This article was first published in Wesley TIDINGS, March 2020.
“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” asked Phil, the protagonist, in the 1993 American comedy film, Groundhog Day.
In the film, Phil found himself trapped in a time loop where he was forced to relive the same day repeatedly until he decided to change himself for the better.
Just like Groundhog Day – Stuck in a Rut
Using Phil’s experience as an illustration, Wesley Pastoral Team Member and Counsellor Tony Ting introduced the topic of addiction to participants at the workshop All I Needed To Know About Helping Someone With An Addiction, I Learnt It At The Movies, on 1 February 2020.
Tony explained that this line from Groundhog Day could well be how a person with an addiction would feel while struggling with the compulsion to repeat an activity despite the harm that it does to their well-being.
According to Tony, people can suffer addiction to substance abuse or engage in certain behaviour for the purpose of experiencing feelings of pleasure or relief from stress or enhancing performance. Often, addicts may also be suffering from a co-occurring mental health condition such as bipolar disorder or depression.
Addiction is also progressive in nature.
It generally starts through experimentation, followed by recreational or occasional use such as social drinking or smoking. Thereafter, the person’s mind becomes increasingly preoccupied with repeating the activity to the point of dependency and abuse.
There is hope, however, and with God’s help, addiction is treatable with the right support and interventions.
The Pain of Relapse
Relapse is common and very much a part of a person’s recovery process.
Tony showed clips from the film Beautiful Boy, which is about a boy’s struggles with methamphetamine addiction, and the anguish and despair experienced by his parents in caring for him. David, the father, despite caring deeply for his son, turns him away at one point because his son had relapsed again.
“Carers who struggle with the hurt, disappointment, and the heavy toll in looking after their loved ones may consider seeking help for themselves too in order to sustain them in this difficult journey,” said Tony.
For an addicted person hoping to change, it is important that he or she is ready and wants to change. Those around the addicted person can help by moving him or her gradually through the stages of change and provide support along the way.
Change with God’s Help
The workshop closed with Rev Edmund De Souza sharing about his personal struggle with addiction. In his youth, he had struggled with substance addiction for seven-and-a-half years before he finally sought help from God to help him.
“God, a new environment, and a new purpose in life were what made me change,” said Pastor Edmund.
This workshop is a reminder that one does not have to struggle alone through their
addiction or help those with an addiction. God hears the cries of His children and will heal their brokenness.
Returning to Groundhog Day, Phil had asked his friend Ralph, “What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?”
“That about sums it up for me,” was Ralph’s reply.
With God’s help and the willingness to change, any addiction can be kicked and life can turn around for the better.
Just do not let Ralph’s reply be the narrative for your life.
