By Laura BennettThursday 8 Sep 2022UNDISTRACTEDLifestyleReading Time: 2 minutes
Addiction is something that comes in many forms, whether it’s an insatiable need to shop, gamble, drink or binge Netflix we can find ourselves in cycles of behaviour that don’t serve us well and that can leave us riddled with shame when we see their destructive impact on our lives.
Irene Rollins was 10 years old when she first tried alcohol.
Sipping some of her father’s supply, Irene’s initial drink sparked an addictive trait that saw her overconsume alcohol throughout her youth and into adulthood as a wife, mum – and pastor.
In her new book Reframe Your Shame, Irene speaks about how she found freedom from addiction, and why as someone leading a church the challenge of her situation was amplified.
“I wasn’t aware of the addiction spectrum because no one talked about it [in church],” Irene told Hope 103.2’s UNDISTRACTED podcast.
“I didn’t know what the warning signs were. I didn’t know what an alcoholic looked like.”
“I didn’t know what the warning signs were. I didn’t know what an alcoholic looked like,” – Irene Rollins, author and pastor
Detailing practical steps forward to both deal with addiction and the shame it can result in, Irene wanted “to bring awareness to people about things that are dysfunctional – that they may not have looked at as dysfunctional because that’s all you know”.
One of the first things we need to be able to do to move past addiction, Irene believes, is to address the underlying emotions leading us to it.
“[That involves] getting comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she said.
“We need to normalise being uncomfortable.
“Things are painful – we do hard things in life. I thought touching the pain of my past was going to kill me but God created all of these emotions: pain, fear, joy, love, and they’re supposed to be a signal for us to do something.”
“I thought touching the pain of my past was going to kill me but God created all of these emotions… to be a signal for us to do something,” – Irene Rollins, author and pastor
On the full episode of UNDISTRACTED, Irene talks about how to overcoming our fear of feelings, the best way to help addicts and what the church can do to support people dealing with addiction.
Listen to the full episode if UNDISTRACTED with guest Irene Rollins in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.