(The photo above shows Mormon missionaries who help in the addiction recovery program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From Addiction Recovery Program brings people to Christ.)
~by Michelle
With Whitney Houston’s death in the headlines, some are speculating that her death may have been connected to her struggles with addiction to / abuse of drugs and alcohol. Whether or not that is the case, Houston’s death has definitely brought the topic of addiction up in online discussions and articles. People want to blame fame or other factors, but the reality is that addiction plagues people at all socioeconomic levels, of various ages, of all races and walks of life.
It behooves us, I think, to be honest with ourselves about how anyone could fall into addiction.
I’m reminded of some recent posts and articles that I have read that I wanted to share. I’m especially grateful for people who testify about how the Atonement of Jesus Christ has helped them find hope and healing, either from their own addiction, or from the pain caused by the addiction of a loved one.
For example, I was moved recently as I read this Mormon woman’s story about how her husband was able to overcome his addiction to prescription drugs, and how she was able to overcome her addiction to codependency.
“My husband is an addict,” she writes in How Our Family is Overcoming Addiction. “His drug of choice is prescription pain killers. I am a co-dependent which means that my drug of choice is my addict husband. Through many miracles we have been brought back into the ever loving arms of our Savior again. Through his Atonement we have found hope and recovery.”
You can read her full story here. It’s long, but it’s well worth the read. I would encourage anyone who is facing the trial of addiction or having a loved one with an addiction — regardless of the specific addictive substance or behavior that may be affecting your life — to read this powerful story. “My Real Life Story” by Mandi Gubler at Vintage Revivals.
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My friend posted a link to an article that she said helped her not feel so hopeless about her weakness as a parent. But as I read the fantastic article, I was moved that it was also a story of overcoming the effects of a loved one’s addiction through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I cannot get enough of such stories. They fill my heart with a feeling of love for those who struggle, and a feeling of hope for all of us, because we ALL need the grace of Jesus Christ to be able to overcome our weaknesses. If anything, I feel addicts who have found recovery, and their loved ones as well, can teach us much about what the Atonement of Jesus Christ is all about.
“A Parent’s Love and Fear” by M. Catherine Thomas
You can also listen to a fantastic talk about finding peace in our families and other relationships — even in the face of abuse or addiction — in this address here:
Zion and the Spirit of At-one-ment (video link can be found here)
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Another Mormon woman shares her experience with how faith in Jesus Christ and in His gospel helped her overcome her pain after suffering abuse and turning to drug abuse to try to numb her pain:
When Bad Things Happen to Good People: One woman’s journey to overcome the effects of abuse and addiction
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Sue shares some of her thoughts about this topic on her blog post, “Must they die in vain?”
[M]y family has been touched by the destructive forces of drug/alcohol addiction. I have seen the consequences with my own eyes, and the definition of devastating is to watch mood-altering substances take over a person’s body and soul, changing a loving, honorable person into a mere shadow of his or her former self. This unspeakable horror, the epitome of evil in this world, is a tragedy for everyone concerned, and I hate it beyond my power to express.
Sue then shares some thoughts on how we can wage the war against drugs and alcohol not only in our governments and courts, but also — perhaps especially — in our hearts and homes. We need a spiritual foundation to help fight the battles that we face.
