Comments on: Importance of Spirituality for the Addicted http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/ Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:06:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: tony dicarlo http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-29014 tony dicarlo Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:23:13 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-29014 I am also a sex addict. My situtation is a bit different because I am also homosexual and a born again Christian. MY main offenses are masturbation to porn and sometimes sexual flings. I had no problem with this behavior in the past, but like any other addiction it comes to a point where I started to feel guilty and ashamed. I was raised Christian and I really struggled with my homosexuality, until I convinced myself that being gay was just who I am. AT the time that gave me a tremendous sense of relief...all through my twenties I was an active homosexual and proud of it. Not until I hit 30....i began to have doubts and regret. I really cant explain it, but it seemed as though God was whispering to me to seek the road back to Him. This really took me for a loop because I had many gay friends and I always was an advocate for gay rights. Long story short....I am begining to reform my life....I attend church more often, I confess my sins regularly, I have stopped going to gay clubs, etc. MY main setback is internet porn. I can go on for 3-4 weeks without lusting and all of a sudden I have this urge to masturbate. Being a man, I think it is unnatural to keep all my sexual feelings repressed and IT GETS To a point where i need to release all that tension. I know that my faith will assist and I am glad I found this site because regardless of your sexual orientation, God want His people to return to Him . Its not going to be an easy road, but I take one day at a time....I look at it like this: If I can contribute more hours of obeying God's word than disobeying, I am on the right track. I am far from perfect, but I have hope. I also think it is a good idea to read scripture or anything in spirational first thing in the morning. I AM currently reading, A COURSE IN MIRACLES....I also keelp my self busy. Its a very narrow road back to God, but at least I;m gooing to give it my all trying to make it back to Him. Knowlege is power...understanding and accepting the fact that i had an addiction really helped....I am costantly told that you cant change the fact that you are gay and i agree,...but you can stop lusting in your heart and with your thoughts. bY breaking that habit, i became more focused on God's word. Well tomorrow is another day....I will stayfocused and not beat myself up too hard to failing. God bless.... I am also a sex addict. My situtation is a bit different because I am also homosexual and a born again Christian. MY main offenses are masturbation to porn and sometimes sexual flings. I had no problem with this behavior in the past, but like any other addiction it comes to a point where I started to feel guilty and ashamed.
I was raised Christian and I really struggled with my homosexuality, until I convinced myself that being gay was just who I am. AT the time that gave me a tremendous sense of relief…all through my twenties I was an active homosexual and proud of it.
Not until I hit 30….i began to have doubts and regret. I really cant explain it, but it seemed as though God was whispering to me to seek the road back to Him. This really took me for a loop because I had many gay friends and I always was an advocate for gay rights.
Long story short….I am begining to reform my life….I attend church more often, I confess my sins regularly, I have stopped going to gay clubs, etc.
MY main setback is internet porn. I can go on for 3-4 weeks without lusting and all of a sudden I have this urge to masturbate. Being a man, I think it is unnatural to keep all my sexual feelings repressed and IT GETS To a point where i need to release all that tension.
I know that my faith will assist and I am glad I found this site because regardless of your sexual orientation, God want His people to return to Him . Its not going to be an easy road, but I take one day at a time….I look at it like this: If I can contribute more hours of obeying God’s word than disobeying, I am on the right track.
I am far from perfect, but I have hope. I also think it is a good idea to read scripture or anything in spirational first thing in the morning. I AM currently reading, A COURSE IN MIRACLES….I also keelp my self busy.
Its a very narrow road back to God, but at least I;m gooing to give it my all trying to make it back to Him. Knowlege is power…understanding and accepting the fact that i had an addiction really helped….I am costantly told that you cant change the fact that you are gay and i agree,…but you can stop lusting in your heart and with your thoughts. bY breaking that habit, i became more focused on God’s word.
Well tomorrow is another day….I will stayfocused and not beat myself up too hard to failing.
God bless….

