This is an article that I got off of another site.  I MUST preface this by my own comment and would love to hear all of yours.  The government is trying to attach the blame of Prescription Drug Addiciton to the “victims” and not to the Legal Dealers (the DOCTORS).  I am FURIOUS to read this!  You can be sure that this WILL happen in each and every state here.  Why will that happen?  This will happen to get eyes off of the protected doctors and on to the patients.  We will have jail cells filled with innocent victims who are addicted to pills because of their “trusted” doctors.  OK…now, I need to go to my “screaming room” and scream and to my prayer closet to pray.

BY LYNN BONNER – STAFF WRITER Sheriffs in North Carolina want access to state computer records identifying anyone with prescriptions for powerful painkillers and other controlled substances. The state sheriff’s association pushed the idea Tuesday, saying the move would help them make drug arrests and curb a growing problem of prescription drug abuse. But patient advocates say opening up people’s medicine cabinets to law enforcement would deal a devastating blow to privacy rights. Allowing sheriffs’ offices and other law enforcement officials to use the state’s computerized list would vastly widen the circle of people with access to information on prescriptions written for millions of people. As it stands now, doctors and pharmacists are the main users. Nearly 30 percent of state residents received at least one prescription for a controlled substance, anything from Ambien to OxyContin, in the first six months of this year, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly 2.5 million people filled prescriptions in that time for more than 375 million doses. The database has about 53.5 million prescriptions in it. Sheriffs made their pitch Tuesday to a legislative health care committee looking for ways to confront prescription drug abuse. Local sheriffs said that more people in their counties die of accidental overdoses than from homicides. For years, sheriffs have been trying to convince legislators that the state’s prescription records should be open to them. “We can better go after those who are abusing the system,” said Lee County Sheriff Tracy L. Carter. Others say opening up patients’ medicine cabinets to law enforcement is a terrible idea. “I am very concerned about the potential privacy issues for people with pain,” said Candy Pitcher of Cary, who volunteers for the nonprofit American Pain Foundation. “I don’t feel that I should have to sign away my privacy rights just because I take an opioid under doctor’s care.” Pitcher is receiving treatment for a broken back. The ACLU opposed a bill in 2007 that would have opened the list to law enforcement officials, said ACLU lobbyist Sarah Preston. The organization would likely object to the new proposal. “What really did concern us is the privacy aspect,” she said. Opening the record to more users could deter someone from getting necessary medicine because of the fear that others would find out, she said, “particularly in small towns where everybody knows everybody.” The state started collecting the information in 2007 to help doctors identify patients who go from doctor to doctor looking for prescription drugs they may not need, and to keep pharmacists from supplying patients with too many pills. But only about 20 percent of the state’s doctors have registered to use the information, and only 10 percent of the pharmacies are registered. Many chain pharmacies aren’t connected to the Internet, said Andy Ellen, a lobbyist for the N.C. Retail Merchants Association. Pharmacy computers work on closed systems so they won’t be vulnerable to viruses that could slow or crash their networks. Pharmacies are trying to figure out a way around that obstacle to the controlled-substance prescriptions list, he said. Bettie Blanchard, a woman from Dare County whose adult son is recovering from addiction to prescription drugs, said doctors should be required to consult the list when prescribing controlled substances. She also wants doctors to get more education on prescribing narcotics. Doctors should be required to tell patients that the medicine they are being prescribed can be addictive, she said. William Bronson, who works in a drug control unit at DHHS, presented what could be a compromise to the sheriffs’ request – allowing local drug investigators to request information related to ongoing investigations, but not let them go in to the computer records themselves. Eddie Caldwell, lobbyist for the N.C. Sheriff’s Association, said the level of access to the data is up for discussion. “There’s a middle ground where the sheriffs and their personnel working on these drug abuse cases get the information they need in a way that protects the privacy of that information,” he said. “No one wants every officer in the state to be able to log on and look it up.” lynn.bonner@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4821 Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/08/669723/lists-of-pain-pillpatients-sought.html#ixzz0z36IQC2U

This is what we do to Jesus when we sin such as doing drugs.  He goes through the pain again and again. Make the choice to stop drugs today.  Get HELP!  There comes a time when He must turn His face away…then, you’re on your way to the eternity you never wanted . PLEASE, God wants you to stop nailing Him to the cross.  Take the gift He gave you and honor Him… and get set FREE.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,  and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,  if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;  but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

