Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Connected with sin allowed in our lives is also the matter of alcohol and other substance abuse. We have mentioned it already in connection with physical causes of mental illness, for alcohol and other drugs do have a physical effect on the brain. There are chemical substances (drugs) that, taken properly and under medical supervision, affect the brain in a beneficial way. Others (such as cocaine or heroin) give a temporary pleasurable experience but are accompanied by serious detrimental effects. The ingestion of such substances is almost always done with the full knowledge that there will be both pleasurable and painful consequences. As with other causes of mental disturbances, we recognize that there are those who, because of their mental and physical makeup, find it much easier to become addicted to drugs, especially alcohol. Once he has started to abuse the substance involved, the individual may become addicted, perhaps both physically and psychologically, and find it difficult to stop the habit. Symptoms of mental illness are often produced both in the immediate time frame and in the long term. We have all seen the sad behavior of one inebriated by excess alcohol, but chronic alcohol abuse may result in mental illness due to permanent brain damage (Korsakoff’s psychosis). Scripture warns us about all this, and Solomon tells us in the Proverbs:
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrows? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine. ...
“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
“At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Other Addictions
It is beyond the scope of this book to speak in detail about every addiction, but a few comments are in order before we go on. First of all, we must remember that addictions may include many things in our lives. Paul says to the Corinthians, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:1212All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12)). Scripture specifically mentions such things as sexual immorality, the abuse of alcohol, and overeating, but we can be brought under the power of many other things — sports, physical exercise, gambling, caffeine — even such things as risk taking. We must recognize that the unruly desires that drive addictions are found in every human heart. The Lord Jesus said, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:3434Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (John 8:34)).
Doubtless the tendency to a particular addiction is influenced both by genetics and by various influences in our upbringing, but then our will enters the picture, for we like to sin. Then, when we have indulged in a particular behavior repeatedly, we become enslaved by it so that it controls us. Thus we have purposeful acts of sin combined with the controlling nature of addictions. In fact, all sin acts like this, but addictions make it more apparent.
If we deny the slavery of addictions, we must assume that the individual has power to change himself. This is not true, for man’s will is powerless against sin without the power of the grace of God. On the other hand, if we deny the willful sin involved in addictions, then we allow ourselves to put the blame outside of ourselves, much as did the politician quoted earlier, who excused his drug dealing on the premise that his brain was messed up. The reality is that a tendency in our hearts — “the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:11Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)) — finds its expression in sinful choices and ends up as controlling behavior that resembles a disease. “When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:1515Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:15)).
We will now consider the third aspect of sin and its consequences, that of circumstances and sin acting on us from without.
Circumstances and Sin Acting on Us
We have already noticed that circumstances and their influence on our mental state are mentioned more than once in the Word of God. The Lord foretold that, as a result of disobedience, Israel would suffer greatly at His hand. One of the sufferings they would experience is mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:3434So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. (Deuteronomy 28:34), namely, “Thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.” The word here has the thought of raving through insanity, in this case the result of seeing the awful judgments God would bring upon His people. Likewise, we are told in Ecclesiastes 7:77Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:7) that “oppression maketh a wise man mad.” Many individuals can manage to cope reasonably well in life if things go smoothly and peacefully. Yet if troubles and difficulties come in, often they are tipped over the brink into abnormal thought patterns and behavior. Such things as chronic physical pain, bereavement, the loss of one’s job, family crises, and other stressful circumstances can all affect our mental state. To this list we would also have to add less common causes like war, torture, and the continuous lack of proper sleep. (In mentioning a lack of sleep, we are referring to sleep deprivation as a result of stressful circumstances.) All of these are the effects of sin from without, sin that has distorted the whole pattern of life in this world.
If one suffers severe, chronic physical pain for more than a month, he will, humanly speaking, begin to be depressed. The loss of one’s source of income or, more seriously, the death of a loved one can also precipitate a bout of depression. Those with more serious mental disorders like schizophrenia can sometimes manage to lead relatively normal lives if most of the stress is removed, but they find that their illness is greatly aggravated by difficult circumstances. Individuals subjected to the horrors of war and/or torture frequently suffer such things as shell-shock and even long-term personality changes. All this is sometimes referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder. The less resilient one is and the more fragile one’s emotional makeup, the less it takes in the way of adverse circumstances to cause obvious abnormal thinking or behavior.
All of this has increased greatly in our modern world. At the time of writing this book, entities like depression and serious anxiety have increased dramatically in Canada during the past twenty years. Disorders with a psychological component, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, have seen an even greater increase. Often stress in one’s life leads to disturbed sleep and ultimately chronic sleep deprivation. This results in chronic fatigue, increased anxiety, physical pain, and finally depression. The whole syndrome becomes a vicious circle as the depression and anxiety lead to further stress. As well, we must realize that stress may be due to our own will, where our pride pushes us to have our own way. The frustration that occurs when our will is thwarted can produce stress and ultimately all of the problems we have just mentioned. Another has wisely remarked that “circumstances would not trouble if they did not find something in us contrary to God; they would rustle by as the wind.” Here again we are in an area where different causes of mental illness overlap one another, making the subject very complex.