Episode Details

In this episode, we examine two common ideologies often promoted in religious rehab and recovery spaces: “Once an addict, always an addict” and “J-O-Y: Jesus first, others second, yourself last.” While these ideas are frequently presented as spiritually grounded wisdom, we explore how they can become harmful when used as the foundation for addiction treatment.

We discuss how “once an addict, always an addict” may reinforce shame, hopelessness, and a fixed identity around addiction rather than recovery, and how the J-O-Y framework can encourage chronic self-neglect, poor boundaries, and the belief that personal needs are inherently less important than everyone else’s.

This episode looks at why these teachings persist, why many people find comfort in them, and how even well-intentioned beliefs can create damaging outcomes when applied uncritically in recovery settings.