Dr Tim Jennings Blogs, Spiritual Healing

A Scriptural Healing Plan for Overcoming Addiction


by Tim Jennings, M.D.

All addictions – whether drug or alcohol related, sexual, or relational – meet the same definition: “the compulsive engagement in behaviors that bring short-term reward but long-term destruction.”

No matter the addiction that brings short-term pleasure, even if it’s accepted by society, if not overcome it will completely ensnare and destroy you. A range of treatments are available – from counseling to prescription medicine – but when God is included, people can experience real freedom.

One of the most common addiction treatments are 12-step rehab programs, the bases of which were first published in the 1939 book, Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism. Many conscientious believers have asked me not only whether these steps are effective, but also whether they are biblical.

While often presented generically so as not to offend non-Christians, these steps are designed upon the journey of Christian conversion and spiritual maturation, which is one reason these programs are so successful. You see, the primary purpose of the 12 steps is not merely to achieve abstinence from the addiction, but the healing of the heart, as unhealed emotional wounds often lead people to engage in addictions as means of self-medicating. Let’s take a quick look at the scriptural underpinnings of the 12 steps.

Step 1: Admit You Are Powerless Over Your Addiction

We must admit our inability to heal ourselves, that our lives had become unmanageable, and that we need a Savior. “Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Mark 2:17).

Step 2: Believe that a Power Greater than Yourself Can Restore You to Sanity

We must know the truth about God: that He is in the saving business – and not the condemning business – and He has the ability to heal us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16, 17). “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself” (John 12:32).

Step 3: Make a Decision to Turn Your Life Over to the Care of God

We must choose to open our hearts to God, as best as we understand Him, and let His power transform and heal us from within. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

Step 4: Make a Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory of Yourself

We must stop running from the truth about ourselves and our brokenness. It is only as we are truthful that we can experience healing. “The truth shall make you free (John 8:32). “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23, 24).

Step 5: Admit to God, Yourself, and Others the Exact Nature of Your Wrongs

This step is about grace in relationship. As we confess our wickedness and experience love and acceptance from God and humans, our shame is replaced with love and empowers us to move forward in healing (John 8:1–11). “When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned” (Leviticus 5:5). “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). “If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1, 2).

Step 6: Be Entirely Ready to Have God Remove All Your Defects of Character

We must have heart honesty. God cannot remove from us what we persistently hold on to. If we really want freedom, we must honestly let go of our addiction. “I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me” (Jeremiah 33:8). “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:25–27). “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Hebrews 8:10).

Step 7: Humbly Ask Him to Remove Your Shortcomings

We must commit to daily acknowledgement that we are powerless to change our own characters or natures and daily reach out to God for His transforming presence. “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Step 8: Make a List of All Persons You’ve Harmed and Be Willing to Make Amends to Each One

True heart change replaces fear and self-centeredness with love for other people, and self-deceit with truthfulness. We stop lying to ourselves, stop denying the truth, and instead become lovers of the truth – including the truth about our own histories. As we are healed by our Creator, our motives change and a genuine love for others grows within.

Step 9: Make Direct Amends to Such People Wherever Possible, Except When Doing So Would Injure Them or Others

Both steps eight and nine are meant to help us apply new methods, principles, and motives to our lives – the process of thinking about the welfare and health of others rather than one’s self. In doing so, we move forward in God’s healing and deliverance. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew5:23, 24).

Step 10: Continue to Take Personal Inventory and Promptly Admit to Wrongdoing

We should do our best to prevent new mistakes from taking root and becoming habits. We daily examine ourselves in light of God’s design for life and health and apply His principles to our lives. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. … The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22, 25).

Step 11: Seek Through Prayer to Improve Conscious Contact with God, Asking Only for Knowledge of His Will for You and the Power to Carry That Out

We must grow in our relationship with God, exercising new healthy brain circuits resulting in the actual rewiring of our brains over time. “Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:13–18).

Step 12: Having Had a Spiritual Awakening as the Result of These Steps, Carry This Message to Addicts and Practice These Principles in All Your Affairs

We must allow God’s love to flow through us to others – the more we give, the more we receive. “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

Before concluding, there is one aspect that I have come to recognize as important in recovery from addictions that is not specifically addressed in the 12 steps: “bringing every thought into captivity to Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Science has revealed that even though we may avoid unhealthy behaviors (taking a substance, gambling, shopping), if we engage in the behavior in our imagination, the same neural circuits fire as when the actual behavior is carried out. This means that if we long for the addiction in our mind, if we imagine the “good ol’ days,” if we wish we could engage in our addiction but don’t merely because we know it will harm or kill us, then our brains will not rewire and our characters will not change. Such persons never experience genuine freedom from their addiction.

