substance abuse and addiction

1
The determining factors and the relationship between substance abuse and addiction include time, the build-up of tolerance, the development of craving, and the experience of withdrawal so that the individual no longer wants to ever be without the drug. One who abuses substances is likely to get into legal or social trouble; one who is addicted is one who no longer cares about the repercussions and cares only for the high that the substances promise (Doweiko, 2015).
In my own experience, abuse can turn into addiction as the will gradually gives in to the craving. For instance, I have seen people become alcoholics as they start off just enjoying alcohol. Then they begin enjoying it too much and they get a DUI. Then they realize that they need to straighten out their lives, but eventually things do not go well for them and they end up turning to alcohol for support. This time they do not stop drinking. They feel it is better to be drunk all the time or that they need to be drunk to cope with reality. They get to a point where they cannot even get through a day without drinking a six pack or a twelve pack of beer. When they try to quit, they become so agitated that they think they cannot continue.
As the Bible says, however, it really does come down to one’s will—one’s desire to seek the higher things: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13-14).
2
The causes of substance abuse and addiction can be internal and external. They can be genetic, psychosocial, emotional (trauma), environmental. One can be moved to try drugs or alcohol because of the peers one is associating with. One can be pressured into abusing them by friends, or media or groups one encounters (Doweiko, 2015). In the cases where one has suffered a trauma and is now experiencing PTSD, substance usage becomes a way to self-medicate but gradually it can turn into abuse and then addiction as the will is worn away and the mind gives over to the sway of the body’s cravings. The problem is also institutional, as many drug addicts today got hooked by doctors overprescribing opiates.
The problem needs to be addressed in our society at the cultural level. There is far too much media that glorifies risky behavior like substance abuse. Too many rappers and musicians promote this idea that drugs are cool and alcohol is an effective way to escape reality and live a fantasy. The promotion of such media needs to stop. Producers need to be held accountable because the impressions they are sending out are poisonous for youth. The pharmaceutical industry also needs to be held accountable: it is as bad as illegal drug dealers on the street. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine: is there a reason such a strong drug is needed? Only if one’s goal is to get patients addicted to opioids.
Individuals need to also take responsibility and realize that they are in control of their own lives. They are too enamored of lusts, as John 2:16 states. The solution is in James 4:7: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
3
The type of meeting I attended was for Alcoholics Anonymous. My impression of the meeting was that there were a lot of good-intentioned people there. It was actually quite moving to him them talk about their lives and their struggles so matter-of-factly, so openly and honestly, as we went around the room. It was refreshing in a way because people are not normally this honest in public or even in private because they are afraid of being judged. At the AA meeting there was no one judging anyone else. Everyone was there to listen, to support one another, and to just share that time and those moments with one another.
The leader was a recovering alcoholic, as was everyone there. The leader offered some words of encouragement, recognized a few new faces and then let the other members have a few minutes to catch the rest of the room up on where they were and how things were going. All of the attendees seemed grateful to the leader, but some were definitely struggling more than others. Some were gruff, others were upbeat and positive; some were angry and trying to deal with their agitation and were in need of comfort and support; others were a bit scared because they were new to it.
Overall, the experience was interesting, painful, depressing and yet hopeful. It was interesting because I was able to see a side of life that one often does not get to see. It was painful because obviously there was real pain there in these people’s lives. It was depressing because I could not help but think about how much wasted life had been thrown away on drink. It was hopeful because in spite of all that waste, these people were there trying to get back to a good place. And they were doing it with God’s help:  “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).
4
My understanding of biopsychosocial and spiritual models of addiction is that when one is addicted to substances, one is suffering from both a body urge—a physical, chemical dependency that has developed in the body—and a spiritual defect. As Doweiko (2015), substance abuse can alter the chemical makeup in the brain to the point where one needs the drugs just in order to function and get along in life. Without the drugs, the person cannot cope with reality or do any of the normal things needed in life. It is also a spiritual problem because the person is operating outside the scope of God’s grace and attempting to live and be happy without God in his soul. This leads to more and more negative behavior and patterns of living so that one is eventually being led literally into hell. One cannot be happy in such a state and one needs the grace of God to get out of that state. Both models are helpful because they show how there is a physical and spiritual nature to the problem of addiction, and since man is both physical and spiritual the two models really are needed—one by itself is not enough.
5
One thing I did not know about prior to this course was the difference between abuse and addiction. I figured that these two were really the same. I also did not realize the scope of addiction and how there is such a physical and spiritual transformation that goes along with it that needs to be addressed. The physical effects of substance abuse and the spiritual effects are linked, and one has to seriously address both, I believe, in order to conquer the addiction or at least deal with it in a meaningful way. The person who simply keeps going without getting help, without ever going to AA, or without ever getting support is like an abandoned ship at sea. I will likely use this information personally and professionally to remind myself that addiction is serious and needs a holistic approach in order to be combated—i.e., a biopsychosocial model and a spiritual model.
References
Doweiko, H. E. (2015). Concepts of chemical dependency (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781285455136.
New International Version. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.biblestudytools.com/1-peter/5-10.html