Victor Torres understands drug habit. By the time he was an adolescent, he was hooked on heroin as a gang member on the streets of New York City.
He’s not alone. Self-medication is widespread in our tradition. Whether it’s compulsive procuring, playing, an unhealthy need for sweets, intercourse, or medicine and alcohol, the quantity of people that search a synthetic escape from actuality is staggering.
Millions of individuals within the United States are identified with Substance Use Disorder annually. Only 10% obtain therapy. Since 1999, almost a million folks have died from a drug overdose. Behind these numbers are people and households who’ve been ensnared by medicine.
Like Victor. By age 12, he was getting in hassle with the regulation and by age 14, he was concerned with gangs and medicines, which result in a seven-year habit to heroin. He was on monitor to develop into one other unhappy statistic when a pastor started a church within the neighborhood, and Victor’s mother started to attend. Eventually, she related Victor with David Wilkerson (The Cross and the Switchblade/Teen Challenge), who led Victor to Christ at about the identical time as Nicky Cruz.
Victor quickly went on to Bible school the place he met his wife-to-be, Carmen. Together, they based New Life Outreach Church in Richmond, Virginia – which has 22 church buildings worldwide, together with Brazil, Dominican Republic, Peru, and Africa – and New Life for Adults and Youth, a residential therapy program that helps males and women overcome drug-related issues.
You can hear Victor’s story on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Helping Your Loved One Find Freedom from Addiction.” He says habit goes past the bodily ensnarement. It’s a struggle for our soul as nicely.
He additionally believes that there’s hope for each addict “no matter how dark, dire, or impossible the situation may seem at the moment.”
Discover the primary steps towards hope and therapeutic in your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, through Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app. Victor shares the crimson flags of habit and the “dos and don’ts” of dealing with the issue.
The thought of somebody near you abusing medicine or alcohol could be scary, however there may be hope. We are right here assist you and your loved ones thrive within the title of Christ, and to give you the assist you want. We have a group of caring Christian counselors who can hearken to you, pray with you, and offer you some steerage on subsequent steps. You may give us a name to arrange an preliminary session at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
Victor Torres’ e book Reaching Your Addicted Loved One: Help and Hope for Those Battling Substance Abuse is offered for a present of any quantity. For extra info, click on here.
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