NEWS PROVIDED BY
The Center • A Place of HOPE
June 24, 2021 
 
EDMONDS, Wash., June 24, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Addiction - in its many forms - has been widely considered a problem in the United States for decades. Throughout the years, it has been affecting families and communities by compromising health, lives, and relationships. According to CDC, it is a medical condition that needs an intervention that helps lead to recovery.

Earlier this month, Dr. Gregory Jantz appeared on FOCUS ON THE FAMILY BROADCAST where he discussed the different forms of addiction and how to identify if you or a family member is struggling with it. Aside from that, he also talked about ways in which we help ourselves or our family members, and other people find true freedom from it.

He is a nationally renowned psychologist and Christian who built The Center A Place of HOPE to provide a safe place of treatment that aims to help restore people's healthy lives. He also authored books addressing mental health issues like The Anxiety Reset and Healing the Scars of Addiction.

CDC found out that right now, about 40 percent of Americans admitted to having struggled with addiction. Dr. Gregory said that it starts as a subtle thing that's sneaky until it gets a stronghold.

And when asked to define it, he said that it becomes a compulsive behavior that drives you to do something despite knowing the consequences that will eventually affect all aspects of your life.

Aside from that, he spoke about several factors that affect the determination of addiction in a person. One of which is shame. According to him, addiction deceives people, making them believe that it is not a big deal. It will create lies that cause them to be afraid and feel ashamed. Because of this, these people end up keeping it to themselves and resorting to not seeking help.

Besides shame, he also mentioned how anger and frustration towards a person can make him or her want to keep the addiction a secret. Instead of showing love and support, giving such reactions can push one's addiction further to secrecy.

Moreover, Dr. Gregory explained some causes of addiction as written in his book. He said that bitterness and a lack of forgiveness can make people turn to substance misuse, digital, sexual, and relationship addictions.

To further understand this, he said that what differentiates addiction from coping mechanisms is that it causes a person to choose it over more important things such as relationships and life duties.

In response to all these issues that revolve around addiction, the importance of having a supportive family and a relationship with God was also tackled during the show.

Combining his perspective as a mental health specialist and a Christian, Dr. Gregory said that addiction brings the feeling of shame and being unlovable. He said this largely affects how we see ourselves and makes us forget that God loves and values each one of us so much.

Wanting to change the situation and help people triumph over addiction, he built The Center and wrote Healing the Scars of Addiction which he believes can replace shame with the realization that they are deeply loved by God and that he has a purpose for their lives. He aims to help them reclaim their healthy lives and lead them back to their path towards a life designed by God for them.

In addition, he explained that any Christian who experiences the same struggle should take shame and guilt as their cue to finally make a turnaround. And as you move towards making that decision, just like anyone else under the chains of addiction, you must first acknowledge that there is a problem, accept the fact that you cannot do it on your own, and express your need for help.

This is where the role of family members comes in. Sometimes, a struggling person tends to be in denial. More so because he or she believes that it can be handled or because some addictions are 'being normalized' due to influence and culture. Hence, in order to help them come to self-awareness and acceptance, there is a need for intervention from people who care for them.

However, if you don't know where and how to start, Dr. Gregory suggests that you pray for wisdom and discernment because you cannot control a person and his decisions. From there, sit down with the person, speak to him in a loving way, establish the fact that you are aware of the problem then allow him to talk about what he is going through.

Going deeper into one of the biggest issues being faced by families, he also talked about how parents can help their children who are in danger of getting addicted to technology. According to him, this can be prevented or diminished by setting up rules like not allowing phones during specific times of the day and the like.

But above all the interventions you can do as a family, he said that following a prayer-driven approach is the most important thing to do. Because despite not being able to control them and their decisions, their growing relationship with Jesus Christ is what will lead them to the truest sense of recovery and healing.

To find out more information on his books and services, call The Center, A Place of HOPE at 1-888-771-5166 or check their website at https://www.aplaceofhope.com/.

SOURCE The Center • A Place of HOPE

CONTACT: Dr. Gregory Jantz, 888-771-5166, info@aplaceofhope.com