Episode 1122: Socially Accepted Addictions (Part One)Episode 1122: Socially Accepted Addictions (Part One)
Take 12 Recovery Radio
SOCIALLY ACCEPTED ADDICTIONS (Part One). In this episode of the Came to Believe Recovery Podcast,...
1:07:05•12 Aug 2026
Socially Accepted Addictions: When Good Habits Quietly Take Over
Episode Overview
- Socially accepted behaviours like work, ministry, gaming and social media can meet the addiction criteria of powerlessness and unmanageability.
- Praise and societal validation often hide the harm caused by overwork, constant service or online dependence.
- The "shift" from recovering to recovered and awareness of "stall" periods help people recognise when growth has quietly stopped.
- Steps 10, 11 and 12 are presented as ongoing tools to address strongholds and everyday habits, not just the primary substance.
- Technology and caffeine can be used, but they need honest management so they don’t become masters of thoughts, time and spiritual focus.
“The question isn't simply, is this behaviour socially acceptable? The real question is, has this thing become my master?”
What drives someone to seek a life without obvious vices, yet still feel trapped? This chat on Take 12 Recovery Radio’s *Came to Believe Recovery Podcast* takes a hard look at socially accepted addictions – the sneaky habits that get a free pass but quietly run the show.
Host Monty Dale Meyer and Came to Believe Recovery CEO Tom Williams swap stories about workaholism, ministry overload, gaming, social media, phones, food, entertainment and even coffee, all through a Twelve Step and biblical lens. They link these patterns to the classic addiction yardstick: “You’re powerless over it and it makes your life unmanageable,” even if it doesn’t land you in jail or detox. As Tom puts it, many of these behaviours are praised, which only feeds the problem.
You’ll hear about "the shift" – moving from recovering to recovered – and "the stall," that space where someone isn’t relapsing but has stopped growing. Their tool belt metaphor hits home: are your spiritual and recovery tools sitting in a dusty toolbox, or strapped on and in use? The conversation keeps circling back to steps 10, 11 and 12 as the way to chip away at strongholds and habits that linger after the main substance is gone.
Technology gets special attention. Monty and Tom talk about phones, social media validation and screen time as modern traps, asking whether you can use these tools without letting them master you.
Monty jokes about being a “coffee junkie” as they tee up caffeine for part two, but lands a serious point with, “I will not be mastered by anything.” The tone is warm, faith-filled and honest, with plenty of humour (including a tongue-in-cheek song about outlawed coffee) to balance the seriousness.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your work, phone or ministry can be "too much," this conversation might prompt a few brave questions: what’s running your life today – you, or your socially accepted addictions?
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