What Then ?

Hitting Bottom

At the end of the progression is desperation so intense that it forces change. Mental and emotional breakdowns are common among religious addicts when the magic wears off. Some attempt to take their lives. Some take the lives of others and then their own. They do desperate things because their minds can't handle the incongruity between their beliefs and what they know to be real. They feel betrayed by God and the world, and they don't care who they hurt as long as they don't have to suffer further humiliation. Many see the only way to guarantee this is to die or be forced to be admitted to an institution, such as a mental hospital or a prison.

In the end, the presence of a false god denies the addicts what they desperately need, a loving relationship with a loving God. Unfortunately when they finally put down their work, performances, rituals, and need for perfection, there is often no motivation to seek the true God who could heal their broken hearts.