Many talk of how they stopped using drugs with aid of religion & love. Is trading one addiction to another ok?

I've never known love or religion to be as addicting as drugs.

We are all, creatures of habit.

We all have our vices... they just take different forms.

that is awesome! good point!

I don't think loving someone (God) is an addiction. Religion can be an addiction but for the people I know who have stopped using drugs it was a RELATIONSHIP (with God AND people) who got them through...never heard of literally "loving someone to death".

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

is this really a question ?

Addiction is not the problem it is the substance that can be troubling.

Only if the new addiction is something worse, or even more addictive.

I stopped with will power.

Sara, it is not just trading one addiction for another, although some folks do do that. When I met Jesus Christ, the relationship began to heal things inside of me and it became healing not just a new addiction. I actually developed my addiction to pain killers as a believer and Jesus was the one who helped me beat that addiction (since May 7, 2003).

Ultimately all addiction keeps us from being free and having an authentic life. "Religion" can be a drug. Knowing Jesus is not the same to me as a religion. To me religion is about a set of rules and do's and don'ts. Knowing Jesus is a friendship and loving family - total difference from religion.

Yes it is as long as you are not obsessive and it and it is positive. Because too much of a good thing is bad too. You have to learn to keep a balance.

No. I don't think it is ok to transfer one addiction to another because in the process of doing so, people are avoiding the root causes of what drove them to addicitive behavior to begin with.

Addiction of any kind is unhealthy, so it's important to understand what's driving the behavior in order to move beyond addiction and truly become a healthy person.

I tend to feel trading one addiction for another boils down to a person not wanting to face themselves and do the work required to overcome the issues they are facing.

It's easier for people to pick up another addiction and convince themselves they've healed themselves, when nothing could be farther from the truth.

There's nothing wrong with trading a dangerous addiction for a harmless one.

I'm a recovering addict. It was the Grace of God and the continued involvement in the organization of Alcoholics Anonymous that has kept me sober for the last 18 years and I don't believe I've traded one for the other at all. I have to have a balance in my life to stay on track.

Also, just because you find something to help you get through a difficult time in life doesn't mean you're addicted to it. When you're sick and the doctor cures you does that mean you're addicted to that doctor??

There is no comparison between an addiction to physically brain and body destroying, death-speeding drugs and a set of spirituality beliefs. Many people behave better and contribute more to society because of them. Recently some communist countries are beginning to realize that Christians are their among best citizens

Depends what the new addiction is.

People who are breaking an addiction are most successful when they have something to replace the habit that is being 'lost', because otherwise the process is mostly negative since they are left with a gaping void. However, I think that it's important to find out what a religion is all about before getting too deeply involved in it, to avoid further psychological trouble. It's a deeply personal decision. Professional help is also really useful. Chemical dependence aside (though it's clearly very powerful), addiction is often about avoiding some sort of painful reality, and learning to face reality head-on can be really life-changing.

love is not a addition it is a way of life...are we addicted to our children or do we love them... but if i were to be addicted to anything i guess i would prefer it to be love....besides drugs are usually a sympton of something else wrong..most time its used as a buffer..escape...it could be called a lot of things...how are you doing...

of course not, but i guess they do less damage to themselves using the opiate of the masses

Religion and love are two entirely different subjects and no it doesn't provide a long term cure as more religious people with a emphasis on Christianity are using anti-depressants than not . Religious programs for drug and alcohol abuse have constant problems with people falling off the wagon ask any AA club . Religious people are pushed into belief at a early age and many times it will conflict with their better nature . Church leaders promote hatred and violence against others who either do not believe the way they do or have a different sexual orientation .these link are to reputable and unbiased clinical studies .

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&...

http://www.uic.edu/classes/psych/Health/...

That is great .just like answere Anissia . God can answer all prayers.