(Hebrews 6:4-8)

As I work with addicted people, the common thread to deciding that they finally want freedom from addiction is when they go into serious withdrawal. It’s sudden and it’s worse than cancer. In order to have a breakthrough, one must always have a breakdown. How unfortunate that there are those who have to get to that horrific place in order to let go and let God set them free. It’s the way it is and no amount of warnings, words, or help of any kind will change that. Interventions help only if the patient is willing; I’ve seen them save lives and be successful when done properly. The only part of this puzzle that doesn’t fit is that I have to watch people die because they felt just 10 pills a day wouldn’t hurt them. After all, they tell me, 10 pills don’t even get them high anymore, so they reason that it’s not hurting them. Next thing I know is they have died, leaving a mother, a father, a husband, a wife, a child. My heart breaks over and over and over again when that terrible day comes when their substance tells their body, “ok, it’s enough…it’s over”. Then, it’s too late. They die. Addiction takes hostages and is the most vile and unforgiving force on earth. Adults die. Kids die. Loved ones are abandoned and never stop asking, “why”. I’ve known some who have suddenly died after only 1 single pill they had taken for the very first time. Drugs are unpredictable and their effect varies with each person. No one escapes. No one.

Lord, I lift all who are addicted up to You.

Let me be honest with all of you. I may not win any popularity contest by saying this, but I must say it…as I always do. …… Addiction is NOT a disease. If you buy into that nonsense, you are only giving yourself (or someone you love) a perfectly legitimate reason to continue to use or go back to using. Notice I don’t use the term “relapse” because that word insinuates an incurable disease process. Let me do this the “coachy” way and ask you a few questions to ponder.

Would you rather wake up and smell the coffee or suffer die in your addiction?

Would you rather give yourself or a loved one legitimate hope that there complete healing is right in front of their nose, or would you prefer going to their funeral or preparing for your own?

Why do so many of you choose to believe in addiction as a disease when there is absolutely no concrete proof of this; It’s only a theory?

What is “denial”? Do you feel you could be in some type of “denial”?

Do you want to get over your addiction or see a loved way get past their addiction?

Do you believe in Almighty God and do you know His precise Name? What is His Name?

Are you afraid to get over your addiction?

Is your substance your best friend in the whole world or do you understand it to be your worst enemy?

Write me if you need some help with these answers. Your very soul is at risk.

Sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, most rehabs, physicians, paramedicals, some religious adherents, and government agents see addictive behavior as being criminal or sinful. These kinds of social judgments do little to help the addicted person, yet, they DOe cause harm, making the addict feel shameful, weak, or helpless. Suddenly he feels like a child who wets the bed, or cannot control his impulse to explore, and then is shamed or punished. Trying to demand or force a behavior which is in direct conflict with the natural drives and motivations of the individual is dangerous.

It will usually worsen his situation, potentially driving the addicted person to suicide, or overdose. But for the lucky ones, and those who are strong enough, this kind of malpractice will only lead the addict to psychological misery, self loathing, and submission.

However, if we can’t stop the treatment handicap of misdirected and harmful philosophies, we can improve our treatment success by having each different addiction well differentiated, and then approached individually and uniquely. Very few programs help the individual find a better life after cleaning up, and even fewer address the needs met by the drug before addiction….the psychological undertones that caused addiction in the first place. These rewards are emotional and motivational in nature, usually unconscious.

Counselors and others in the field of service today, assume that we are driven by social or philosophical goals, but this is because they don’t quite understand that our most powerful, important, and influential human drives are within the mid or lower brain functions, mostly unconscious, and seldom more than moderately tempered by the higher cortical functions. But it is in the rational, higher cortical world that sociology and philosophy operate.

That is why when social psychologists or counselors try to help addicted individuals deal with addictive motivations it’s like the blind, leading the blind. Of course the counselors, and social psychologists still get paid, so, at the end of the day it’s usually about money anyway.

What was the nature of the original motivation and emotional reward of the drug before it became addictive ? The reason that this point is so critically important is because treating drug addiction is next to impossible unless the motivation and reward for the first repeated use is identified. In other words…what were the triggers? Sometimes we can modify the addictive behavior by presenting an alternate kind of reward for behaving differently, but usually we must find a non-addictive behavior which attains the same reward or a motivationally preferred combination.

