Category Archives: addiction

November 18, 2008 · 5:43 am

CCEF recap: David Powlison’s “Escape to Reality”


Sunday morning, David Powlison gave a plenary talk entitled, “Escape to Reality.” He used 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 as his launch text. It was vintage David, chalk full of many examples of both soft and hard addictions. One could easily take his 10 points (which I don’t have exactly because I was sitting with my son who was lounging across me) and turn them into a 10 week bible study or SS class. As I remember them, he made the following points about the path back to reality:

1. Wake up (to see God, self, and other)
2. Own up (without excuse)
3. Stop the Death spiral (sin, guilt, and shame all tempt us inward. But we see in Christ, someone who is able to stay connected to God and other on the Cross even with the pain)
4. Connect to others (We need others to talk to so that we hear ourselves and get good feedback) SO, ask for help!
5. Ask for forgiveness (and none of that, “If I hurt you…” kind of half hearted repentance)
6. Forgive those who have hurt you
7. Rethink the problem of pain (pain shouldn’t be ignored or used as excuse)
8. Rethink the problem of pleasure (we vacillate between workaholism and overindulging in pleasure. We are made for pleasure but within bounds)
9. Re-evaluate the struggle. When someone shows signs of stopping addictive behaviors. Maybe they only go into a rage 3 times in a week instead of 12. That’s something to celebrate. But of course the struggle continues and there’s more to repent.

Um, I’m missing the tenth. Someone there remember what it was?

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November 14, 2008 · 10:47 pm

CCEF Addictions Conference Update


The first day of the conference is now over. It was good to see many old friends, students, alumni, and to make some new friends as well. Ed Welch opened the conference by talking about the normalcy of even the most severe addictions (he used the illustration of a man who drank Aqua Velva while in the psych. ward and needed to go detox (from one hospital ward to another). He talked about how Scripture would still speak to some of “Mr. Gray’s life and situation.”

Best line from Ed, “God sends us individuals to challenge the clarity of our [little] minds.”

Soon after Mark Driscoll, pastor of the Mega Church Mars Hills in Seattle, talked about some of the facets of atonement can help addicts. Several interesting takeaways

1. He did a quick summary of 1 Corinthians. ch 1-4 is about false gods and doctrines. Ch 5-7 is about various perversions of sex; ch 6 is about division; ch 8-11 is about addictions, abuse of food, alcohol abuse, gluttony; ch 11 discusses gender issues; ch 12-14 is about spiritual gifts and that those the Corinthian church is rich with gifts but lacks love; and finally ch. 15 which is about the necessity of the Cross.  Driscoll made the point that all this was happening in the church of about 50 people! And yet Paul (in the first chapter) has hope for this misfit bunch.

2. Conviction of sin from God? Leads to repentance and joy. Conviction of sin from Satan? Leads to discouragement and being crushed.

There were several breakouts but I was busy with my own presentation.

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November 11, 2008 · 5:29 am

The addict in us all


Later this week, CCEF will hold their annual teaching conference in Valley Forge, PA. The theme this year is addictions. I have the pleasure of teaching on Friday along with their faculty/staff. Also teaching are Diane Langberg, John Freeman, Leslie Vernick and guest appearances by Mark Driscoll and music by the Gettys. Will have my slides up here after the conference. I will be outlining two main techniques useful in the early stages of counseling those struggling with addictions.

Should be a fun time. If you come, stop by the Biblical Seminary table to chat…

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Filed under addiction, biblical counseling, christian counseling, christian psychology, counseling, counseling skills, Ed Welch, Psychology

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November 10, 2008 · 10:24 am

God’s response to a people addicted to evil


Later this week I’ll be speaking at CCEF’s Annual Conference about addiction (more to come on that tomorrow) and so lately I’ve been thinking about sin and addiction.

It is common for Christian folk stuck in repetitive sin to move away from God. Why? There are a variety of reasons but often they include overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, and a desire to fix the problem through some sort of penance. But when individuals suffer from being sinned against, they are much more likely to go to God and talk to him about it.

With that in mind, I went to church yesterday and heard a sermon by our pastor on Judges 4-5 (The Deborah/Barak/Sisera story). And Pastor Traylor made this point,

Israel brought their oppression on themselves by their own idolatry. Yes, the king of Caanan was the oppressor but the cause was their own foolishness and evil inclination. What do they do? It seems that after 20 years of oppression, they cry to the Lord and he provides, yet again, a rescuer. This pattern is evident throughout Scripture but nowhere clearer than in the book of Judges. Sinners return to God, cry out for mercy and rescue, and God hears and delivers.

