Addiction
Addiction is a scary word to me. Most of the time our minds go to drugs or alcohol when we hear the word, but there are far more addictions out there. By definition, addiction is "the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity".
There are so many more addictions, like pornography, exercise, weight, sex, body art (tattoos), collecting items, shopping and the list goes on and on...! The sad part to me? People make jokes about these addictions like it's not a serious problem in our society.
I've always had a fear of becoming addicted to something. I know my personality, and I know that I have the personality to become addicted easily. I think this is the main reason I never wanted to try recreational drugs. I had my round with alcohol and realized, very quickly, how people can and do become addicted to it. So, needless to say, addiction scares me!
Addiction hits close to home for me because, now that Matt and I are able to step back and see our past lives from where we are now, we are able to see how close we were to falling into the trap of addiction. Mostly, the addiction was to a lifestyle that was not good for us. Matt, himself, will tell you that he was probably headed towards becoming an alcohol addict at one point in his life. Thank God for His mercy, grace and love! Amen? Matt also smoked cigarettes in his early life and switched to smokeless tobacco in his mid-twenties. Addiction is a hard habit to break. The biggest reason it's hard to break is because it's hard to admit you have an addiction at all. I've never had to go through the "quitting process" - but I've been around lots of people who have. It's tough, so that's why I'm extremely proud to say that Matt is 3 weeks tobacco FREE (come Sunday)!
23 million Americans are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I feel like I'm fortunate because I grew up in a tobacco free and alcohol free home. The odds of me not being an addict to one of these substances were much greater than someone who grew up in a home were these substances were present. For instance, Matt grew up in a home where both parents smoked, so he was twice as likely to become a smoker between the ages of 13 and 21. Circumstance, surroundings and family life are a HUGE impact on a child's life and it greatly influences their direction as adults.
I'm not judging anybody - I know that addiction is a hard, hard, hard habit to break. I know I couldn't do it and that's why I never let myself have the chance at addiction. Well, I guess I could label myself as a food addict because I honestly eat too much and a lot of what's not good for me! But seriously, I'm beyond proud of my husband. The love and respect I have for him now is greater than it's ever been. I see the dedication and the strive for him to be a good husband and dad, but more importantly his desire to be a better man.
If you're struggling with an addiction - don't be afraid to admit it. We all struggle with something and it's a daily battle to better ourselves. We all have something we need to work on and I think just admitting that we need help (and not being ashamed to embrace it) is a big step in the right direction!
Here's to hoping you find the inner strength to overcome the addiction(s) in your life! :-)
There are so many more addictions, like pornography, exercise, weight, sex, body art (tattoos), collecting items, shopping and the list goes on and on...! The sad part to me? People make jokes about these addictions like it's not a serious problem in our society.
I've always had a fear of becoming addicted to something. I know my personality, and I know that I have the personality to become addicted easily. I think this is the main reason I never wanted to try recreational drugs. I had my round with alcohol and realized, very quickly, how people can and do become addicted to it. So, needless to say, addiction scares me!
Addiction hits close to home for me because, now that Matt and I are able to step back and see our past lives from where we are now, we are able to see how close we were to falling into the trap of addiction. Mostly, the addiction was to a lifestyle that was not good for us. Matt, himself, will tell you that he was probably headed towards becoming an alcohol addict at one point in his life. Thank God for His mercy, grace and love! Amen? Matt also smoked cigarettes in his early life and switched to smokeless tobacco in his mid-twenties. Addiction is a hard habit to break. The biggest reason it's hard to break is because it's hard to admit you have an addiction at all. I've never had to go through the "quitting process" - but I've been around lots of people who have. It's tough, so that's why I'm extremely proud to say that Matt is 3 weeks tobacco FREE (come Sunday)!
23 million Americans are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I feel like I'm fortunate because I grew up in a tobacco free and alcohol free home. The odds of me not being an addict to one of these substances were much greater than someone who grew up in a home were these substances were present. For instance, Matt grew up in a home where both parents smoked, so he was twice as likely to become a smoker between the ages of 13 and 21. Circumstance, surroundings and family life are a HUGE impact on a child's life and it greatly influences their direction as adults.
I'm not judging anybody - I know that addiction is a hard, hard, hard habit to break. I know I couldn't do it and that's why I never let myself have the chance at addiction. Well, I guess I could label myself as a food addict because I honestly eat too much and a lot of what's not good for me! But seriously, I'm beyond proud of my husband. The love and respect I have for him now is greater than it's ever been. I see the dedication and the strive for him to be a good husband and dad, but more importantly his desire to be a better man.
If you're struggling with an addiction - don't be afraid to admit it. We all struggle with something and it's a daily battle to better ourselves. We all have something we need to work on and I think just admitting that we need help (and not being ashamed to embrace it) is a big step in the right direction!
Here's to hoping you find the inner strength to overcome the addiction(s) in your life! :-)
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