Change

You ever notice those complete makeovers that people experience on television. You see them in the before picture, looking less than what they were in the after picture. They come out on stage, face lit up with camera lighting and a smile, showing the audience how much of a PHYSICAL change they endured, but have they REALLY changed? Changing an effect of a primary cause isn't completely eradicating the problem . The individual may have gotten a new wardrobe, but what's going to stop them from going back to their normal routine of degrading their lifestyles, tending to their vices that only lessons them as human beings?Nothing but a shere act of God. Most importantly, their vices weaken their soul, making them vulnerable to anything worldly that can temporally fill "that void". You may be able to get an alcoholic from drinking a beer, but unless you get rid of the depression, they'll be quick to open a bottle once you're not around. You have to change WITHIN and do WITHOUT because it's very hard to do WITHOUT what's giving you life WITHIN. Things such as drugs, porn, friends, work, etc. are all temporary fixes that suppresses the real issue at hand. You may see a tall, fit man in a tailored suit or petite female in a beautiful Sunday dress walking in a mall or down a main street, assuming everything is okay, but eventually the exterior comes off and is hung in the closet while  he or she continues to wear their problems. So before you change the clothes, change yourself, and not the other way around because eventually, you'll become so obsessed with the exterior that you neglect the fact that materialistic substitutes lack substance. If ever you have a problem or a addiction that's hard for you to fight, find someone who's willing to hold you accountable. Of course, the addiction itself is A problem, but not THE problem. If not a friend,  find a close family member or join a small group. Preferably a Christian group that offers God as the ultimate alternative. The best.  The Bible expresses in so many ways how God is the ONLY alternative to fixing your problems. Think about it. He knows how you got to where you are and He knows just how to get you out, but what would that solve? Removing you from the situation isn't going to help. You have to GET THROUGH IT so that you will learn. One day in the future, when you find yourself getting closer to that dark place you were once before, you'll remember just how DARK it really was...and you will say to yourself, "Never again." People say "never say never", but that declaration is achievable by making the proper decisions. If you truly wish to change, make the effort. Remove those that which  pull you back or yank you down. Every since we were born, God has been watching over us, predicting our every move, watching us fall in these traps because HE KNOWS we possess the strength to excel. YOU have to be willing to change subjectively if you expect promising results because simply changing clothes just won't do it.