Addiction

Hi, the Salvation Army, this is Lori Miller and I'm Bernie Dick, thanks for joining us and welcome to the wonderful words of happy November to you everybody and welcome back Lori, thank you Bernie today probably feels a little bit better for you because at least here in the United States daylight savings time is over and we fall back or how to set our clocks back one hour, which usually means you can holler unless you have very young children who don't realize that it for the next two weeks.

Eliane is going to be discussing addiction underlying causes and how to help a loved one with addiction but also for the next two weeks were going to hear from an amazing couple beautiful friends of mine.

Salvation Army officers Rob and Heather developing all men. The buildings are so cool and I can't wait for you to meet them there current role right here in Atlanta as the Southern territorial missions specialist has a mineral near and dear to their hearts focused on mission work here in the US and around the world. They're here to share their testimony and insight when it comes to addiction and life in recovery. We hope will be blessed whether story will uncapping Rob Dolby and ever and Heather Heather Dolly and we met urban missions training colleges Salvation Army hosted in Vancouver be in Canada called war College was a two-year program where young people would come together and live incarnational he Vancouver is very unique place in the neighborhood the downtown Eastside were we lived. That's where addiction is pretty prevalent so the Salvation Army has an urban church planter and that neighborhood downtown Eastside of Vancouver. That's the neighborhood where I was homeless, expressing homelessness and living on the streets where I first entered a Salvation Army treatment facility called Vancouver Harbor light and all that so that's the place were literally went to detox and remember showing up the door. You know I remember pressing the buzzer and just saying you know I've nowhere to go and I'm ready to ready do something different. I need help and that if you miss later, the door opens and there's an intake worker there that brings you in begins the process of detox and yeah I did note the time, but a whole experience that we so, on the other side of sobriety so many Christian home or rep attending church like it wasn't saying to come from a family support who love me back at every family has their problems and so as I got older my life started really falling apart. As I made all my decisions which were terrible citizens. You guys eyes and adults like as a young adult is in my 20s and I know I had my own business and him our car and I had relationships and I had finger quote friends but I was right and I was drinking heavily just to manage my life and I just break this can't be all there is for me and so I remember my grandmother invited me to come to church with her on Sundays and then we have lunch together afterwards. I love that together time so I'll go to church so I can hang out afterwards, and I began to meet people that were nice.

I like them, but I really gas. I really believe that if they knew what I was like, like for reals they be like I thinks this is not the place for you. Please go now and so I would like had like a double life now and I remember it was Sunday afternoon. It was June 2, 2002 I was in my parents basement and my life is just falling apart and I remember I had Artie worked my way through a payroll of Margarita Max drank the whole thing on my own and is making all these calls and even the guide always would answer even he wasn't answering for me and that's when I was dislike wow I'm that girl I like, I am rejected, like I am. I am alone and then I was like why would I want to live this life like this stinks analysis they guide if you're real I need you right now because I don't want to live this life every day until I die. So if you're real like I need you to come and do something and so which is so funny except for like I watch movies with us. Like in the movie and I'm like crazy like he really did like he really did show up like he really the room like the basement that I was sleeping in my bedroom where I was alone began to fill with this tangible presence in Salt Lake safe. I just heard the voice of God say to me, Heather. If you give your life to me, I'll make it new. Straight up it's like I'm keep it real kinda girl. Lord I sent. I can't quit drinking so like what you some idea like I can't stop need to set again, if you give your life to me. I will make it new. That day was the last time I ever took a drink.

In fact, it was the last time that I ever wanted to take a drink like the Lord just did this beautiful supernatural thing where he does remove this desire to push my feelings and my hurt, my brokenness away and now met with alcohol or other substances.

And I'm thankful for that.

But interestingly and Nath and said like he's just so unexpected Rob because by the time I got to Vancouver to that neighborhood.

I was clean and sober look I wasn't using but I wasn't living life in fullness and so God did this fun thing where I thought I was in a go and offer something and learn something for people but really he put me right in the middle of a group of people on a journey to sobriety because we in that neighborhood.

