Overcoming Anxiety & DepressionSample

Addicted to Substitutes

Are we addicted to the problem? While none of us like the problems themselves, many of us are addicted to things or habits that may lead to the problem. We often get addicted to substitutes in life.

It’s easy to see a similar pattern with our kids. We regularly tell them not to spoil their dinner. The snack food often has more appeal, but lacks the nutrition needed. If they eat lots of snacks before the meal, they don’t want to eat what they actually need. As we become drained, we can feel the hunger, but we are often drawn to junk to fill it and leave out what actually helps it. When we feel drained or empty, there is a difference between unplugging and recharging. Many times we unplug but don’t recharge. We plug into junk like caffeine, alcohol, porn, food, projects, TV, video games, mind-numbing activities. Some substitutes are sinful while others aren’t bad, but may not be helpful either. They may make us feel better momentarily. It's like painting over a water stain on the ceiling from a leaking roof. It may hide the problem for a moment, but if we don’t fix the roof, it's going to reappear.

There is a difference between entertainment and recharging. Lack of sleep often fuels or aggravates anxiety, depression, and being drained. But instead of more sleep, we turn to caffeine, TV, and mindless phone scrolling. The substitutes leave us more drained and more dependent on them. It's not just about sleep. Mind-numbing screen sessions replace physical activity, and scrolling on the phone replaces relational connection. Viewing others' activities replaces doing our own pleasant activities or accomplishments. The average American spends 21 hours a week watching TV and 30.59 hours a week on their phone. While this may fill recovery time, for most of us, it doesn’t refill us.

People often use the term burnout as they feel overwhelmed and empty. They truly feel its effects, some emotionally and some physically. In reality, empty or dried out is a better description for most of us. When our output is larger than our intake, we eventually run out of gas. For some people, that can look like stress or even anxiety attacks. Are we fixing problems or patching them with substitutes? We need to look at how we recharge. We may have to stop the substitutes that have allowed us to go this far in the red. Too many people have been living off caffeine instead of sleeping, or eating easily accessible unhealthy food, which has left them feeling horrible. Sedentary habits have replaced exercise and left us feeling blah or yuck. Are we recharging or filling up on substitutes that are leaving us drained physically?