Isolation’s Unspoken Path to Addiction

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that wonders why the name “Aaron” is pronounced “air-on” instead of “ay ay ron.” If we actually pronounced names the way they’re spelled, parent-teacher conferences would sound like substitute teachers taking attendance.

Quick Update: We continue to drop new resources on The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised and Expanded landing page. We’re also listing the typos many of you are finding.

We expect to release the podcast for the book in the Summer, so stay tuned for that. The podcast will be a series of videos.

I’m very happy that so many of you are being transformed by the book, and that it’s opening up the New Testament letters for you in powerful ways.

Also, for those of you who have been asking me for advice on book writing, editing, publishing, and how to hit a bestseller list, our SCRIBE premium online training is available until April 21^st.

Now for today’s article.

Isolation’s Unspoken Path to Addiction

In the 1970s, Canadian psychologist Bruce Alexander challenged the prevailing wisdom about addiction with his groundbreaking “Rat Park” experiments.

Previous studies had shown that rats in isolated cages, given access to drug-laced water, would compulsively press levers to self-administer drugs until they died.

These experiments were long used to demonstrate the intensely addictive nature of drugs themselves.

However, Alexander questioned whether the isolation of the cages might be the real driver of addiction.

So he created “Rat Park,” a spacious enclosure where rats could socialize, play, mate, and engage in natural behaviors.

When given the choice between plain water and drug-laced water in this enriched environment, the rats largely ignored the drug option!

Even more striking, the rats that had been isolated and addicted to drugs often chose to endure withdrawal symptoms when placed in Rat Park, preferring social connection to continued drug use.

Modern research has continued to support these findings.

These animal studies mirror what we observe in human society.

The rise of isolation in our current world – from remote work to social media replacing face-to-face interaction – correlates with the increasing rates of addiction.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, substance abuse rates soared as people faced unprecedented isolation.

The implications are profound: Addiction may be less about the substances themselves and more about the human need for connection.

As one person noted, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.”

Creating opportunities for meaningful social bonds may be our most powerful tool in preventing and treating addiction.

In my written and spoken work from 2008 onward, I’ve stressed the fact that God wired us for community. And the ekklesia is the divinely-created antidote.

As I demonstrated in the new book, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: Revised and Expanded (March 2025 release), God’s intention from the beginning was to create a community that participated in and reflected the love-fueled community within the Godhead.

Consequently, fellowship and friendships are hugely important to our spiritual lives. And isolation is a curse that produces numerous spiritual hazards.

Even in our social-media saturated world, many Christians are still isolated.

This includes believers who regularly attend Sunday morning services. They are still isolated if they don’t connect with any other Jesus-followers outside that event.

I’ve written and spoken on kingdom cells since 2018, and it’s the best shot that most believers have in our time to experience face-to-face community.

Until next Thursday.

Yours in His grace,

fv