However, when we not only change our behavior but our thinking as well, over time our brains actually rewire and what we once found pleasurable will, in time, become repulsive. This is the freedom that unity with Christ brings!

Emotional Healing, Mental

Foundational Work for the Mind

Anytime there is an issue in the body we can expect to find a toxic condition blocking up the affected area, preventing  the circulation of nutrients into and waste out of that part.  Clearing the toxic build up out and restoring good circulation is what natural healing is all about.  This action is also applied to the brain.  Toxic buildup in the brain can affect our thinking, causing a sluggish, unproductive feeling, anxiety, and confusion, in our thinking processes.  Clearing the toxic condition of the body often restores a more productive, uplifting and bighting of the mind. 

When any area of the body is not working well there is a need to target that area with the herbal supports provided for us in nature that feed and restore that particular function or area.  For the Mind there are several master herbs and many herbs that support the master herbs in their work.

Increasing the blood flow into the brain is best supported with the Ginkgo Leaf.  The nutrients in this herb work as a vasal dilator, opening up the area.  This master herb for the brain is an excellent aid for Alzheimer and Dementia.  It is also a support for vertigo issues.  A good mix of herbs to support circulation to the brain are:  Ginko Leaf, the master Herb in the formula, the supporting herbs to aid the master herb in its work are, Rosemary Leaf, Cayenne, Calamus, Kola Nut, and Gotu Kola Herb.

 A Brain Food Formula would be helpful for anyone needing mental clarity or wanting to ensure good recall.  The older we get the more we value how sharp the mind was in our younger years.  A formula of this type can be used freely as it is a food formula and will not create “die-off”, which require boosting the immune system in order to support the work it would do.

Clearing toxicity from the brain will require a detoxing herb that focuses primarily on the brain.  Using St John’s Wort as the master herb in a brain detoxing formula would ensure the brain is targeted and cleared of toxins.  St Johns Wort herb is a mild tasting herb.  This can be a bit deceptive as it is a very powerful detoxifier, targeting the brain. When using this herb it is important to boost the immune system with a good daily dose of Echinacea.  Don’t let the mild, pleasant taste of the herb fool you, if the immune system is not supported there will be a serious detoxing backlash.  When used and supported this herb is an exceptional aid for clearing toxins from the brain that can contribute to anxiety issues, depression and other mental disturbances.  This is not magic, it is an aid from the Father that will support, and aid in regaining mental health.    

A Good Mood Food Combination might look something like this: Saint John’s Wort, as the master herb in the formula.  The Herbs to support the work of this master herb could be, Kava Kava, which aids in promoting a since of wellbeing, Uva Ursi, supporting the endocrine system, Hawthorn Berries, heart food, Yellow Dock, to feed the blood, Kelp, a good source of energy.

Adding a good Olive Leaf formula along with the Mood Food combination has proven to work well with the St John’s Wort herb to enhance the detoxing of the brain tissue.  In my life I’ve needed a good brain detox for depression several times.  This combination has never failed to bring relief, bringing the sunshine back into my heart and mind. 

Understand the basic of any detoxing program.  If you continue to feed garbage into your body nothing is going to clear your mind.  The Rubbish consumed is not only in the form of the food you choose to eat, but also the life choices you make.  Feeding your mind from the media garbage put out for public consumption will have the same toxic effect on your brain and nervous system as consuming a toxic food program.  Feeding on good healthy emotional food is an important as ensuring the nutrients you put into your body via your mouth are as healthy as possible. 

For the best life in this toxic world it is important to take responsibility for our total intake of nutrients and environment. The physical health is dependent on the emotional and Spiritual health of the Spirit and soul.  As the Emotional and Spiritual parts of your life regain balance and circulation so will your physical body.  Physical and Psychology will rise and fall together.  Another way to put it is to say, “I can not be any healthier physically than I am Emotionally & Spiritually.”  When these areas of life are allowed to fall into decay the physical body suffers.  Take the time to see what is real, Hear what is being said.  We often allow experiences from the past to taint or skew what we see and hear today.    It can take an effort to learn to look past our knee jerk reactions and really see and hear the truth surrounding our lives.

Herbal Healing, Pain, Joints & Injuries

Soft Tissue Injuries: Sprains & Strains

Herbal first aid for soft tissue injuries.  Sprains or strains of the joints anywhere on the body can cause painful inflammation.  The first step would be to ice the area if there is any chance of internal bleeding or bruising.  Arnica oil will prevent bruising from forming when applied directly after the impact. 

