"Many persons struggling with a mental illness will abuse substances as a way of self medicating. The latest federal Household Survey estimates more than 23 million Americans over the age of 12 meet the criteria for alcohol and drug dependence."

As former addicts, one of the greatest truths we wish to convey to our readers is, "An addiction is an addiction, no matter what label we place on it"

In that, we will be constantly searching for the right drug, the next pornography picture, the correct pull of the slot machine handle hoping it will fulfill our desire for the ultimate high.

The problem is, it will never happen!

"One is too many, and a thousand would never be enough"

What is an Addiction? Is it really a disease like cancer?

Does it really matter what label we place on it?

If you have opened this window, chances are you have a love one whose addiction is holding everyone hostage. Therefore, the addict is going to require that you understand their addiction, because addicts are often convinced that the world has the problem, not them.

If that loved one can't survive a month or even as much as a day without engaging in some form of either un-natural, unlawful, unhealthy, unethical, immoral, risky, or self- destructive behavior, chances are they have an un- conscious death wish.

If you are the one who suspects that you may have a problem with an addiction and you need further proof, ask yourself the following questions; how has your spiritual, physical and mental health been lately? Have the police or the FBI, CIA or Home Land Security had to help you manage your life lately?

Has your boss, your spouse, or maybe your kid or other family member said that your addiction has become a problem for them, but you just can’t understand why?

Is guilt, frustration and shame eating a hole in your soul, and you feel in your heart that your addiction has progressively began to take control over you, rather than you controlling it? Or have you been allowed to justify it because the world is going to hell anyway, so what is the use in trying anyway?

We have some good news for you; The world is going to hell, but you don't have to go with it. If you are beginning to use more artificial stimulation like alcohol or other drugs to allow yourself to engage in a behavior like gaming, pornography, materialism, or a same sex relationship, because its beginning to eat a hole in your soul, you must now realize that you are receiving God's greatest gift, conviction.

We have learned how to no longer be a slave to its progressive pain and sickness, and so can you or your loved one. The world is filled with pain and sorrow, but we have learned to deal with life on God's, rather than on our own terms without numbing ourselves with artificial stimulations, and you can too. We have learned how to function, live and socialize in a world gone rouge, how to enjoy life without artificial stimulation, and we can help you to understand life and its implications.

However, if you are not ready for a reality check, then this is not the website for you. But if you are like the countless people that we talk to who are sick and tired of being sick and tired of this world, you are not alone. If you feel that you need some real answers, then read on, because we, too, have seen the gates of hell, and we have all returned with a powerful message of hope for you.

You must understand that there is a force in this universe that wishes your undivided attention. It will lie to you and tell you that you do not deserve to live at peace. It will tell you since you hurt, it's okay to hurt others. It will teach you how to justify engaging in risky behavior, then it has the audacity to laugh at you for falling for it tricks.

Many of us tend to internalize the worlds problems. We try to carry its weight on our shoulders and as the world continues to grow ever more cold, callous and calculating just to survive itself, it begins to pull us down more and more each day.

If we wish to recover from an addiction, first we must learn to deal with the painful anger at the injustice we witness each day. The first task is we must learn to except the things that we can not change, change the things that we can, but to realize there are some things in this world that are just as they are supposed to be at this point in human development.

There is a very painful process going on around us that is a necessary evil, and the sooner we come to terms with this reality, the better off the world, for us, will be.

We all have experienced events in our lives that we have allowed to define who we believe we are. These events often lead us to believe that we were not good enough or have failed ourselves or, worse yet, others.

Again we have lied to ourselves, and the sad part of all of this, we believe these lies. We now hope to expose these discrepancies by painting these self-destructive ideas with bright colored paint to allow you to detect, arrest, and replace these ideals with hopeful thoughts and healthy ideas.

However, no matter how much our adversary begs, pouts, cries or pleads with its hostage, the hostage must learn not to listen to its allure. Only after one truly becomes willing, will man's Creator set the hostage on a difficult journey towards dis-believing the lies presented by the Great Deceiver.

However, his complacency continuously fights back to retake its control. Therefore, no matter how much one thinks one knows, anger, resentments, cravings, obsessions and adverse addictions know the heart of all men, better than men know themselves.

