Time to Speak Out

Breaking the Silence Surrounding Addictions

Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels

Most crises encourage support.

Take accidents — whether it’s auto, train or airplane — there’s a rush of concern and plenty of understanding for various kinds of absences. Or in the case of a medical emergency, communities and churches rally around the family with an outpouring of offers to help.

Awkwardness of Diseases of Addiction

But when the crisis is the result of an addiction, it’s often met with an uncomfortable silence or the conversation is redirected into safer topics, after a moment of awkwardness.

“It’s a family disease,” we think. Or we assume they must have contributed to the situation somehow, maybe at the very least as codependents.

Wall of Silence Surrounding Sex Addiction

The absence of support is even worse when it’s due to sexual addiction.

It doesn’t help that there’s still a widely held belief that the condition doesn’t exist. It’s a made-up syndrome created by a few uptight mental health clinicians who just want to spoil the fun of others.