Those who are addicted to multiple substances, are especially difficult to treat. Dual addiction is commonly referred to as addiction to two addictive substances. Clinically, however, it also refers to addicted individuals who also have a mental illness. Multiple and dual addictions are especially difficult to treat because addicts may sidestep crises by switching to a legal addictive substance for a short time. Legal drugs such as nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, acetylcholine or any one of a thousand prescription drugs, easily available through doctors who are unaware of an addict’s history, often allow an exponential increase in addictive behavior, denial, and other psychological disorder. Drugs used to treat mental disorders may worsen an addiction. Many people treated for mental sickness are only substance abusers, and vise-versa. Our neuroendocrine axis can’t discern legal from illegal drugs, and often doctors can make addiction worse with prescriptions of pain medications, antidepressants, muscle relaxers, and many others.

Making treatment even more difficult is the fact that an addict may switch to a kind of psychological addiction which is combined with one of these socially acceptable drugs. An addict in a highly addictive spin cycle, may use prozac, herbs or tobacco, while becoming psychologically addicted to danger, sex, work, television, or other compulsive behaviors. Although most social agencies welcome such shifts in behavior, the cycle of addiction will continue to worsen, while sublimated.

We must know whether the addicted person has found a way of life which meets his emotional and motivational needs, and whether or not the cycle of addiction has ceased. If he has only sublimated his addiction in some other form, then it will probably resurface at some later date with a more ravenous expression of addiction or an even less attractive form of psychosis, depression, or criminal behavior. This side-step dance only prolongs the addicted individual’s psychological crisis and will cost society more eventually, with chronic health or incarceration expenses.

Therefore, each addictive substance, and dual forms of addiction, must be looked at and treated differently…unidquely. And each addict’s individual situation and history is of primary importance in his treatment plan. We could well begin by treating addiction differently, for each type or class of substance is psychologically different. Each has a different type of emotional and motivational reward and different neural or hormonal action.

This little piece of cake looks innocent enough, yes?  NO!  It’s not at all benign although it takes so yummy.  This little piece of chocolate cake will KILL you eventually.  Before it kills you, it will attack your body…one organ at a time.

Is food addiction really any different from illegal drug addiction or legal prescription drug addiction or smoking or alcoholism? How is it different? Drugs, nicotine & alcohol are considered to be substances that abuse and destroy the body. Wake up! The wrong food will destroy your mind and body just as much as or more than drugs. The fact that sugars, fried foods, fast food, and starches are deemed “legal” by our society doesn’t make them any less lethal. Go on and eat whatever feels good, but, get ready….those yummies are going to kill you s-l-o-w-l-y, and with a vengeance.

Sugar, a high caloric intake, globs of fatty foods, fried foods, fast food, starches, etc…, will make you fat, distort your body, take the wind out of your sails, cause depression, loss of self-esteem, and, last, but not least…you will become seriously and irreversibly diseased. You may not have a heart attack or stroke or cancer or diabetes, or a vast array or other choice diseases – today…but, during one of your tomorrows, you will find out that you have pushed your body just a bit too far and you will suffer for the rest of your natural life from something that could have been prevented. You will die before your time and leave your family devastated and abandoned because you wanted to eat yourself to death. I am speaking this way because it concerns me and I care. What also concerns me is that there is a seriously overweight and unhealthy community of people who are critical and judgemental against those in addiction…not even realizing that they are suffering from the most self-destructive addiction of all…….FOOD!!! Just like your car needs good gas, your body needs the proper fuel in the right proportions in order to serve you well and keep your systems running. So, before you run out of time, change the way you eat. You need healthy raw vegetables and fruits…I said RAW! I’m not talking about buying up all the syrupy fruit in cans during the latest can can sale at your supermarket. The amount of protein you should be eating per day shouldn’t be any larger than what can fit into the palm of your hand (one hand, that is). The rest of your plate needs to be RAW or STEAMED veges with a reward of some delicious colorful berries or other fruit for dessert. STOP red meat…it’s going to destroy you. When you MUST eat red meat, have it once per week and make sure it’s organic grass fed meat. Pork is said to be the chicken of our times. Do you know that at the crucifixions in Biblical times, pigs were used to clean up the mess that the dead bodies left on the ground. They ate the dead and lapped up the blood. There’s a reason why God commanded us NOT to eat pigs! Do you want to eat animals that would love to eat YOU??? This post may be hard to take for some of you, however, it needs to get said. If I’m going to write, coach, and teach about addictions, I wouldn’t be doing my job or serving you well enough if I didn’t include bad food choices as one of the worst addictions on earth. Oh..don’t forget that salt! REMEMBER: You don’t need to enjoy your food. You just need it to survive. If it’s gooey, sweet, fried, or fast…run for your life!

