Episode 1110: Broken Belief SystemsEpisode 1110: Broken Belief Systems
Take 12 Recovery Radio
BROKEN BELIEF SYSTEMS. In this episode of the Came to Believe Recovery Podcast, Tom and Monty exp...
1:02:20•1 Jul 2026
Broken Belief Systems: Why Your Thinking Matters in Recovery
Episode Overview
- Belief systems, even unspoken ones, strongly influence addictive behaviour and recovery.
- Many people carry religious or personal beliefs from childhood that later clash with scripture and experience.
- AA literature may not use the exact word “disease”, but long-held views in AA describe alcoholism as a progressive illness.
- Willingness to question assumptions and test them against God’s word is key to deeper freedom beyond mere abstinence.
- Ongoing renewal of the mind, rather than rigid black-and-white thinking, helps people grow emotionally and spiritually in sobriety.
“"If you're not generally happy, joyous, and free, maybe it's time to sit down and take a look at your belief system."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of *Take 12 Recovery Radio’s* Came to Believe Recovery Podcast digs into a surprisingly slippery subject: broken belief systems, and how they can quietly run the show in addiction and recovery. Host Monty “the Monty’man” Meyer and co-host Tom Williams mix humour, honesty, and Bible-based reflection as they chat about why what you believe shapes how you live.
Tom shares how he once believed his sins could *only* be forgiven through a priest, and how that shifted when he compared it with scripture. Monty opens up about growing up adopted and holding the deep-seated belief that “nobody wants me,” and how that old inner script fed his drinking from junior high onward. The pair tackle hot-button issues too.
They read out questions from listeners about whether AA calls alcoholism a disease, why hospitals sometimes give alcohol to severely dependent patients, and whether certain Bible verses suggest changing the order of the 12 Steps. Rather than speaking as theologians, they keep stressing that they’re sharing experience, not issuing dogma. A big thread throughout is the difference between opinion and truth.
They question modern ideas like “your truth” versus *the* truth, point to Romans and other passages about renewing the mind, and ask whether some people stop at simple abstinence and never move into emotional or spiritual growth. Monty also takes aim at Christian groups who casually hand out alcohol, asking what belief system sits behind that choice.
Underpinning it all is the idea that recovery means more than just “putting the plug in the jug.” As Monty sums up, lasting change comes from examining assumptions, testing them against God’s word, and being willing to let go of beliefs that keep you stuck. If your life isn’t “happy, joyous, and free,” what beliefs might be holding you back?
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