2026 October #2
By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF)
Have you ever had an encounter with a person who couldn’t seem to keep themselves in check? For one reason or another, they were continually out of control…
Could it have been because some form of addiction was involved?
Did you know that there are different kinds of addictions and sometimes they have nothing to do with substance abuse?
Intense anger (rage) is one of those examples. It is an emotion that can bring about a “high” that is similar to a drug-induced “high.”
When anger occurs, a person has the choice to decide if they will react or respond to the emotional feeling (give in to it, or manage it).
Reacting allows the anger to take over a person’s emotions. It usually clouds their judgement. It can cause a drastic change in how they maneuver everyday life happenings. It certainly affects the relationships the person has – or used to have.
The rush of the feeling of anger releases adrenaline to the body, which can be similar to the rush of using a substance to gain a “high.” It certainly can become addicting if a person chooses that route. Intense anger most likely will cause damage to a person’s well-being. It’s usually not a good idea to give in to that emotion.
Responding, on the other hand, allows a person to stop, before speaking or acting, and think things through. They can choose to take a different route than their first gut-reaction to lash out.
A person can choose to move from destructive, impulsive actions to deliberate, constructive communication. They can do that by putting plenty of space between the occurrence of the original incident and the response to the incident.
Stop, breathe, think…then respond with calm words.
These suggestions are an example of some tools a person can use for the rest of their lives. The tools can be used in all kinds of situations. Our staff works hard to help our guests turn their addictive behaviors around by using the tools they learn about in class.
Knowing what to do, to turn a life around, is the key. After learning the steps to take, it’s up to the individual to choose to put them into action.
It’s not easy, and it’s not an over-night change. But, making the choice to use the tools offered is a huge step toward having a transformed life.
Brian (not his real name), one of our guests, has a testimony about this very thing.
Here’s his story:
Before I came here [Joy Junction], I was a mess.
My life was a complete, 100% mess…
I was a very hateful person. I didn’t care what I said or who I hurt. I flat did not consider anyone else but myself. I didn’t treat myself very well, either, so I certainly didn’t treat others very well. Everyone and everything was in my way!
I wound up homeless, so I had to find a place to stay. I was accepted in here, but I didn’t make any effort to be a friend to anyone. I attended class and put on a fake smile, but I wasn’t feeling it on the inside. I just moved through the motions of what was expected…because I needed a place to stay.
Then, I got sick — really sick. It shut me down! I was sent to the hospital and had to have surgery. That was a very scary situation for me. I didn’t know how to fix it – I COULDN’T fix it. Being mean and angry didn’t change anything, either. I was all alone and had a lot of time to think.
I came to the conclusion that I just may have had a wake-up call from God. I had heard, and read, about Him in class. I recognized that I just had a close call with death, and I had no one to turn to. So, I finally gave in and turned to Him for help.
After I was released, I came back here, since I had nowhere else to go. But, I had a different attitude. Through the class and the staff’s efforts, I began to see that I was hurting myself and everyone around me for no reason. I was just angry at life…and I didn’t need to be. I had caused my own problems.
I have been given a second chance at life and I intend to do things differently. I am asking questions and doing my part to join in the class discussions. I am trusting God to help me turn my life around. I want Him to control me, not try to make it the other way around.
I am so thankful for this place! I truly believe my life can have a happy ending now.
It’s a beautiful thing when we see a mental and emotional breakthrough in our guests.
We know it’s hard to have to make the choice to go to a shelter. But, once that decision has been made, and action has been placed on the choice by arriving on our doorstep, we are happy to do our part to help provide the tools to bring about life transformation.
We are extremely thankful for our volunteers and donors who want to help us help them. Together, we are all working toward one end: life transformation.
