Introduction Our neighborhood looked still as the sun’s dusky glow bathed the room in gentle light. Despite the incessant shrieks of children at play, the holiness of the moment muffled all the noise from the streets. Angie, my bedridden wife with disabilities, was the only other person at home. She repeatedly peered at me, concerned to know whether everything was all right. The wall clock revealed over 36 hours had passed since I took any food or water. I was on a complete fast—an offering and a plea to God for repentance and Divine healing. My limbs felt feeble, but my mind and senses were keen. Despite the peculiar feelings, a sense of astonishment and tranquility quelled the pangs of hunger and thirst. I …show more content…
Besides the diverse prognosis of their addiction, it is a revelation evil lurks in the minds and souls of these individuals. Satan is in control. Addicts and rehabilitation professionals are continuously perplexed why addiction is chronic and difficult to vanquish. Most institutions in the world and the major part of the medical sector claim that addiction to substances is an illness. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. Drugs can change the brain; they alter its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long-lasting and can lead to many harmful, often self-destructive behaviors.10 The Dangerous Drugs Board of the Republic of the Philippines defines addiction as, “a complex, and often chronic, brain disease. It is characterized by excessive drug craving, seeking, and use. Addiction is caused by brain changes caused by constant drug use.”