In case there was any doubt about the problem of addiction in America, here are a few numbers.
1. Cost to the economy – $600 billion/year.
2. Addiction is the leading cause of youth suicide.
3. Alcohol contributes to over 200 diseases and health conditions.
4. In the last ten years, 48,000 women died from opioid overdoses.
5. One-third of alcoholics develop Type II diabetes.
6. One in three substance abusers struggle with clinical anxiety.
7. Youth who begin drinking by age 15 are five times more likely to become alcoholics.
What’s the answer? For starters, we all need a spiritual connection. Paul wrote, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
There are many reasons people fall into addiction, with trauma, isolation, and abuse at the top of the list. One quick look at the news headlines of any day is enough to knock any of us off center. May we do what Paul suggested and anchor our lives in our faith.
Recovery Step: Addiction isn’t just a bad problem. It’s a bad solution – to a bigger problem. But there is hope. That hope begins in Christ.
