F – R – E – E – D – O – M (Post 169)

August 23, 2024

A good citizen votes regularly and intelligently at election time. The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.
- Louis D. Brandeis

OK … before anyone thinks this Post is a political message and is ready to scroll away, it’s not! Yes, voting on a regular basis and researching policies and backgrounds of candidates is wise – no argument there! The second sentence of the above is what caught my eye. During this current, heated political time, the word freedom is steadily spoken. More often than not, the term is regarded as a given, an accepted state of existence – America, the land of freedom! However, Brandeis notes caution: there is a menace, a danger that could render freedom a relic of the past. Engendered by apathy, unawareness, and/or other priorities, freedom can basically be taken for granted.

Author and radio newscaster in the 1940’s, Elmer Davis went on a crusade during the early ‘50’s countering the nationwide fear and finger-pointing of “communists”. Known as McCarthyism, this era of suspicion actually had roots beginning soon after World War II’s ending - distinctly before Joseph McCarthy’s involvement. Davis’ thrust cautioned against the false accusations and resulting fears running rampant. People lost their jobs or were, otherwise, ostracized. Negativity ruled. Expressing one’s opinions was carefully guarded … political involvement, equally so.

In 1952, Davis wrote But We Were Born Free, a response to the grip of fear hovering over the country. He speaks of the “freedom of the mind” which has brought me to write Post’s 169 emphasis on freedom. Elmer Davis writes:

But we can all do something to resist this general drive against the freedom of the mind. The first thing to remember is, Don’t let them scare you. … - always remembering to keep an eye on them, always remembering that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

So let us connect the dots next: freedom, mind, addiction, recovery

To be sure, the state of addiction does not entail freedom. Rather, addiction binds the person to dependency … to the substance and/or action, thus encapsulating the individual into a realm of subordination. Eventually, his/her mind thus tethered becomes imprisoned; and the freedom to change seems irrelevant, at first, and then impossible. Fear most likely develops when thoughts of breaking from addiction occur.

Still, the stronghold of addiction can be broken. Simply stated: recovery is possible. Indeed, however, freedom from dependency is not simple. Following the 12 Steps to Recovery, doing recovery work with a therapist, keeping on tract with recovery progress, being accountable to a trusted person, steady prayer, joining a support group: all tried and true, reliable ways to attain freedom of the mind from addiction. Summed up, it’s worth it!

The following is another way to “PICTURE” FREEDOM!

F to find people to help; to find informative literature about addiction; to find support group(s)

R to raise self-awareness

E to evaluate where you are physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually

E to emphasize the positive

D to dig deeper

O to object when intrusive thoughts or addictive happenings threaten to occur

M to move toward recovery and keep in motion!

For more readings on “freedom” in regards to attaining recovery, check out these past GRM BLOG Posts.

POSTS # 17, 29, 159, 85 and 88, 119 and 134.

Blessings,

Rev. Janet Jacobs, CCGSO