Note: Arnica Oil should not be applied directly into an open wound. 

An additional aid for internal bleeding would be to take a dose of Cayenne, a glass of hot lemonade would be helpful. This is a cold drink consisting of 16 to 32 ounces of water,  1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp cayenne, Lemon juice and Maple syrup to taste.  

Note:  Cayenne aids to equalize blood pressure allowing the body to control any bleeding more quickly. https://daradietz.me/2016/05/30/when-how-to-use-cayenne/

After the ice pack has done its job or if not Icing is required, as in the case of overuse of a joint, or any case where there was no impact or concern for internal bleeding, apply a pack with a good Healing Salve with anti-inflammatory properties.  A good combination of herbs and essential oils could be,  Comfrey Root; Marshmallow Root, Marigold Herb, Beeswax; Essential oil of Rosemary, Lavender, Frankincense and Helichrysum

For the full healing salve, with the herbs and essential oils and how it’s made, see A Healing Salve to Keep on Hand.

Apply as a salve pack over the abused or damaged joint for a couple of hours.  This combination of herbs will knock down the inflammation around the damaged area and allow healing to happen more quickly.  Also this will aid in keeping the discomfort from increasing.  (Remember, pain comes from blockage, clearing the blockage will knock down the pain.)

A good herbal combination to aid in restoring the damaged joint is Dr Christopher’s BFC formula.  His combination of herbs supports with the nutrition to “knit” the body back together.  BFC, Stands for Bones, Flesh, and Cartilage, this herbal combination of, White Oak Bark, Comfrey Root, Gravel Root, Mullein Leaf, Marshmallow Root, Black Walnut Hulls, Wormwood, Skullcap, Lobelia is an helpful aid for providing the body with the nutrition needed to repair damage to the Bones, Flesh, and Cartilage. 

The formula can be applied as a salve pack over the affected area.  It is also wonderful as an herbal extract taken as a cup of tea internally.  Leave pack on overnight, depending on how extensive the damage continue to use allowing the area to “breath” without a pack for 6 to 8 hours each day.

Herbal Healing, Skin, Wounds & First Aid

Stopping the Itch Naturally

Lots of itching is going on this summer.  Ant bites, poison ivy, you name it the cause dose not really matter, the itch is awful.  Here is the quickest way I have found to clear the itch and knock out the inflammation.

All you need is Hot and Cold water to initially stop the itch.  I have found the shower with a handheld shower head works the best.  Something about the moving water over the affected area.  Adjust the water to as hot as possible without scalding yourself.  This will pull the fresh blood into the area and it really scratches that itch without wrecking the skin.  After a minute or so of hot water change to completely cold, do this quickly, now blast the area with the cold driving the blood deep through the affected area.  This will allow the toxins causing the inflammation to be cleared by the body and flushed out of the system. 

Doing 7 “hots” and 7 “Colds” changes, seems to be the best.  A minute or so with the hot and a minute or so with the cold. The itch will be gone.  Repeat this as needed to relieve the itch if it returns. For me the relief has lasted for hours. Hydrotherapy

After the hot and cold, hydrotherapy, I like to apply a nice Herbal salve to support the body in clearing the reason for the itch.  A good Healing Salve herbal combination to try is, Comfrey Root; Marshmallow Root, Marigold Herb, Beeswax; Essential oil of Rosemary, Lavender, Frankincense and Helichrysum. 

When the issue is persistent or severe, a liver flush may be helpful.  The liver being the vacuum of the body can be supported in its work of clearing the cause of the itch.  The ELF is often helpful when supporting the body to clear most issues affecting the skin such as eczema or hives just to name a few. Herbal wisdom has found any issue that affects the skin can often be helped by clearing the liver.  How to do an ELF

When the liver, the body’s vacuum bag is full, the liver decides to vicariously detox through the skin.  The organ, which is the skin, is unable to handle the serious toxic waste thrown out by the liver and quickly breaks down.  Clearing the liver will encourage it to detox the waste out through the proper channels (The bowels), saving the skin from this detoxing duty nature never intended it to do.

Simple but effective natural supports should not be underrated or ignored.  The longer the body is allowed to push this toxic waste from the liver out through the skin the more difficult it will be to redirect the body and liver to stop abusing the skin.  It will have become the “normal” after years of skin issues.  As with anything in life change of habit takes time and effort.  Clear these issues quickly by supporting the liver with regular detoxing programs.

