The Brain Drain
When we practice addiction we release certain pleasure chemicals in our brain like serotonin and endorphins and
it doesn't matter whether it is a drug or behavior (like gambling or self-injury), the brain will still give you a chemical
high when you get your fix. But there are a few addictions like meth (methamphetamine) and crack cocaine that are specifically
designed to release very high amounts of these brain pleasure chemicals which can damage your brains ability to keep producing
them and leave you in a permanent state of depression and inability to enjoy things in life normally.
Some of us end up with a lack of brain pleasure chemicals from birth either because of our parent doing drugs,
or just because we have a genetic predisposition toward addiction. But there are also others of us that create our own brain
pleasure chemical deficiency by continuously depleting our brains chemicals through daily addiction and thus severely limiting
our brains ability to produce more of them because the cells just become too damaged. Plus, we go from a chemical heaven to
a chemical hell so the first thing we will want to do is go find another fix and it makes it very hard to recover.
If you have damaged your brains ability to produce normal amounts of pleasure chemicals it is not the end of the
world, because God can help to restore this balance by healing you. Most of us who practice addiction are chemically imbalanced
already so we need God's help and healing to get free from addiction and live a happy normal life. All addiction is just using
pleasure to treat pain in some fashion so we need God to show us how to get pleasure in life the normal way and stop cheating
at life through addiction. Trust God to heal you and to show you how to have normal pleasure in life.
Here is a prayer to pray if you need it:
"Dear God, you have seen how I have damaged my brain through addiction and I ask that you would forgive my sin
and heal my brain and restore it to a normal state of being. I commit myself to not damaging my brain any further through
addiction and to learning how to find pleasure in life through the normal healthy channels you have provided for me. In Jesus
name I ask, give thanks, and pray, amen".
Some scriptures to help you:
PS 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with
eternal pleasures at your right hand.
TIT 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions
and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our
Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through
the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
ISA 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
