So, sometimes I read too much. I get nervous if I leave the house without a book. I don't like to sit quietly by myself when I could be reading. I probably couldn't finish reading the books I own before I die, and I keep buying more while frequenting several libraries. I have a hobby of collecting book lists, and then lovingly crossing out any books from the lists I complete.
So, when I saw the book Breaking Everyday Additions: Finding Freedom from the Things That Trip Us Up, by Dr. David Hawkins, I decided to see if there was any good advice for me. It addressed both chemical addictions (alcohol and illegal drugs), social additions (gambling, pornography, binge eating), and secret addictions (over working, computer networking). So my reading addiction sorta fit under the secret type of addictions. Hawkins discusses how to know you have a problem and the importance of getting support in recovery. He writes from a Christian perspective, and leans on the power of religion to help people. Unfortunately, if I picture a life for me after recovery, it seems horrible and empty, so I think I'll stick with my addiction. I guess I haven't bottomed out yet.
It terms of the book, he tries to make the case that the mind processes bad habit addictions (pornography, over-working) with dopamine and other natural chemicals so that there is still a dependency. But I'm not completely convinced (self-servingly) that bad habits are in the same class as drugs, or that avoiding social interactions by reading is quite as destructive as losing my life savings gambling. I think it would be helpful for Christian people with a problem that was affecting their lives, but it isn't really a book addressing bad habits, which I guess is what I was looking for.
No comments:
Post a Comment