We are all prone to risky behavior(s). Religion often has no say here, and for some of us there is not a gun big enough to get us to realize that we are being lied to, simply because the payoff to numb ourselves overrides the cost of feeling our pain. Therefore, all we can do here is to help you weigh up the costs vs. the gains.

We hope that our readers will understand that all forms of adverse addictions do have their roots in the same ground, and that all adverse addictions are acts of self-survival or rebellion towards a flawed society. It has been our observation that all addictions have their roots in trauma. Trauma meaning some negative influence that we felt powerless to control. Therefore, when we fail to deal with trauma's feelings of loss, we seek a way to numb the pain.

We often begin our journey into the world of artificial stimulation out of curiosity or peer pressure. For many of us it becomes our out, or relaxation technique. Some appear to have the ability to maintain reasonable use, whiles others, quite obviously, can not. For many of us addictions' progression takes us places we swore we would never go.

For some, it appears that in life there are conditions that cause some of us to become curious. Just mark a door with a "Danger" sign and see how fast this type of individual wants to open the door to see for them selves. Soon the allure takes these captive and addiction slowly takes hold. No matter how we get there, for most of us the results are always the same, shame, guilt, frustration, jails, institutions or death.

We must now learn to allow the world to do what it is going to do. Families are crumpling, kids are running rouge, it's a sign of the times. Therefore, we must learn to deal with the adverse feelings and emotions that we feel. We must learn to cry and express our pain. It is healthy. We must tell ourselves that it is okay to feel the pain, it is a process that we call reparative therapy. Pain is God's healing tool that has become our path back to the Garden of our Eden.

Because if we do not learn to express our feelings, we will continue using artificial stimulation to numb ourselves and soon we become prisoners, whores of our own addictive brain chemistry. Now in order to maintain the same level of comfort, the more heinous the addiction must become.

Therefore, all addictions are progressive. These chemicals then allow for a faults sense of security through denial and its insanity. Therefore, as traumatized, angry and often sorrowful peoples, these brain chemicals often become our only means of escaping ourselves and the harms that we maintain in this, a confusing, self-destructive and to often, un-just world.

You are not going to realize justice in this world. You must now learn to face this fact. Man is incapable of self-government. Self-government was destined to fail because self- government has always lead us to self-destruction. The free-thinker mentality is a deception that is leading our world towards destruction. It is insanity at its best!

When most of us think of addiction, we think only of alcohol and other drugs. Self-will is an addiction. Pride is an addiction. Free- thinking is an addiction to self enlightenment. For some of us anger and rage has become our addiction just as much as greed's materialism or un-lawful homosexual or out of wedlock sexual gratification. These are all expressions of rebellion or hopelessness, and both are signs of lacking trust in our Creator.

They are all by-products of fear and self-survival, a sure sign of the criminal behavior we chose to engage in the Garden of our Eden. All are forms of adultery that contaminates our spiritual union with our Creator. Is all considered sorcery, it’s that which places its faith in the works of its flesh. Therefore, from now on whenever you see chemical addiction words used, always put your particular type of addiction in the place of.

There is a major spiritual component for most all of us in recovery. Here is where beliefs vary greatly because everyone’s understanding of a God or Deity varies. Just so you understand where we are coming from, I must share some basics of my understanding. After studying the Hebrew Scriptures for the last twenty years I came to the conclusion that there is a hell.

However, contrary to the religious aspirations of man who, too often, mis-use its purpose to control the hearts and minds, hell was not designed for us. The premise for this statement is self-will. We asked for it, and God granted it. Why? Simply because He wishes for us to love and respect Him by choice rather than being forced to do so. Our relationship with our Creator should reflect the same foundation as marriage.

Hell, then became our choice that we make, a conscious choice to separate ourselves from the love of our Creator. Hell is a realm set aside that will be void of God's great love for His children.

Therefore, with this choice, we then asked our Creator to create Satan. He is our alternative to a committed marital relationship with our Creator. The Scriptures tell us that Satan must ask his Creator for permission before he is allowed to allow his negative influence, but that he has no redemptive qualities, but in Christ, you and I do. We have been granted the gift of choice, whereas Satan has none. He simply does what he is told, and we can follow his lead, if that is what we choose to do.

