“Community” Is The Opposite of “Addiction”
People struggling with addiction often feel shame, guilt, unworthy, unloved, and disconnected from themselves and others, and consequently turn to behaviors or substances to help them manage those difficult emotions. Ironically, with continued usage, they feel even MORE shame, more guilt, less worthy, more self-loathing and consequently more disconnected from those closest to them—the very feelings they are trying to escape in the first place. And the cycle continues—use, feel temporary relief, and proceed through the cycle of insanity again. This ‘psychological-spinning’ is especially true in a hyper-religious culture like Utah that often leads to mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and “black & white” thinking.
