ON BECOMING AN ADDICT - Carole Ritter - April 1978

Carole Ritter

The spaced-out junkie with needle marks up and down both arms and legs, the wino on skid row, the foodoholic who can't get through the day without his coffee and candy bars-all these negative images are conjured up at the mention of the word "addict." But there are habits and, yes, addictions-that we might all do well to cultivate. As Thoreau put it, most people live " lives of quiet desperation" punctuated by occasional periods of happiness, ecstasy, delight and joy. It's only rarely that you come across someone who is really "high on life"-who deeply enjoys and savors every experience, who seems to perpetually live in the present moment. Instead, most of us slog through our daily existence trying to avoid as much pain as possible, rarely rising above the routine. And for some of us, the pain - physical or emotional - is overwhelming. When it becomes extremely difficult to cope, there is a real temptation to take any easy way out. - Information Supplied By: Herbert W Armstrong Library