Therefore, learning not to believe his deceptions has become man kind’s greatest challenge. Now many of you do not believe there is such a spirit. Again, this is your prerogative. However, I know he is here because the Scriptures say that he is, because I can feel his presents and I have read and have written about various encounters with him in our publications.

He loves religion! You must understand he asked to become God, so God allowed him to become a god. He then asked if he could distort religion, so again, he was allowed to do so. This is why the world is always in torment. Man's distortions of religions revealed. However, enough said, about religion for now, lets get back to relationship.

Whoever or whatever you choose to call God is entirely up to you. However, because of the understanding we all share here at Focus on Recovery, God, The Father, in Jesus, The Christ is our name for God. If you have difficulty with this understanding, please place your own name or understanding in the place of ours. Right now let’s just concern ourselves with recovery and not get hung up on matters of religion. Fair enough?

Now I realize that many of you grew up in the church. I did not, therefore, I am not one who is going to spend a lot of time preaching to the choir here, as many of you may know the Scriptures better than I do, however, I do wish to share just one Scripture that I hope you will take another look at. Being that the apostle Paul, as well as others, had a near death experience, I feel his words are extra insightful for us, even today. In the book of Romans, chapter 12 he made a claim that I feel is extra worthy of our attention;

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will accept. When you think of what He has done for you (nailed Himself to a tree to allow us a better way) is this too much to ask? Therefore, don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think"

It’s easy to get caught up in the world today, the glitz and glamour is all so enticing, however, it always leads us back to that empty and lonely place. The world and its materialistic media being so loud that it rings in out ears causing most of our youth to fall pray to its allure. Some people of great faith even struggle everyday. Here is a great example;

While counseling other addicts and alcoholics in one of our centers, one question that rather stumped me in the beginning of my work in this field was when a young mother asked me, "Why can't I drink like everyone else?" I was not quite sure how to answer her question.

Later that evening as I was greeting our clients returning from their nightly 12 step meeting, this young mother looked me in the eye and said, "Now I understand why I can't drink like everyone else, I'm an alcoholic.

The nose on your face! Yes this wonderful sister, daughter, mother of two and wife to the nicest young man you would ever wish to meet, has a serious problem with alcohol. If she has it, she drinks it. Period! You must read her horrific story in "Tough Love, a Journey to the Gates of Hell"

During her recovery she was allowed to feel her pain, she confronted her fears, she then gave her mother's killer amnesty and never touched another drop of booze. She no longer had the need for booze! You will cry tears of joy as I still well up every time I reread her story of the great loss she suffered as a child.

We must understand that we are not extensions of our addictions, but rather, our addictions are an extension of what we have allowed ourselves to become in the faults reality where our absolute has been hidden by our preconceived realities, so we lie to ourselves.

Therefore, it is now time to change that confused mind-set that believes its own lies. Now the only thing you must do, besides hang on for the ride of your life, is to become honest in all of your affairs with yourself and others.

We are not referring to cash register honesty here, but rather allow yourself to drop your guard long enough to allow the honestly of others to help you to honestly evaluate you, because you can not safely evaluate yourself.

Why you ask? Because, just in case you hadn’t realized it before, you are rather bias in regards to yourself! Yes, the process is going to make you uncomfortable in the beginning. You may even cry and pout! However, think about how your adverse addiction has caused you or others grave harms. Now think about the loss of your credibility with those in whom you love and who love you.

You are not your out-of-control-hobby, your out-of-control-hobby is apart of this world, and where your being is a go’n there ain’t no room for your baggage. Therefore, if you wish for an easy flight, lose the baggage here and now!

However, after beginning to slowly shed those lies of excess baggage, you must give your flight crew enough time to regain their trust in you. Do not expect them to trust you over night. It ain’t gon’a happen, ya see! It took all of us years to lose their trust, and now it’s going to take much time to regain it. You will always have their love, but trust must be earned. There are now only two days of the week in which you must never be concerned about again, yesterday and tomorrow!

