Addicts of Antiquity

What is Addiction?

Psychology Today, describes addiction as "A condition that results when someone consumes a substance  such as alcohol, Cocaine etc or engages in an activity which may be pleasurable but its continuation becomes compulsive and interferes with normal responsibilities of an individual such as work, relationships or even health." It further states that "People who have developed an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others"

While doing my small research about addiction, I came across a scientific word (Dopamine) which weighs in a lot when it comes to addiction. Dopamine is a chemical neurotransmitter that is in charge of the brain's pleasure and reward centers. Without Dopamine one cannot lust, love, be motivated, pay attention, learn or be addicted. For the purpose of this article my attention of Dopamine will be centered on addiction.

How Does One Become Addicted?

As a recovering alcoholic and a nicotine addict, the raging question that has been on my mind is how these drugs came to have a hold on me and why I could not easily let go of them. There were times when I could not think properly, or so my mind conditioned me to think, if I was not under the influence of alcohol or tobacco or both. These questions drove me to study more on this areas and how to come out of addiction. I am free from alcohol and Tobacco now and this victory came through first acknowledging that I had a problem, then I started seeking for solution.

A research done recently and published on the January 2007 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter indicates that addiction is a matter of memories and recovery is a slow process through which the influence of those memories is diminished.

Simply put, this is what goes, when someone engages in a "pleasurable" or "exciting" activity or takes a drug, Dopamine is released which tells the brain to record that the event is very "important" and should be repeated again hence one ends up doing it again and again which leads to an addiction. For one to recover from an addiction, you have to replace the "important" images created earlier by first diminishing their influence and then replacing with a new excitement that is not harmful to one's health.

Were there Addicts in Antiquity?

From the Bible, it is clear that we are all meant be "addicted" to something bigger than drugs, sex, or any pleasure, we are meant to be addicted to eternity, we are meant to be "addicted" to God: (Ecclesiastes 3:11 New King James Version (NKJV) He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.) St. Augustine of Hippo after studying this verse gave a clear summary that sums it up well, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you" God created us with a deep longing for Him that can only be satisfied if we let Him fill that gap. 

King Solomon who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes is our study character today. Solomon began ruling with quite an enthusiasm, we see him depending on God to provide for wisdom and amazingly God provided. King Solomon is hitherto known to be one of the wisest people to have ever lived. His wisdom is said to have surpassed that of everyone in the east and that sages and rulers came to witness and hear his wisdom. Yet with all these achievements, we find that Solomon's heart was not after God, he simply made major decisions that had heavy implications contrary to God's commandments: (1Kings 11:1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.")

Solomon is know to have married a record breaking 700 wives plus 300 concubines, what was he looking for in all these women that he couldn't have gotten from one woman? I might be wrong but I believe that Solomon was addicted to sensuality more so he was addicted to to sex and as a result he could not keep off women.

A question arises as to why Solomon preferred foreign women to his native women who had better morals and who perhaps served the same God as he did, the answer to this might be that his first sexual encounter was with a foreign woman and that might have imprinted a picture that dominated his choice for women. Remember that some of these neighboring nations practiced temple prostitution and sex must have been their greatest play in captivating men.

Solomon's sexual bondage turned his heart away from God and these women introduced idol worship in Israel. Solomon being blinded by his addiction couldn't differentiate right from wrong and all we can do is hope that as he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes later on in his latter years that he made amends with God.

We live in a world that is full of allurements  and enticements, the enemy knows that we all have a capability to be addicted to something and that is why there are many offers to get each one of us hooked, the enemy is after your mind, that is where your captivity takes place first. If you are not hooked on God, you will be hooked up on something else, there is no middle ground in this life.

For those who have been hooked with any addiction that is driving you away from God and making you lose important relationships or even harm your health, I truly believe from my personal experience that God is able to give you these "pleasurable" or "exciting" moments which your mind will record as "important " afresh which you will always desire to have again and again. This will become your addiction to God. How wonderful can it to be addicted to God rather than any other harmful allurements?