Q&A (Questions for the Author)

I don’t believe addiction is a “chronic relapsing brain disease” as it has been designated by the NIAAA. It is a dependence – a habit – that is the result of deep learning in the brain that creates well-worn synaptic connections that result from repeatedly doing something. Addictive patterns are often triggered by stress, isolation, family dysfunction, trauma, and many other issues. Addiction can be UNLEARNED by forging stronger synaptic pathways through better habits (attractive alternatives). There is a lot of financial interest involved with peddling the disease theory. Addiction is a ‘symptom’ of something underlying that needs to be addressed.

When the American Medical Association (AMA) designated addiction a disease in 1956, it paved the way for research projects and funding by big money organizations like the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Drug Abuse. We are peddled a huge lie by big pharma and the multi-billon dollar treatment industry. That lie says addiction and mental health diagnoses are diseases you cannot overcome. I know that is not true. Calling addiction a disease actually makes people feel disempowered and gives them excuse (“relapse is part of recovery”). The treatment industry has not delivered any improvement in outcomes over the past 25 years.

I believe people should pray and seek God first, seek wise people they trust, and come up with a comprehensive recovery plan. Treatment should not be a cookie-cutter approach and everyone’s strategy will look different. In general, I do not support the use of benzodiazepines or medication assisted programs such as methadone or suboxone. A short-term supervised suboxone taper may be helpful to alleviate cravings and withdraw in the acute phase of recovery, and antagonist medications that help reduce cravings for alcohol or opiates may be helpful, but the goal should be to eventually taper off. Many providers are providing long-term courses of opioid replacement medication to clients with no taper plan or hope of discontinuing the medication. Some of these drugs, like methadone, can have intense side effects, be almost as addictive and the drug they are replacing, and do not allow the individual to experience complete freedom. As far as other medication goes, an individual should seek medical advice and weigh the risks and benefits of taking any prescribed medication.

Even after accepting him at a young age, Jesus gave me freedom to explore all the things of the world and to fall on my face numerous times. He continued to pursue me and offer grace even when I was rebellious and running. When I look back on my life (hindsight is always SO illuminating, isn’t it??) I see the unbreakable thread of Jesus Christ running through it. I see near death experiences that should have claimed my life. I see undeserved grace. I see His presence in events great and small, and I see Him coming through EVERY TIME I pursued in earnest, even when I was running, sinning, and drinking excessively. EVERY SINGLE TIME I came to the end of my own efforts, He was there. Every time I was broken and at my wit’s end, He threw me a lifeline. He organized divine appointments that had no other explanation than His divine providence. And, on 6-20-13, I had a powerful experience with the Living God where I received the power of the Holy Spirit. I have never been the same since, and I have never doubted He was real since. He has been refining me, revealing His purposes, and faithfully opening doors.

I can honestly say that the morning of 8-22-03 when I prayed a sincere prayer of repentance and surrender, there has not been ONE DAY that I have been jonesing for a drink, that I’ve been tempted, had a craving, or thought a drink or a beer would be a good idea. Even when my husband and I went through a devastating blow to our marriage in 2011, I did not consider drinking. God delivered radical freedom from the physical and mental aspects of addiction on 8-22-03 and removed craving, obsession, and preoccupation with drinking (and smoking! I quit that the same day as well). I had been trying to quit for the past four years and had failed repeatedly. Once I sincerely repented and came to the end of myself, He met me with His grace.

I have been writing since I was 8 years old. My first piece was a short story called “Murder at Barkham’s Ball.” As a huge fan of Nancy Drew, I devoured the entire series and was a total bookworm who craved Judy Blume and Laura Ingalls Wilder paperbacks. My favorite day at school was the arrival of the Scholastic Book order! I could hardly wait for the school day to end so I could settle in with a novel. Losing myself in someone else’s story helped me cope with life in a dysfunctional family. Along with writing  stories and articles, I have been keeping  diaries and journals since third grade. Back in 2001 I began documenting my painful relapses and failure to quit drinking, and the long narratives eventually became the book “Blackout to Blessing.”

The Holy Bible – NKJV version

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Blubber by Judy Blume

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Stand by Steven King

1984 by George Orwell

Whiskey’s Children by Jack Erdmann

Leaving Las Vegas by John O’Brien

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Kureshi

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Just like Harriet the Spy, I always keep a journal and notebook nearby. I am always taking notes, jotting down ideas, book titles, possible stories and plots. The Holy Spirit often gives me ideas while I am out running or in the shower. Often I will get a line or a phrase that the Lord later illuminates. I was out on a run one day and saw a flattened beer can on the sidewalk, and it reminded me of how my dad used to share life wisdom while crushing beer cans. This experience became a story called “Lessons in Beer Can Crushing.”   “Writing to Resolution” helps, too – a term I borrowed from another author. Once I start writing, I keep at it until I get in the flow. I have a bit of trouble getting to the end – because I always want to improve, prune, add, subtract, and fine-tune the pieces I write.

I have a problem with waiting on God’s timing – and in my zeal to get published wrote a very amateurish version of my story back in 2006 and was able to find a small local outfit to publish it. The press went out of business soon after. Nine years passed, and I attempted to self-publish, but lacked the necessary support and grit needed for promotion. When that endeavor failed, I stepped back and continued working on my story, improving and refining it. In 2021, while out on a run, I had an inspired thought to write an article to set people straight about my boss called “The Real Mike Lindell.” Mike shared it on social media which led to be being approached by Steve Bannon to be a regular contributor on his War Room podcast. I have since written articles for his newsroom and Charisma magazine. I have a second book – a devotional called “Radical Freedom,” set to release this fall by BroadStreet Publishing.

I start my day with prayer, the Bible, and seeking God for direction. I pray in the Spirit and ask for guidance, then jot down ideas and plans for the day. I host a TV show 5 days weekly called The Hope Report. God brings many people and divine appointments through it. I also work on the website for the Lindell Recovery Network and making it a great free resource for people struggling with addiction. Besides that, I LOVE to sing! I drive my household crazy with my constant singing. I attend church every week and volunteer when I can. I love studying Christian apologetics and learning better strategies for defending my faith. My husband and I enjoy watching our girls play sports, as well as camping, taking trips as a family, and focusing on infusing Jesus into everything we do. We truly believe in discipling our children to the Lord and helping them approach the world from a Biblical worldview. I have been running for 20 years and faithfully exercise 5-6 days a week, which helps my mental health, mood, stress levels, and longevity. My husband Mike and I  run races together, talk about Jesus, and marvel about everything he has brought us through in our almost 21 years together.