As we have just seen, some problems are complicated by medical factors, which if undetected can result in great frustration and unnecessary guilt. It is just as true that many physical and emotional problems are rooted in unseen and often undetected spiritual issues. Eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, depression, chronic anxiety, sexual abuse, and multiple personality disorders are so painful in and of themselves, that they persistently mask the deeper issues that fuel them. Alcohol addiction is painful, but not nearly as painful as the memories or fears that an alcoholic is trying to numb.
Addictions are difficult to break because they seem to ease the pain.
The same is true of food and sexual addictions. The immediate pleasure and satisfaction temporarily dulls deep feelings of disappointment, rejection, and anxiety. The cycle goes on and on, and we sink deeper and deeper. The more we indulge our desires, the more satisfaction they demand. But there is an even deeper reason that such problems are resistant to change.