • Nicotine Addiction
  • Gambling
  • Gaming

CDC labeled the Opioid problem “An Epidemic” with the surge in deathsin 2017surpassing 80,000 for the first time in history. Doubling every year (https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data)

175 Americans dying daily (USA Today)

President declares opioid epidemic – “A national health crisis.” (Oct 26, 2017, CNN)

Hijacked to believe it needs porn, drugs, and alcohol to survive like food or sleep due to Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity

  • Formation of new neural pathways through repetitive behaviors which release dopamine.
  • Your brain will choose the pathway that produces more dopamine…more reward.
  • E.g. Riding a bike

What is Addiction?

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunctionin these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors. (American Society of Addiction Medicine:)

“The Pleasure Reward Pathway” (a.k.a. The Mesolimbic Dopamine System)

Addiction is the “Hijacking” of the Pleasure Reward Pathway

Vulnerability…Why?

Old neuropathways never go away which causes vulnerability.After many years of sobriety you can find yourself in a place of relapse.

Remember the bicycle…

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV – Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul saw the power of Jesus through his weaknesses. His vulnerability gave him strength and hope!

Vulnerability vs. Hope

Frontal Lobes- Hope

  • Responsible for executive decisions.
  • Right and Wrong
  • Values…What is important to you. Why do you want to be free, pure, sober?
  • Not impulsive decisions…Found in the amygdala
  • The HOPElies in the frontal lobes…

How do we strengthen the frontal lobes?

Neuroplasticity! The Brain is a Use it Or Lose it system

Neuroplasticity

  • We identify old unhealthy neural pathways
  • Establish new healthy neural pathways
  • Allowing for the frontal lobe to guide us to our next decision
  • Instead of the Amygdala dictating and impulsively making your next decision

Romans 12:2 NIV – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

When the Frontal Lobes are STRONGER than the Pleasure Reward Pathway

IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND: The pleasure reward pathway is always strong always charged…Why?

The Pleasure Reward Pathway is designed for your survival!

When the Frontal Lobes are WEAKER than the Pleasure Reward Pathway

There is a war going on between the Frontal Lobe and the Pleasure Reward Pathway

Romans 7:22-25 NLT – I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[e] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Why do people relapse?

  • #1 reason is relationships
  • Unhealthy relationships
  • Lack of relationships with people in recovery
  • Lack of deeprelationships with healthy accountability
  • Priorities
  • Not working on sobriety daily!

Relationships cont.-

  • Celebrate Recovery
  • Mutual help groups
  • AA,NA,OA,GA

Relationships

  • Without Relationships Sobriety is impossible-Sober/Spiritual relationshipscan see when you are slipping back into relapse…Very difficult for you to catch it on your own.
  • Lie about addiction
  • Lie about sobriety

Fantasy

  • Reality is blurred
  • Double life
  • Denial
  • Lying

Reality

  • Relationships-needed to help maintain a healthy sense of reality.
  • Truth
  • Stepping into your life-opposite of running for relief

Why does 12 step work?

Discipleship

Proverbs 20:5 NIV – The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

Mark 9 – “Everything is possible for one who believes” “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

The Evidence of your life

Trying to do it on your own without Jesus…

Overcoming your unbelief!

Jesus Style Discipleship

  • Transparency
  • Vulnerability
  • Empathy
  • Discipling relationships with people in recovery (Celebrate Recovery)

Discipleship – The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. (Proverbs 20:5)

Discipleship – “To be fully known and fully loved is the most healing gift one human being can give one another.” – John Ortberg

Jesus – Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 2:14-17 NLT – Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

The Scriptures

  • For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 1 Timothy 4:8-9
  • All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

Transformation through The Spirit

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Purpose-To Make Disciples!

Mathew 28:18-20 NIV – Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

MINDFULNESS

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

”Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” – Mathew 26

Untangled Addiction – Text “UNTANGLED” TO 66866