Why Do People, Even Christians, Relapse After Years of Sobriety?
“His life spiraled out of control and he ended up worse than he was before he was saved. This failure completely disillusioned a daughter who saw her hero turn into a completely different person.” - P&D
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The notion that a person falls off the wagon by thinking to himself "just one drink won't hurt me" is super common in our circles, but there is another hypothesis that ought to be considered, especially given that the truth is often the first casualty of addiction--and hence alcoholics will often tend to downplay their role and try to see themselves as innocent victims rather than as active participants.
The other hypothesis is that the father had some setbacks in life, and chose to self-medicate and paid the price for it. The daughter may not be aware of this, and it might never be able to come out, but I don't believe this can be discarded.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I appreciate a lot about Lutzer’s book and have read it a few times. A tradeoff you always have with a short, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand book is that you oversimplify some things.
But a lot of people have dedicated their entire lives to helping others beat addictions, and some have spent most of their careers studying why people relapse. It’s pretty complex. There are patterns, I’m sure, and the one linked here is one of them, no doubt.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Good article by Erwin Lutzer.
An alcoholic personally told me of how he was sure he had conquered alcohol and it was now safe to drink a beer at a restaurant with his wife. Six or seven beers later he found out it was not true. He stopped drinking completely and later became an outstanding pastor. His story is told in “Ancient Wine and the Bible.”
Jack London thought so as well; see “John Barleycorn.”
The safest, wisest position by far is to not drink alcohol at all. “Be Sober” -1 Peter 5:8 NKJV.
And, of course, the best way to prevent a relapse is to not begin drinking in the first place. That goes for other dangerous, recreational drugs as well. But if we do, we have an Advocate with the Father, 1 John 2:1-2.
David R. Brumbelow
I very rarely drink and ...
- Always with a meal (like a beer with a hamburger, pizza or steak)
- Maybe about twice a month
This is moderation upon moderation
The first challenge is the term "victory" We don't get victory over sins in this way. It is a misnomer people use to think they are "safe".
Discussion