Co-dependency is known as the “mother of all addictions” and is a relationship illness with origins in childhood and growing up in a dysfunctional home that is usually afflicted by another addiction such as alcoholism or drug abuse. It is passed down through... Read more

Fr. Christophe refers to one addiction as “the mother of all addictions” because it is the root cause of virtually all other addictions. In his many years of counseling addicts, Fr. Christophe has found this particular illness to be the one contributing... Read more

One of the most serious and grievous of all sexual addictions is masturbation. This is an uncomfortable topic for many to discuss as it is an act that society promotes as a healthy expression of self-love which is in direct contrast to... Read more

We know that lust and sexual addiction affects the soul and body and that God intended for sexuality to be a loving part of a lawful marriage between a man and a woman for the intended purpose of engaging in communion with... Read more

For every recovering addict there is a 12-step program that can help set them on the path to healing and transforming their lives. While all 12 steps are vital to the recovery process, there are three steps in particular that set the... Read more

There are two ways of looking at treatment for alcoholics and other addicts. The first way is based on medicine and psychology which look at addiction as a brain disease which have a genetic or neuro-chemical cause. Prescription medication and counseling are... Read more

Fr. Christophe LePoutre is the director of the Fellowship of the Inexhaustible Cup, an organization committed to honoring Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos, by acquiring and maintaining quality sobriety and purity as a way of life. Fr. Christophe introduces us to... Read more

The 12-step program is an invaluable resource to help begin the healing process, but it’s not enough as it largely addresses the addiction from the outside. To truly overcome and heal from an addiction, the inside needs far more attention as it... Read more

When it comes to healing the addict, the Orthodox Church provides the most comprehensive and complete approach available to mankind. Unlike the Western approach to healing which largely places the addict in the hands of a doctor or therapist who may rely... Read more

When a person suffers from addiction, we know the first step to recovery is to admit that there is a problem. Once the addict can acknowledge that he suffers from an addiction and needs help, he is usually pointed in the direction... Read more

When we think of how to overcome addiction, we generally think of the process of “going through the motions”, meaning finding a support group, talking to a therapist, doing research, etc. While all of these steps are important to overcoming addiction,... Read more

We will discuss an addiction that is rising at alarming rates not only among adults, but even more seriously, among children. The fact that this particular addiction is affecting our youngest and most vulnerable citizens makes this addiction a greater epidemic, perhaps,... Read more

There is an addiction that plagues many thousands, if not millions, of Americans: addiction to Internet pornography. This addiction in particular, while receiving more attention in recent years, remains hidden in the shadows far more than any of the other addictions. This needs... Read more

While we tend to acknowledge that addiction to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and gambling are prevalent in our society, there are other forms of addiction that have come to permeate our lives in ways that many of us do not see, let alone... Read more

When we think of addictions we usually think of the most obvious: alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, gambling. While these are examples of some of the most prevalent addictions in society, there is a newer crop of addictions that have become more prominent over... Read more

Father Stephen shares with us his review of an excellent book called Orthodox Spirituality by a great Roman theologian by the name of Dimitru Staniloae. Defined as the practical guide for the faithful and a definitive manual for the scholar, this book... Read more

This question was posed by someone wanting to know if there isn’t an element of deception involved on the part of the addict who attempts to live a Christian life while secretly engaging in some form of addictive behavior. In response to... Read more

Instant gratification. In America, this is a problem that permeates virtually every aspect of our lives. From fast food to fast cars and fast downloads from the Internet, we want what we want when we want it. Patience has fallen... Read more

Orthodox Christians have a Tradition of praying for the dead that goes back centuries. Some may ask why pray for the dead? And as with most questions about Orthodoxy the reasons why has infinite layers of explanation the depth of... Read more

For many Orthodox Christians suffering from addiction, entering into a 12-step program can create feelings of conflict between wanting to heal from the addiction without going against the teachings of the Church. An Orthodox priest, in recovery himself, shares with... Read more

Healing from addiction in an Orthodox context has many elements in common with more non-denominational recovery programs such as AA and NA and some which are much more firmly tied in with our Orthodox theology of healing for all afflictions.... Read more

Dr. Karidoyanes teaches a course at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology called ‘Spirituality and Addiction’, a course that strives to look at addiction and essential aspects of the addictive process through an Orthodox Christian theological and spiritual... Read more

An important tenant of Orthodoxy is the idea of the “appetitive function”. This is the concept that God, (quite intentionally) gives each of his human creations an appetite. Not just an appetite for food and drink, sex and security but... Read more

Wherever there is an addicted individual, there is always someone or more than one person participating in the very affliction or addiction that that family member has. We will see this predominantly when we take a look at marriage. Al-Anon... Read more

The word “appetite” can be defined as hunger and thirst for God. When we were created, we were created with a capacity for hunger and thirst, or a longing for and desire for a relationship with God. As sin enters our life this... Read more

There is a group called the Fellowship of the Inexhaustible Cup, which is “a non-profit organization of men and women who seek to maintain and develop sobriety and chastity and are committed to a daily prayer rule of about six... Read more

Kontakion I A wonderful and marvelous healing has been given to us by your Holy Icon, O Sovereign Lady Theotokos. By its appearance we have been delivered from spiritual and physical ills, and from sorrowful circumstances. So we bring you... Read more