Before anyone out their passes judgement on anyone with a past or present addiction, make sure you’re in tip-top shape and nice and thin.

I thought I’d put this simple and short test here for those of you who think you have an addiction, but are not entirely sure. Usually, it’s those on prescription drugs or alcohol who are not as easily convinced that they have an addiction.

Addiction Test

Answer the following seven yes or no questions. Most questions have more than one part, because everyone behaves differently in addiction. You only need to answer yes to one part for that question to count as a positive response.

1. Tolerance. Has your use of drugs or alcohol increased over time?

2. Withdrawal. When you stop using, have you ever experienced physical or emotional withdrawal? Have you had any of the following symptoms: irritability, anxiety, shakes, sweats, nausea, or vomiting?

3. Difficulty controlling your use. Do you sometimes use more or for a longer time than you would like? Do you sometimes drink to get drunk? Do you stop after a few drink usually, or does one drink lead to more drinks?

4. Negative consequences. Have you continued to use even though there have been negative consequences to your mood, self-esteem, health, job, or family?

5. Putting off or neglecting activities. Have you ever put off or reduced social, recreational, work, or household activities because of your use?

6. Spending significant time or emotional energy. Have you spent a significant amount of time obtaining, using, concealing, planning, or recovering from your use? Have you spend a lot of time thinking about using? Have you ever concealed or minimized your use? Have you ever thought of schemes to avoid getting caught?

7. Desire to cut down. Have you sometimes thought about cutting down or controlling your use? Have you ever made unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control your use?

If you answered yes to at least 3 of these questions, then you meet the medical criteria (DSM and ICD) for addiction.

My agenda and my methods may not be the most popular around, but they work. Let me clarify that. My methods are not popular for those who never tried them…for those who have no faith…for those who have lost God along the way. My methods work each and every time for those who make the decision to relinquish their own selfish power to that of God’s will for their lives rather than their own. God works. I see miracles all the time. Addiction is ending all around me.

People are afraid to give it up to Jesus because they want to maintain their own authority…they want to do it their way. People want power. The fight for power, has always preceded the decline of society and our world. Power yields wickedness. Power is lethal unless it is given over to God where it belongs.

You can do it your way, or His Way. The choice is yours. At the end of the day, I’m joyfully recovered while you may still be on a life long process of recovering which just never happens; you continue with a day to day struggle while still craving your drugs. You could have it so differently, but the human condition of needing control is stopping you. In your 12 step mantra, you claim your powerless and fork over your power to a group of mere humans with a cultic mentality to control you. Ask yourself why? Throughout Biblical history, separation from God always happened because humans wanted to do it their own way…they wanted control over everything. Never worked. Never will.

Give God the chance He deserves. He IS your Father. Come back to Him. He loves you and wants to heal your ugly addiction. Try Him. Get yourself out of the way.

Addicted people create their own world. This world is composed of themselves and their drug(s) of choice. If you know or suspect someone is addicted, there is a mini drama that surrounds them and it’s all about not being able to be dependable or faithful on any sort of relationship. When I say “relationship”, I’m talking about a romantic, friendship, or family role. They will promise you the world and either rarely or never produce. There will always be disappointment. You see, the drama in their lives is all focused on one thing and one thing only… locating, using, and securing their drug, and finally being somewhere where they can comfortably use and then drift away into oblivion. With that type of lifestyle, there is seldom room for another person, much less any sort of relationship.

Although the above represents only a tiny tip of the iceberg with regard to typical behavioral patterns, you may be able to recognize that the person that does this “could” be in the throws of an addiction. This is one of dozens of signs/symptoms of addiction.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Cor 10:13)

http://TeshuvahRoadLifeCoaching.com

http://TeshuvahRoad.com

http://AnAddictNoMore.org

If you don’t believe in God, I cannot help you; neither can God.  If you claim to be a believer in Messiah Jesus, I know that He will set you FREE and I can help put you on the road to true freedom from addiction FOREVER!  All you need is faith.

God is there if you want Him.  Faith is there if you embrace it.