When we think of addiction, we often think of an alcoholic lying in his own filth on a run down street in a dangerous part of town. 

That image is outdated. 

Today’s addict is someone who looks much like you and I. He or she works, goes to school, raises children, may run a company or government, and in every way appears to be an upstanding, functioning individual. 

That’s because the tyranny of addiction has become invisible. 

Invisible to all but the addict and those closest to him or her. Invisible to us until the truth is revealed for all to see, in all it’s gruesomeness and shame.

For the addict, addiction is pure torture; it’s the destroyer of lives, of happiness, of health, of families, and ultimately of society. That’s because addiction offers numbness in exchange for achievement, love, hope, and meaning. No one willingly chooses such a tyrannical master; it’s the addiction’s skin deep allure that snares so many in lives of degradation. 

Here are some of the most common forms of addiction: 

Food

Drugs, both prescription and illicit

Alcohol

Shopping

Internet

Pornography

Gaming

The good news is that no one needs to be trapped by any of these (or other) addictions. Hope and recovery are stronger than any slave master. 

You can go free. 

Even better, you can have a wonderful life.