Deep down, we all cling to control—often the final, most insidious addiction.

In this wrap-up episode of our Dealing With Your Addictions series, John Tinnin, MDiv, MFT interviews therapist and recovering alcoholic Sharon Hersh, LPC about her decades-long battle with alcohol, her journey into counseling, and the painful parallels she’s walked with her adult children.

Sharon names the shame, secrecy, and stubborn self-reliance that fuel every addiction—whether it’s substances, scrolling, spending, or even religious performance. John and Sharon unpack why relapse doesn’t mean failure, why white-knuckling never works, and why true recovery isn’t just sobriety—it’s a whole-life change that only the indwelling work of Jesus can do. 

They explore the three non-negotiable daily practices that lead to freedom (seek God, ruthless honesty, and consistent recovery work), the surprising gifts hidden inside addiction and why surrender to Christ is the only way to conquer “the last addiction” - our lifelong impulse to save ourselves. The final takeaway from this series is that freedom from addiction isn’t earned by perfection–it’s received one surrendered day at a time.

Book recommendation: The Last Addiction by Sharon Hersh

We hope you have enjoyed this series on addiction! Stay tuned for a NEW SERIES starting January 14th called How to Handle Life where we will tackle the most common issues we see in our counseling practice: panic attacks, unanswered prayers, stress, painful relationships, forgiveness, singleness, narcissism and much more! 

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