To whom it may concern: and those it doesn’t, it probably should.
My father is a highly-respected rov, my brothers well-versed talmidei chachamim, my brothers-in-law the same. I am a recovering addict.
It’s not within the scope of this writing to properly discuss the roots and causes of addiction, there are however a few things I want to share from my perspective which contains a fair degree of knowledge of the Torah community and addiction.
Firstly, being frum in and of itself is probably neutral with regard to susceptibility to addiction. The insular nature of our communities is certainly better than its counterpart found in secular society.
True yiras shamayim and kirvas elokim are nearly by definition the single best preventive measure to the sorrow of addiction, unfortunately they are not actually taught in our yeshivos.
A vulnerability that frum children have is the awareness of HKBH and the right things to do and the right way to live and when the wheel jumps the track a bit the yiddishe neshama screams like no other. The spiritual need for a closeness with HKBH, when not nourished, becomes an unremitting call for anything to make the pain stop. That call is called addiction.
There is hope.
There is more than that. Nobody wants to be addicted, nobody likes being addicted. The addict, when reached, can choose to live free of the addiction.
It is simple but not easy. It requires commitment. But when committed the addict WILL recover. The 12-step programs of AA and NA involve incorporating the middos found in all the mussar seforim primarily rigorous honesty and drishas elokim. Make no mistake, the mechanics of the proram and the steps involve HKBH bechvodo ube’atzmo. I can prove it but this will then turn into a small book.
The 12th step reads “Having had a spiritual awakening as THE result of these steps….” that spiritual awakening is where the addict is recovered. Not A result but THE result. There is a saying in AA, “There’s no magic in the program, only miracles”. I have personally experienced some of these miracles berov chasdo aloi. Anyone can.
May it be His will that all his children return and suffer no more.
(TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to newstips@thelakewoodscoop.com)
Very well said. I am a sober alcoholic/addict. I seem to notice that there is a stigma in regards to aa or na. As the reader wrote, this goes along with all the principles of judaism. That being said, there is a solution, we just have to be open to it and not be stigmatized. IT WORKS, IT REALLY DOES.
To those who are out there suffering, i hop you come to find the solution, i pray this disease has mercy on your soul.
R’ A. Schorr spoke to Rabayim this week in NY and said something like this – that the only way to fight through the influence that is out there today is with instilling in the children Yiras Shomayim.
Wishing you all the best. And by “coming out,” you don’t know how many people you have helped. Congrats!
I am very familiar with the “disease” of addiction although i would rather use the word “clutches” of addiction. i am a recovering addict for many years now BH, I am 40 years of age and would love to help anyone who just needs an ear or someone that needs to speak to someone that truly understands the pain of this epidemic. Most of all I will help anyone that is willing to not “JUST STOP” but to put in just a small effort of pro-active work to change your life and I promise regardless of what any group will tell you. you do not have to live like this anymore, not only that! but contrary to what you are always hearing in AA and NA ,YOU AND ONLY YOU as a jewish individual truly have the power to stop. Believe it or not us as jewish sons and daughters of hashem and being the ultimate light to all other nations it should be known that for us as jews it is much easier to stop using drugs and alcohol or being in active addiction than the rest of the world.so for starters lets be certain that drugs are not the bottom line problem but only symptoms of what is really going on. The first step is thru the torah and knowledge of who we are as a people or a special tiny nation and to know what our purpose in life is as the jewish nation as a whole and an individual jew living in our times. I will be glad to show and explain all that I know to help my fellow brother and friend. Please feel free to call me at 1-786-277-3047 at anytime I am here to help. I am sure that together we can change your life.
Wow Yossi ! Truly heartwarming and I inspiring! You surely will use your story to help so many of our lost young ones….. You are the bravest of the brave!
How ridiculous to believe that your religion exempts you from addiction! It is an epidemic, young, old, rich, poor, black, white Jew or nonJew. It is no shame to admitting a weakness. It’s a shame to hide it. In Gods’ eyes we are all His children. The same temptations are out there for any to fall into. We don’t watch tv but we view the Internet at work. We are not as innocent as we once were. Education is the key. Not ignorance.
There is something simple – but powerful – that all of us can do to help the situation, and that is to daven. I came across a tefillah by the Chazon Ish that is recited toward the end of Shema Koleinu in Shemoneh Esrei. The tefillah asks for Hashem’s rachamim to turn the hearts of His children to love and fear Him and be successful in Torah. If you would like a copy of this tefillah, please email this site and they will give you my contact info. Perhaps someone would like to print up bookmarks/cards with this tefillah that can be placed in siddurim.
am a recovering addict. I joined the 12 step movement 15 years ago. In my journey I have been to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, upstate ny, and too many churches to list. Throughout this time I had the zechus of having hodracha and support on a daily basis from a special rov who respected and understood me. My situation is unique most people that I know of feel that they are misunderstood and don’t have the respect of the Robanim. There is so much that frum people can gain from the ruchnious of the recovering community and it would bring such Kavod for Hashem to credit recovery to his holy Torah. Today I am able to live my life as an Eved Hashem without coming on to the 12 step movement and there is a growing number of people like me. This is due to the fact that there are people who are able to find the same spiritual experience through Torah and mitzvos. Thank you for your courage in writing your letter. If there is anyone out there who would like to get in touch with me my phone number is 732 503 5984.
I’m recovering addict too. So nice to see that there aren’t any negative comments about the 12 steps. They work miracles! Many people have a hard time understanding anything that’s not the typical…