Slaying the Giant – Freedom from Pornography Addiction
I’m a recovering pornography addict. I know a thing or two about the destructive power of porn and the methods of overcoming an addiction to porn. There are a few steps that can aid you in fighting this battle. Note: these steps, and the entire recovery process, are incredibly difficult, so get ready for a fight. Even though it will be difficult, never doubt that you CAN overcome… freedom awaits you!
Disclaimer: the information contained on this page is not full-proof and may not work for you. This list is not intended to be inclusive.
STEP 1: COME TO GRIPS WITH YOUR PROBLEM. If you don’t know that you have a problem, you’ll never know that you need to overcome it. Learn your specific temptations, downfalls and failures – pinpointing the exact cause of your failings gives you a clear vision of what to attack.
STEP 2: DON’T JUST WANT TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WORK TO FIX THE PROBLEM. Simply desiring for an addiction to go away will never make it go away. It requires HARD WORK from you. Take action.
STEP 3: FIND A BROTHER (accountability partner) TO MEET WITH REGULARLY. In order to overcome a pornography addiction, you must have brotherhood. It is essential in fighting the battle. Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man.” You must, from the moment you start holding each other accountable, be 100% open and honest with each other. If you cannot be honest, don’t waste his time. Find a brother, do it today.
STEP 4: MAKE A PLAN. Having a plan of how to attack your addiction is essential. Do soldiers sit around at home until they get called to deployment? No, they train and train and train, knowing that when they are deployed and are actually faced with kicking that door in and staring the enemy down, they will succeed. Your plan needs to address your temptations; therefore, your plan and my plan shouldn’t necessarily be the same. The essential piece to having a plan is ACTING ON THE PLAN AT THE FIRST INSTANCE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE A TEMPTATION. If you act on your plan within the first second of recognizing a temptation, you are most likely to succeed. If you wait an extra second, your chances of putting up a strong fight are greatly decreased. And if you wait a full three seconds to act, you are setting yourself up for failure.
What does a plan look like? A plan, in this case, is simply a method of reacting to sexual temptation. (Remember, it must be an immediate reaction!) Some examples of plans (at the first instance of temptation) - praying (The Rosary, a specific prayer, a spontaneous prayer, etc.), calling your accountability partner (any day/time), leaving the room, getting away from the computer, leaving the house/office, working out, clicking “close” on your web browser, etc. or a combination of some/all of these.
The plan’s initial purpose is in direct response to the temptation. The plan should attack the temptation aggressively and allow for a situational mind/body change. If you are tempted by what’s on the internet, make your plan in regards to protecting yourself from the internet. If you are tempted by magazines, make your plan in regards to protecting yourself from the magazines. Your plan must fit your temptations.
STEP 5: PRAY. Pray regularly and pray hard. In the same way that David went to battle against Goliath, we too must trust that God will bring us through our battle with the giant and make us victorious. Trust in God and know that your prayer time with Him helps you to know Him better, as with in any relationship. If we want to succeed in beating an addiction to porn, we must rely on God for help. We cannot do it alone.
It may also be helpful for you to seek out a licensed counselor to work through your addiction. There are numerous support groups, accountability groups and prayer groups all across the country. Find one in your local area.
If you have any questions about anything written above, please feel free to contact us at contactus@truemanhood.com. Don’t know where to start? Don’t know who to choose for an accountability partner? Email us.