Brain, Nerves & Sleep, Herbal Healing

Natural Support for Vertigo

Here is an update on my healing Journey for Vertigo.  Understanding what is causing the Vertigo has been very helpful in discovering how to support and clear the issue. 

The cause for me is: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) which is the most common cause of vertigo, and it’s often caused by calcium crystals that detach from their normal location in the inner ear. These crystals can then move into the semicircular canals, which sense head rotation, causing the canals to send the wrong signals to the brain. This confuses the brain, leading to the vertigo symptoms that include:

  • A spinning sensation when the head position changes
  • Falling out of bed or losing balance when getting up
  • Falling when tilting the head back or forward while walking
  • Nausea and vomiting 

There are several positional exercises you can do that are said to be helpful in clearing the symptoms from Vertigo.  After trying them and not finding them to be as effective as the herbal supports or topical application we will not discuss them in this article.  Members have shared their experiences; some have found them to be very effective.  My best suggestion is to try them for relief as some have said they are helpful, detailed instructions can be found on Youtube.

Herbal Supports that have proved very helpful in stopping the symptoms are:

Brain Food formula: 1 to 2 tsp. in a cup of hot water.  I add a little almond milk to my teas. 

NF Formula: ½ tsp in with the brain Formula. 

For a full write-up on a good brain formula, with the herbs, proportions and how to make it at home, see Circulation Is Everything for a Clear Mind.

Cayenne: 1 tsp.  This I add to make what I like to call my Hot Lemonade.

  • 1 tsp Cayenne
    • 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider vinegar
    • Lemon Juice to taste
    • Maple Syrup or Honey to taste.
    • 16 to 32 ounces of cool  or cold water 

The Cayenne can be taken in a few swallows of water or can be added to the Hot Lemonade.

Topically to aid in clearing the crystals I have found using the Charcoal/Flax Poultices over both ears to be really effective.  Three applications seems to be the key. 

Aid to Clear or Prevent Vertigo

Apply the Poultices over both ears for three hours three times.  My experience has been the symptoms have ended after the third application.  Unfortunately every time I have to visit the dentist the issue begins again. My Dentist appointments are on Thursday afternoon, each time it has taken until Saturday afternoon for the vertigo to start up again.  After my last visit we began applying the poultices as a preventive on Thursday night and Friday during the day.  There was only a very mild bit of vertigo on Saturday afternoon.  It seems to have worked very well as a preventive.  I still have two more visits to the Dentist before all this work is done.  I’m not looking forward to them but after the excellent results after this last visit it appears we have a very good game plan to deal with the issue.

The Poultices is held in place with two wide sweat bands.

Herbal Healing, Infection, Colds & Flu, Organs & Glands

Herbal Aids for Clearing an Infection in the Teeth and Gums

After breaking a tooth and having it extracted the infection occurring within the tooth and gum area was very difficult to clear.  All the regular infection work was not clearing the white pimple, indicating a pocket of infection in the gum above the extracted tooth area. 

In addition to the infection in my gums I was also dealing with a debilitating case of vertigo.  The more aggressive my infection work the more concentrated the vertigo became.  Clearing the infection from my head caused intense feelings of anxiety, loss of my balance when standing or walking, and was affecting my blood pressure. 

Between the Cayenne and Brain Formula all the vertigo issues were held under control.  Before this occurred I limited my Brain Formula to just one dose a day.  The dose needed to support me through this issue became 1 to 2 teaspoons two or three times a day.  On a few occasions I took this large dose twice in an hour when needing to seriously knock down the onset I could feel trying to get a foothold.  There was absolutely no backlash from using the increased amount of the Brain food Formula since it is not a detoxing formula.  No waste is dumped into the system for removal by the liver, kidneys, or bowels.  This is a food, or feeding combination of herbs for the brain. 

The infection support that finally cleared the pocket of infection from my gums was doing the Charcoal/Flax Seed Poultice over both my ears.  Well into my third week of infection work for my mouth I began to feel some discomfort in my left ear.  Concerned that the infection could be spreading into my ears I applied the Infection poultice (charcoal/Flax Seed) over both my ears using two large three inch sweat bands angled low around my head and over both ears to hold them in place. 

The poultices were left on for 4 hours before replacing with a fresh one.  I continued to apply them during the day over a two day period.  The first three caused my ears to become very sore.  It felt as thought the ear tissue itself was full of toxins.  I applied some healing salve to knock out the inflammation, which provided complete relief from the soreness.  By the fourth application of the infection poultice the white pimple on my gum was completely gone and my ears were unaffected by the poultice. 