There's a strong twelve-step presence and so I know if I knew at the beginning that that's what happened. I would been like.

I know I'm good thanks but the Lord he took with me and he knows what I need and he plopped me right down the middle of the community people on a journey to sobriety. And so I began to learn not just how to not pick up anymore, but how to actually change my behaviors and allow God to transform you by the renewing of my mind and you and I talk about it before, but I really believe that Jesus save me but every day since then, the church, this body of believers. This Jesus family has held me when I want to cut and run when I want you now just give up their the ones that held me and reminded me of who God called me to be thankful for that. Also think about this. Your grandma had been praying for you and say daily for that over 40 years. Yet and I guess I think about that because people listening and stuff you know they might not have the experience where you know one day their loved one have this experience regarding everything is new and everything is perfect or easier, but you know some people can experience this touch of God. That's miraculous and supernatural, but those other folks that may be your own hard to remember, we are friends that love the Lord, that I struggled with addiction.

The racing overdose that we've seen not end up in this place of victory just struggling and striving for a lot of people it maybe have kids or parents or brothers and sisters that are still out there struggling. That's the one you know you hear the stories of hope you're maybe looking at your situation. Just saying. While were were where's the hope here and I guess I just think your grandma for over 40 years daily praying. Yes right right so you can say yeah it took eight years of going to church and say the Turks you know this many months, but of gaining spiritual maturity but over 40 years of dearly coming toward a real gift of love that we give someone we will choose to persevere, like, despite what our eyes see despite you know the choice of somebody's making him in their day-to-day to believe in faith that God has something more for them that they were created for something more and to pray that in all the were talking about addictions this week S addiction as it relates to mental health. What causes addiction or other emotional things attached are orders that all of the above can be all of the above addiction is defined as a psychological or physical inability to stop doing something. And while today will focus on addiction in terms of alcohol and drug abuse, but addiction can span to sex addictions, gambling, overeating does a lot of addictions like going back to the definitions is anything that you're doing that you had the inability to stop doing even though it causes your body harm. We're looking at what is the underlying cause that might make you more addictive was somewhat have a more addictive personality over someone else. And so there is this pretty, probably three top reasons. The most popular. Of course, is disease. Disease model and that just says that there is a chemical imbalance due to some generational language that's coming out now some test as stated. If your father was alcohol that you predisposed to be an alcoholic yourself, then as a psychological aspects of what could be underlined and that's when there is a mental health break that causes you and kind of pushes you over the brink and it becomes now active choice to kinda numb yourself internally from the feelings that you are filling their sadness or anything like that. Never underestimate the power of being Nath as a support system for someone even if you don't like their habit at the moment but being there when they're ready to take that step and move away from either the drug and alcohol you be the first person that I reach out. We at the Salvation Army we have some alcohol drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.

What I like about being of those centers is that you know what, particularly on Sundays.

They invite the families to come be with the mentor the women in our facility so they can have their support network in a safe place. I'm aware that sometimes family can be enabling absolutely. So by not allowing the folks whether in the facility to leave work to be around people that might enable them to fail again or go back to the same habits. It's a chance to kind of is the assimilate back in the society or whatever the word would be to transition back into transition back into functioning without the constant counseling available to you at one of our centers and for the 12 step model.

That is why it's so important to have a sponsor work for somebody who is who has done this process and been in who understand the challenges that you will face in you. You spoke a little bit about him having different family members play in different pricing spoke about the enabler and that's why we have the Al-Anon and Allen teens program. I'm to be able to help the family transition. The perspective that Dave had whether they supported the individual in their drug habit or alcohol habit and a place for teens to be able to share how it's affect our lives.

So it really affects the whole family because in order for that individual to be successful as they come out into a life of recovery. They really will need a support of all of all of their loved ones around to talk about recovery in our next episode. I hope that you're enjoying what you're hearing from all the other with the experience of the passion that she brings value join the some wonderful words of life that we hope that we get to see you next time.

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