This program is for those who suffer from addiction and those who love them.
We hope to offer comfort, insight and hope to individuals facing life’s most common and intimate challenge of addiction. Also, to encourage individuals, their families, and those who care for them. Remember - you are not alone. There is hope. We aim to offer first-person perspectives and insights from authors, pastors, thought leaders and personal insights, people who know personally what it is like to face these struggles.
Hello, my name is Rick, and I am on my pilgrimage of recovery. Developing this podcast has been an important part of my pilgrimage. I offer this disclaimer: I am not an expert on the medical aspects, brain chemistry, models of treatment, best practices, or psychiatric literature that address the disease of addiction. Nor am I a pastor, minister or other spiritual leader. However, I know there is hope. And I know how powerful stories can be.
This podcast is not just my story; it is our story. It is the story of all who walk this road.
My experience has shown that none of us can do this alone and we don’t need to. We have each other. There is not one story of recovery. Rather, there are hundreds, and people are generous about sharing theirs. A pilgrimage is not meant to be efficient, fast, or direct. It is meant to help us pay close attention and find deeper meaning. Go with an open mind and willing heart.
If you are a person who cares deeply about people who have this disease, you will find new ways to relate to and understand those who suffer from addiction. I encourage all of us to fight the cultural stigmas that continue to separate people who have this disease from the help they need.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” —Matthew 25:35. People will never forget how you made them feel.
Years ago, when my life moved dangerously down the road of addiction, the journey metaphor didn’t fit anymore. Saving my life would not be done by making a simple trip from point A to point B. This was not about getting from one destination to the next. Recovery would require a lifelong pilgrimage, a lifetime of wandering in search of one’s own resurrection. This podcast is for anyone who chooses the pilgrimage of recovery, whether through your own struggle with the disease of addiction or through the struggles of a loved one. You will soon find we are all in this together.
People who live with the disease of addiction will tell you it was a road they didn’t choose. It is often taken, but no one chooses it. This road leads to hell and death. To find the spark of God in every living thing, however, requires a pilgrim’s heart and a willingness to be changed by the journey.
Addiction is identified by behaviors that include impaired control over drug (alcohol, gambling, etc.) use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and cravings. When people who use alcohol can’t stop drinking even if they want to, it’s called addiction. The urge is too strong to control, even when they know the drink is causing harm. The road to addiction begins the same way everyone else’s road begins: by trying something new. When someone takes a substance or engages in a behavior for the first time, it can be quite pleasurable. This motivates them to do it again. Normal people can continue to engage in the behavior and find pleasure. People with the disease of addiction cannot.
As use escalates, it is no longer possible to feel the same level of pleasure. Repetitive use changes brain chemistry. Now the person with addiction needs to increase the substance or behavior just to feel “normal.” Eventually, there is no feeling normal. The substance or behavior must be used more frequently and in larger quantities in order for the person to function at a minimal level. At this point, the addiction is out of control. It is now more important than eating or sleeping. It is the top priority, more dear than love, family, friends, work, or honesty. The person’s life is utterly consumed with getting that next fix. Eventually, there is no feeling normal. Addiction is a chronic brain disease. Some unlucky people are genetically predisposed to this disease. Others use enough mood-altering substances to change the brain’s chemistry as the disease progresses.
In our culture, it still carries the stigma of moral failure. This stigma comes from ignorance about the disease and creates a barrier for persons who have the disease. Moral judgment about persons with addiction deepens the shame, self-loathing, and secrecy they already carry. This makes it even harder for them to seek help. Addiction is a chronic brain disease. The road to addiction ends in hell and death. The pilgrimage out leads to resurrection and new life. The first step of this pilgrimage is the hardest. We have to admit we have the disease. If you have been here, you know how hard it is. You know the fear that keeps you in denial about the extent of your illness. You know the helplessness you feel when you consider quitting. You are convinced you are not capable of doing it on your own, because you have tried so many times, without success. There is good news. You don’t have to do it on your own. There are legions of fellow pilgrims on this path. They will share their stories and their road maps with you. They will point out the places they have found the spark of God. They will stay up all night with you when the cravings wrack your mind and body. They will even carry you. Eventually, you will do the same for others. You will find you can even laugh at the stories that once caused you unbearable shame. You will see glimpses of your own resurrection and find that this pilgrimage, like recovery, will be a lifelong journey into a life you could not have dreamt was possible. But first, you need to step through the door.