PR 20:3 It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
When we quit an addiction out of sheer will we can easily pull back into a state of self survival
where we begin to react and overreact to everything around us in an adversarial, combative, and over-sensitive manner. Some
people call this a "dry drunk", but basically we just move from trusting in our addiction, to trusting in ourselves without
the addiction. This may sound like a good plan at first, but when you try to self-protect yourself by trying to control people
and the environment around you, things can get pretty bad, pretty fast. Below are a couple of acronyms that you can use to
see if you are in the bad zone, or good zone.
B.A.D. Zone
Bitter- We become bitter because we have lost so much because
of our addiction, we become bitter because many that we loved have rejected us, the list can go on and on.
Angry- We are angry because we feel defenseless without our
addiction there to protect us, so we try to control and dominate everything around us with anger in order to feel in control.
Defensive- We perceive everything as a threat when we first
quit our addictions, but most of the time we are just being oversensitive and overreacting to things that are not really threats.
ISA 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
G.O.O.D. Zone
Gentle- We need to be gentle with people when we feel all
our danger buttons being pushed because if we get overly aggressive we will just create the very trouble we are trying to
avoid.
Openhearted- Closing ourselves in emotionally in order to
protect ourselves may seem like a good idea at first, but we place our system into emotional overload and panic when we do.
Optimistic- There is no day gloomier than a day where we
feel chemically or emotionally off because we don't have our addiction. Things will improve though, and this is just an illusion.
Don't fear- Try to remember that you are not alone or defenseless
when you quit your addiction, because God will be with you and as you pray and ask for help, He will be there.
2TH 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
How you quit your addiction is just as important as quitting the addiction itself, because we can
easily set ourselves up for failure and relapse if we do not plan ahead beforehand to handle things properly that may come
along later. Remember too, that the main person you are quitting for is yourself, and you owe it to yourself to live free
from the slavery of addiction. Once you break through out of the other side of your withdrawals, you will see that most of
what you feared was not that real or powerful after all. Try your best to avoid the bad and embrace the good when you quit,
and you will have a much better chance of succeeding.
DT 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake
you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
