I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. Addictions are on the rise–from food to prescription drugs to social media–people are finding unhelpful ways to cope. Many people are struggling to say no to the things that ultimately harm themselves and their loved ones. So in this episode, we are talking about life-controlling issues. My own family has dealt with addictions and I believe we need to talk about these issues far more openly in Christian circles than we do now!
My guest is Dr. Gregory Jantz and he is the founder of The Center • A Place of HOPE. He’s a world-renowned expert on depression, anxiety, eating disorders, technology addiction, and abuse. But most importantly, Dr. Jantz believes there is hope because God is truly bigger than any addiction.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- How coping habits transform into an addiction
- What addiction really is
- The first step to take if you are struggling with any addiction
- A special message to those who have a loved one with an addiction
- How to move forward after a relapse in addiction
This episode is so important. This topic matters, and I hope it’s a support to you this week.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Dr. Gregory Jantz Website
- The Center: A Place of Hope Website
- Follow Dr. Gregory Jantz on Instagram and YouTube
- The Anxiety Reset: A Life-Changing Approach to Overcoming Fear, Stress, Worry, Panic Attacks, OCD and More by Dr. Gregory Jantz
- When a Loved One is Addicted by Dr. Gregory Jantz
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks!
My Key Takeaways:
1) When left unchecked, coping habits can become addictions. With the recent increase in people working from home and the stress of the pandemic, Dr. Gregory has seen an increase in addictions across the board. Most commonly, people are looking for ways to “mood elevate” for a period of time. But eventually, that becomes a consistent habit that turns into an addiction. If you are wondering if a coping habit or mood elevator is becoming an addiction, ask yourself if that behavior is living in secrecy or shame. That’s often where addiction can be found.
2) Addiction destroys. An addiction is something that we prioritize over people and relationships. Addiction is so destructive because it often interferes with your ability to maintain relationships, focus on other things, and complete everyday tasks. If you have an addiction, no matter how big or small, ask yourself: Where is this taking me? How has this impacted my relationships?
3) There is a difference between helping and enabling. This is something Mark and I have had to struggle through with our own family. We’ve often asked ourselves, “Is our help helping?” Like Dr. Gregory illustrates in today’s episode, “tough love” can often be an important tool in our arsenal to actually help those we love move towards healing.
4) The process starts by having a truthful conversation with a safe person. Addressing an addiction rarely means taking a 180-degree turn right away. The reality is far less dramatic and it takes time to move towards healing. Start by taking an honest look at where you are at and have an honest conversation with a safe person (which Dr. Gregory says usually isn’t family).
About Gregg:
Dr. Gregory Jantz was a pioneer for Whole Person Care in the 1980s and is a world-renowned expert on depression, anxiety, eating disorders, technology addiction, and abuse. He is the founder of The Center • A Place of HOPE in Edmonds, Washington. Gregory is also a best-selling author of over 35 books, including his latest book The Anxiety Reset: A Life-Changing Approach to Overcoming Fear, Stress, Worry, Panic Attacks, OCD and More. Gregory’s desire is to help people who need it the most find hope through God. Learn more at https://www.drgregoryjantz.com/ —
