Experts at the Mayo Clinic have identified a key ingredient to successful recovery from any addiction.
Friends.
They write, “Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being, but it’s not always easy to develop or maintain friendships.” The famed clinic shares several benefits of strong friendships:
- Increased sense of purpose
- Greater happiness
- Less stress
- Easier to cope with trauma
- Better able to overcome unhealthy habits
The Bible is pro-friends. Paul wrote, “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Recovery Step: The value of friendships in recovery cannot be overstated. The key is to be proactive. In your next recovery meeting, take the initiative. Sit with someone you don’t know well. Share cell numbers with someone. Don’t ask to have a friend, but to be one.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
