There are other addictions. Mine was alcoholism, and it is a major destroyer of lives, but there are others.
There is even addiction to distraction, which sounds vague and mild, but it very well may be at the core of them all.
Porn addiction is very common these days. And while people say it isn't as serious as alcoholism ("You can die from alcoholism!") I sometimes question that.
We just saw (on CBS-TV Detroit) that a 58-year old man crashed his car and died while watching porn on his phone. Police reported that he had no pants on.
When this sad man was a boy, reading adventure books and watching his heroes in movies, did he dream of dying this way? Are his relatives at his funeral going to say that "he died as he lived..."?
The police report said he was partially ejected through the sun roof when his 1996 Toyota rolled on the freeway exit ramp. He was thrown from the vehicle. Pantless.
Some people are saying that these other forms of addiction don't merit the study that alcohol and drugs do.
But I think it's all about distraction. We keep choosing distraction from this life...especially when we think that this life is missing something.
“Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes,” the Michigan State Police website says.
Yes. Driver inattention. Lifelong inattention. But where could we better be giving our attention? What's the cure for this stuff?
"Just pay attention," my sponsor L would say to me as I tried to focus on what the people in the 12-Step meetings were saying. "Just listen, and when your focus wanders to thoughts of drinking, or thoughts about your life's problems, just gently bring your attention back to the room."
L said all I would have to do is not drink today, and keep an open mind about all the rest. Pay attention to those who have recovered and how they did it.
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