There is a long tradition of turning to God for help for problem drinking and other addictions. In the 17th century when there were harsh penalties for drunkenness such as whipping and the stocks, one of the treatments for problem drinking that was seen as more enlightened was to have the problem drinker live with a priest or minister. The rationale was that, through example and prayer, the drinker would change his/her ways.
The Alcoholics Anonymous is founded on spiritual principles, explicitly stating that alcoholics are powerless against their addiction and so need the intervention of a ‘higher power’ to combat it and be able to live sober.
In the videos below I talk about the part that God played in me getting and staying sober. If alcohol is affecting your life, whether it is your own or someone else’s drinking, then you may get some comfort from these videos.
Can God Help Us to Get Sober?
Getting sober is just the first step in addressing problem drinking. The second part is actually staying sober.
Can God Help Us to Stay Sober?
For much of my life I was haunted by shame and guilt. Some of it may have been deserved, because of my problem drinking, but much of it stemmed from my upbringing. My antidote to these feelings tended to be alcohol, I saw it as my medication. If I was going to remain sober, I needed to address these feelings and this video discusses how I did that.
Shame and Guilt
One of the hallmarks of problem drinking and other addictive behaviours is selfishness. Most addicts ignore the feelings of others, or at least, they put the feelings of others a very poor second to their own needs and wants. One way to start changing ourselves is to start putting other people first and we can do that by helping others.