While doing all this infection work I also did several ELFs (Emergency Liver Flushes) to support all the waste my liver was processing out.  It took nearly a month to completely clear the infection.  When I had my follow up appointment with the dentist after taking a full set of x-rays she said I was infection free and that the extraction site was healing beautifully .   

Doing the Infection poultice over my ears was the key that finally pulled all the infection from the gum area.  I will admit to being surprised it was so effective on the gum area when applied over the ears. 

With this in mind a good suggestion for clearing stubborn  gum infections would be in addition to the regular infection work to use the Infection poultice over both ears for topical support of the area. 

Digestion & Gut, Herbal Healing

Herbal Support for Hemorrhoid’s

A good Definition of a Hemorrhoid: Veins or blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum become swollen and irritated. This happens when there is extra pressure on these veins. Hemorrhoids can be either inside your anus (internal) or under the skin around your anus (external).

Both Varicose veins and Hemorrhoids are evidence of a nutritional poor food program. Stopping the intake of junk foods, that leach calcium from the body, will begin to clear the underlying cause allowing these conditions to thrive in the body.

Sugar in the form of candy, beverages (pop, coffee, etc), pastries and bread are the basic cause of this condition. These leach out the calcium from the body. Other culprits are white flour, tobacco, and liquor. One of the first places the leaching starts is in the veinous structure of the body, drawing off the supporting calcium. This is turn weakens the veins, causing varicose veins, which will, if allowed to continue, become phlebitis.

Here is a pdf providing several herbal suggestions to aid in reducing the inflammation and stopping the discomfort which often accompanies hemorrhoid’s.

Member Testimony

A member recently shared a hemorrhoid herbal remedy that worked beautifully for her.

She had developed a rather large prolapse hemorrhoid. After looking through suggestions for knocking down the inflammation and discomfort she decided to use her Rosemary Essential oil and castor oil over the prolapse area. She combined two teaspoons of castor oil with 5 drops of Rosemary EO, mixed well and applied over the area.

The results were that by bedtime the inflammation was reduced by 50% and the discomfort stopped when the mix was applied. Sounds like a winning herbal suggestion worth trying.

For the full healing salve, with the herbs and essential oils and how it’s made, see A Healing Salve to Keep on Hand.

Brain, Nerves & Sleep, Herbal Healing

Vertigo Testimony

Learning something new is always a blessing, the part I wish I could skip is the discomfort that often precedes the acquiring of the knowledge.  Several weeks ago I bit down on a date seed and broke my tooth.  Not a lot of pain or discomfort at this point.  I was able to get right into the dentist who referred me to an oral surgeon and was told the earliest available appointment was sometime in March.  To shorten this part of the testimony I will say,  I found a great dentist who does it all.  The tooth was pulled, it came out in four parts, not fun. 

Onto the learning something new part.  I developed a severe case of vertigo.  My husband did a little research online and discovered it is common to develop vertigo after oral surgery.  Something about messing with nerves in your head.  Not being new to this issue I was using Cayenne to clear the woozy head spinning, nausea, feeling awful, issues.  It just was not working well at all. 

If it had only been a little light headedness I could have gotten thought somehow but the Vertigo was also affecting my blood pressure.  Those spikes were serious.  My husband and I prayed asking the Lord for answers.  I finally decided to call the paramedics, the blood pressure had to be addressed.   

Now I can share how well the Lord answers prayers.

The two men who arrived had been working as paramedics for a long time.  The one truly understood my aversion to doctors and hospitals.  He had some understanding of herbs and believed in their power.  Understanding that I had been using the cayenne without effect he suggested I use herbs that work to dilate the blood vessels.  What herb is best for this, he asked.  Ginkgo biloba, of course, was my answer.  With that information in mind I took a full teaspoon of the Brain Formula, which is mostly Ginkgo.  Everything cleared in a matter of minutes.  The Father will answer us when we call for help.  He sent someone with the answers I needed in a way I never expected.

So here is what I have learned this past week.

Using any source of caffein will bring on vertigo.  No Coffee, Green or black Tea, or Chocolate as they are high in Caffein which is a vessel constrictor. 

Using the Brain formula & Cayenne have completely cleared the symptoms of vertigo.  My dose has been 1 teaspoon two or three times a day. 

I’m also doing a strong infection program as the broken tooth became infected before it was pulled. 

In the past Cayenne alone was enough to clear the head spinning episodes I occasionally had.  Understanding how to truly stop the issue is impowering .