Dr. Mark E. Shaw wraps up the series on the myths of addiction as noted in Dr. Lance M. Dodes' book: The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors (Harper Collins 2002)
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
A biblical recap of the myths from the pages of Dr. Dodes' book. the purpose of examining these myths is to take them a little bit further by thinking through biblical constructs and the truths of God's Word as the rationale for why these truths are true and why we at TAC agree with Dr. Dodes that these are myths.
3:40 Myth 1 If the drug is not the problem.... what is?
Myth 2 What is rock bottom? That's very subjective, so what is the solution? And blame the person encouraging them to go lower?
6:28 Myth 3 Self-destructive-- so what does that look like in addiction? People believe the lie that the thing they are doing (drug or behavior) is actually helping them accomplish something. Do they hate themselves? Do they love themselves?
7:40 Myth 4 What is meant by surrender?
Learning to manage their self-will is what Dr. Dodes says is actually true. Christians call releasing control surrendering to Christ. Not managing your life in a better way. Not turning to yourself. It's asking the Holy Spirit to live within you and ask to transform you day by day.
9:33 Myth 5 Should you count your days of sobriety? Dr. Dodes says it's crazy to think that someone who has a "slip" as he calls it after 90 days is actually making progress. Biblically, we are trying to help the person struggling to see the heart motive for how and why you are counting days.
10:41 Myth 6
God's word is the message and we are the messengers.
2 Cor 1:3ff Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
12:15 Myth 7 Mark quotes from Dr. Dodes book regarding the research!
The Bible characterizes this as a sin issue. Not a supersized brain chemistry problem. Simply not true. It's a desire problem in the heart of man that God can change!
13:51 Myth 8
Where is the hope?
15:00 Myth 9 In an addictive choice of pleasure, how much planning goes on?
15:28 Myth 10
16:49 Previous podcasts on these myths of addiction
*All of the myths discussed in the podcast are from The Heart of Addiction: A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Alcoholism and Other Addictive Behaviors, by Dr. Lance M. Dodes (Harper Collins, 2002).
TAC has a digital audio course that is very affordable. Email us at info@theaddictionconnection.org so that you can get a coupon for getting these lessons in detail taught to you as an audio course. Find out more at www.theaddictionconnection.org
https://www.theaddictionconnection.org/self-help-philosophies-a-biblical-evaluation/
