The rat park experiment. One researcher noted that a single rat in a cage will always choose a water bottle laced with cocaine or heroin verses a bottle of pure water. But then he designed a park that had other rats in it. Other things to do. Fun things, good pleasure, purpose. He noted that virtually all of the rats at that park chose the pure water over the drug water. Why? They had purpose, friends and things to do.
Tips to quit drugs or drinking #1 :Isolation causes us and the rats to stay in addiction. Christian friends and purpose overcome addiction. So go to church events. Make friends. Do something to help others, to fufill your purpose. These activities break the power of addiction.
“Whoever you are, there is some younger person who thinks you are perfect. There is some work that will never be done if you don’t do it. There is someone who would miss you if you were gone. There is a place that you alone can fill.”
Jacob M. Braude Overcoming Addiction Quote
Tips to quit drugs or drinking #2 from Genesis.
Genesis chapter 2 verse 7 Then the Lord God formed a man[ d ] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[h] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[i] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The Fall
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
In life there are always a couple of things that we can’t do if we want to find real joy. I always think when I read this story – I would never have eaten that apple. But the fact is that we do the exact same stupid thing she did. We get the same destruction she got (we will talk more about that tomorrow).
The first thing we can learn from this chapter is that satan wants us to fall. God told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate the forbidden fruit. Satan said to them “You certainly will not die.
I can tell you 50 times that drinking or drugs cause you destruction, it has in the past and it will in the future unless you quit. But satan will fight back and tell you that you are going to win this time. Satan will tell you that your favorite thing to do in the world is to party. Hello, did he forget all the pain and destruction it has caused you? He will tell you that you have to go. He will have your buddies call you to do drugs or drink.
Tips to quit drugs or drinking #3 When your buddies call you to do drugs/drink tell them this: “I am making an attempt to quit drugs/drinking – it/they are killing me. I don’t know if it will stick this time but I am going to try”.
Continue to read the Purpose Driven Life
I need your help. My new book “What The Bible Says About Addiction” is available for sale on Amazon. If you want a copy please purchase one and leave a good review. This book along with this course will help you change twice as fast. Writing a good review is your way of helping the next person. When you are busy helping the next person, you are starting to think the right way. Click here to access it.
Form a habit to say to yourself 6 times a day that “my drugs and drinking steal my long term joy. They have in the past and they will in the future unless I quit.”
Pray “Father keep me from temptation”.
Say it’s over to drugs and drinking by forgiving.
The Power of Forgiveness
Addiction.com said:” There is power in forgiveness — this is the first thing most addictionologists will tell their patients. According to the definition of the word, forgiveness is the process by which a victim — the person you hurt, or yourself — changes his attitude toward the offense, lets go of negative emotions such as revenge, and creates within himself an increased ability to wish the offender well. It’s important to note that forgiving someone is not condoning, excusing, pardoning, forgetting or reconciling. In fact, you can choose to forgive someone without engaging any further in a relationship.
Health benefits of forgiveness
Harboring negative emotions, especially unexpressed or lingering anger, creates a state of chronic anxiety, which leads to increased production of adrenaline and cortisol; in excess, these chemicals compromise immune system function. Research has shown that “unforgiveness” is linked to increased incidence of cancer and heart disease. Holding a grudge, as they say, hurts you more than it hurts them.
Forgiveness is for you, not them
Fenigstein emphasizes the importance of forgiveness being a process; it’s not going to happen overnight, and addicts need to learn to “trust the process.” While most addicts struggle with forgiveness for a variety of reasons, in early recovery it’s a risk factor. “It’s a lot easier to ask for forgiveness from others,” he says, than it is for addicts to forgive themselves. And it puts them at risk of relapse if they’re not properly counseled through what can often take more than a letter or phone call asking for grace. “If someone is dead-set on not forgiving themselves, they’re highly likely to use.”
“The more forgiveness and lightening of the emotional