Here are some more thoughts for you before we move on; “It is foolish to regret the past, for it cannot be changed.” It’s possible that the greatest thought along these lines comes from a fellow named Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. Ya ever hear of him? Me nether! So I looked him up. He was born in Persia (Iraq) 5-31-1048 and became a poet, philosopher, astronomer and a mathematician before his death on 12-4-1131, just in case you was interested enough to know about Ol’ Omar.

Well back a few years ago Ol’ Omar wrote; “The moving finger writes and having writ moves on, now with all your piety or wit you can't lure it back to cancel half a line, nor will all your tears wash out a single word of it.” Do you think Omar must have read the story about God's hand writing on the wall?

Here is another one from an unknown writer; “Yesterday lies with the centuries and there is nothing that we can do about it. Yesterday with its failures and mistakes, tragedies, disappointments and unhappiness has gone forever and is in the hands of the Mighty Love. It was our day but it is no longer ours; it now belongs to God.

Tomorrow, that day of large promises and poor performances that does not yet belong to us, but saved for the star of hope that forever shines from tomorrow into the heart of day where we have no possessions, but in the day of grace. It will be ours but yet still belongs to God. There is but one day that we can live, ‘Today.’ If our minds and our hearts are right we can live richly and well.”

Well if you are the one with the hobby gone rogue, you will need to start off each new day with a prayer in your heart of thanksgiving, and let each day end in grace. When you fully come to realize that you need assistance, do not fear asking God for His help, for He will provide for any willing heart. God may not be as concerned about getting you out of the trouble you’er in, as much as He will use your situation to rebuild your character. Remember, recovery is a process, not an event.

Your Creator counts every hair on your head and He will now be watching to see how you handle each situation, giving you the courage to, and grace for. We all need courage to live and the grace to forgive each new day, however, not from our own pocket because we all lack the required funds, but rather, to allow Providence to guide the way.

Now just because you're concerned and nosy peoples check up on you to make sure that you are staying compliant with your treatment plan, does not mean they do not trust you, but rather, they may not trust your treatment plan. Therefore, do not take their concerns as an insult to your credibility. Take your past credibility as your concern for yourself!

Stay accountable, your bags, pockets and your life must now be an open book. If you have anything to hide, you are ready to relapse. Remember this; It is the secrets that we keep, that keep us sick! Therefore, No more excuses, and No more hiding! Denial is Not a river in Egypt, it is a heart condition that will lead you back to the gates of hell if you do not allow God to slowly arrest your adverse desires.

Jesus already went there with you once before, now try not to make Him go back there with you again! O’ He’ll do it a billion more times for you again, simply because He loves you that much, but for your sake and for the sake of those around you, stay away from slippery people, places and things.

There are some good quality recovery systems out there. I did my internship at one of them and I also worked at a couple of others. God even allowed me to help open a center! Now one thing that I discovered is that cost does not always have a variance on the quality of care.

In fact I have witnessed a few families and corporations pay big bucks for people to learn how to live without their addiction, only to finally be freed at one of the lower cost centers where I was allowed to work at. Again, it’s all about the hearts willingness to comply with the process.

Now if you are the executive type who believes that you are above being housed in the same center with a guy who was just paroled out of prison, please allow me to assure you that he may very well turn out to be your next best friend! God does some really weird stuff in recovery centers. Parolees playing on the monkey bars with princes ain’t all that unusual to see at the recovery centers that I was apart of.

Now be patent with yourself, as even Rome was not built in one day. It took God six full days to build it! Now that I made that statement you must now ask yourself if there is anything that is really worth arguing about. Who cares how long it took God to do what, or how He did it. Just know that He did what He did and how He felt like doing whatever He felt like doing!

It just ain’t our business to know everything yet! Therefore, find ways not to argue with one another. It is just not worth it. Do not allow pride to destroy you before you even get started. Ask yourself, “Would you rather be right, or would you rather be content? Now stop arguing with babies because they mess in their pants, you ain’t gon’a win!

It is time that you learn to become willing to change every aspect of your life. Hold back nothing! You must now give up every cookie in the cookie jar! Leave no stone unturned! There are no magic wands, silver bullets or correct words to say, but only a willingness to change the way you view yourself and the world around you.

May God bless you on your journey back home to Him self.