What if we were to cry out for deliverance much quicker? When we are righteously suffering it seems easy to do. But when we know we have fallen away, we find it much harder.

Do you suffer from the consequences of repetitive sin? Turn to God the second after to seek his deliverance. Continue that pattern (in an honest fashion) and you will discover that God provides the way of escape BEFORE you give in to that temptation.

We need to beat it into our heads that God wants us to turn to him even when we sin. The illustrations are numerous that we are loved by a pursuing God. Unfortunately, we also see that we are very committed to covering up our brokenness. Let us remember it is a losing battle. We will not be able to cover up for ever…

May God have mercy and deliver us from evil.

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Filed under addiction, biblical counseling, Biblical Reflection, christian counseling, christian psychology, Christianity, Desires, self-deception

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June 27, 2008 · 10:11 am

Another training opportunity…


I’m probably doing too many ads here but as I’m off today for conference with Paul Wachtel (see my “on my nightstand” for a link for his book), I thought I would tell you all about a conference this fall by CCEF. This year they are teaching on addictions. I, along with Diane Langberg, Leslie Vernick, John Freeman, and the usual crew of CCEF faculty, are going to be doing a number of great teachings on the problem of addictions. My talk will be for counselors trying to work with addicts. Check out www.ccef.org for more details.

CCEF Annual Conference

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June 14, 2008 · 5:13 am

Take your first course at Biblical, get a free gas card!


Okay, so it might not be an even swap, but it will pay for your gas to get to Biblical this summer. If you’ve never taken a course at my fine institution, here’s a little incentive for you to do so. We’re offering 2 counseling courses (Leslie Vernick’s 1 weekend course on Destructive Relationships and another 2 weekend course on counseling people with addictions) and two other courses. One course is mostly on-line with just one campus visit (Group life in an eWorld). So, check out this PDF flyer for details or www.biblical.edu for more details such as class dates/times.

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Filed under Abuse, addiction, Biblical Seminary, christian counseling, christian psychology, teaching counseling

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February 25, 2008 · 9:32 pm

Science Monday? Studies in Internet and Pornography addiction


I think I wrote about this last year….search APA journals for literature on Internet addiction and Pornography addiction and what do you find? Not much (1st set of terms) and nothing (2nd set of terms). Search all of PsychInfo to include all of psych journals and you find a few: several published in christian journals and several in marriage and family journals. But all in all, very little.

I guess they don’t have the stomach to address these ills. They don’t even try to debunk them as social or cultural anomalies.

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February 23, 2007 · 2:46 pm

Caffeine isn’t addictive?


Millions of individuals consume multiple cups of caffeine each and every day. Thank you Starbucks and it 6,000 stores worldwide. Despite the fact that most of us drink more than we should (to get the kick we used to get from less) and suffer from withdrawal headaches and irritability when we stop, some researchers believe it is not an addiction. Why do they think this? It poses no social ills and merely ingesting a bit more caffeine stops the withdrawal symptoms–so says Sally Satel in a 2006 article in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol abuse (32:4). I did note that her article was supported by a grant from the American Beverage Association. Hmmmm, I wonder what stake they have in that “finding?”

In 2005, Heather Jones and C.W. Lejuez did a study of personality correlates in those who are caffeine dependant (Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 13:3). They looked at possible relationships between caffeine dependency and sensation seeking, impulsivity, and risk taking. Only Sensation seeking had a positive relationship with heavy caffeine drinkers. I suspect that our love for arousal and the sensation of the drink suggests that we give in to the impulse for one more cup, not so much because we are trying to avoid the pain of withdrawal but because we desire the rush.  

Whatever. I’m just glad its part of God’s creation and that it wasn’t the tree He said was not for our consumption.

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February 22, 2007 · 5:47 am

If you’re reading this…you might be addicted to the Internet


How much time are you spending on-line these days? Do you try to cut down? Feel guilty because you neglect your real responsibilities at work or home? Do you feel the need to follow that link on the page you have in front of you? While not defined in an official way yet, some are suggesting the following criteria for addiction to the Internet (from Wikipedia). You can read below if you like but I’ve got to get off of here and go do some work… Continue reading →

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February 21, 2007 · 11:19 am

Ponder the effects of hidden sin


Consider Zophar’s description of how a secret sin turns sour in the stomach. While Zophar’s speech making and judgement against Job was completely out of place and later rebuked by God [note: a warning to us counselors that we can be completely right about something and yet deliver the wrong message to the wrong person. Scary!], his description still helps us see how giving in to “sweet nothings” entraps and kills us. 

Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him. He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up. He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading. For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build. Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure. Job 20:12-20

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Filed under addiction, Biblical Reflection, sin