]]> By: John Paul http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-14638 John Paul Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:54:32 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-14638 I am very happy to see that people around the world discuss the very important problems and issues of their personal lives this bright and thoughtful to help others get out of their long lasting misery. i was a sex addict. To be more explicit I was an Internet porn addict. I was spending huge amount of time every night "collecting" pornographic images from the porn sites and this thirst was never seem to be ended. During my porn addiction period my relationship with my fiance faded away. We had everyday fights as a routine and the strange-looking thing was the cause of the problem. We two loved each other, and still do, but i was thinking that she is the root of all evil in my life. I was thinking that she causes all the problems and begins all the fights without a sane reason. One night, after I masturbated regularly with porn pictures I felt very bad. i was desperately looking to the monitor were still the porn images were dancing in a slide show. Then something suddenly came to my mind, thanks God who helped me find this, that this act of masturbating with porn pictures is cheating on my fiance and because of this, like I fuck another woman every night and I lie to her every day, yes because of this all those troubles were made. I stopped there. Thought for a while and then I erased all porn pictures and my "beloved" collections in less than a minute then took a shower and returned. Tomorrow my fiance called again, we had a brief fight and then she hanged up. Again she called and pardoned me because of the fight and from that day on we had not even a single fight again. i do believe in what you have said about faith, spirituality, and love. I am a Muslim and you are a Christian but if you ask me there is no difference between us. Me and you overcame a bad habit and a destructive abuse of body and mind with power of faith. All I have to say to people like me is that the Internet pornography addiction is equal to cheating. Masturbation with fantasies of "others" is cheating too and will cause you very serious troubles in your marriage or normal sexual life. It is like worshiping other gods in an equal manner with your God. It is equal to polytheism. One that can overcome Internet pornography and compulsive masturbation can overcome polytheism to and prevent other serious troubles which the latter causes in all aspects of life. I enjoyed your blog very much and I found it very helpful. May God bless you dear friend. I am very happy to see that people around the world discuss the very important problems and issues of their personal lives this bright and thoughtful to help others get out of their long lasting misery.

i was a sex addict. To be more explicit I was an Internet porn addict. I was spending huge amount of time every night “collecting” pornographic images from the porn sites and this thirst was never seem to be ended.

During my porn addiction period my relationship with my fiance faded away. We had everyday fights as a routine and the strange-looking thing was the cause of the problem. We two loved each other, and still do, but i was thinking that she is the root of all evil in my life. I was thinking that she causes all the problems and begins all the fights without a sane reason.

One night, after I masturbated regularly with porn pictures I felt very bad. i was desperately looking to the monitor were still the porn images were dancing in a slide show. Then something suddenly came to my mind, thanks God who helped me find this, that this act of masturbating with porn pictures is cheating on my fiance and because of this, like I fuck another woman every night and I lie to her every day, yes because of this all those troubles were made.

I stopped there. Thought for a while and then I erased all porn pictures and my “beloved” collections in less than a minute then took a shower and returned.

Tomorrow my fiance called again, we had a brief fight and then she hanged up. Again she called and pardoned me because of the fight and from that day on we had not even a single fight again.

i do believe in what you have said about faith, spirituality, and love. I am a Muslim and you are a Christian but if you ask me there is no difference between us. Me and you overcame a bad habit and a destructive abuse of body and mind with power of faith.

All I have to say to people like me is that the Internet pornography addiction is equal to cheating. Masturbation with fantasies of “others” is cheating too and will cause you very serious troubles in your marriage or normal sexual life.

It is like worshiping other gods in an equal manner with your God. It is equal to polytheism.

One that can overcome Internet pornography and compulsive masturbation can overcome polytheism to and prevent other serious troubles which the latter causes in all aspects of life.

I enjoyed your blog very much and I found it very helpful. May God bless you dear friend.

]]> By: Carlos http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-348 Carlos Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:00:47 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-348 I could not agree more about helping our selves with our inner spirituality. I was a catholic, but now I am a Buddhist. I have practiced this for some years now, and I am amazed about all the tools that this way of thinking has brought to my life. Actually this web site is very Buddhist in my opinion, it is full of common sense. And yes, the buddhist have also problems to deal with masturbation and porn addiction. But there are a lot of recommendations and techniques to help the addicted to get rid of his or her affections. My point is not praising buddhism above any other way of thinking, what I want to communicate here, is that we have hope. We can find steps in all our traditions, or even in therapy. The point is to move forward and not being overcome by the guiltiness. Guiltiness only re enforces our low self esteem. Regret on the other hand, gives us the power of not just standing there feeling sorry for our selves, but to do something to repair the damage inflicted into us and others. I could not agree more about helping our selves with our inner spirituality. I was a catholic, but now I am a Buddhist. I have practiced this for some years now, and I am amazed about all the tools that this way of thinking has brought to my life. Actually this web site is very Buddhist in my opinion, it is full of common sense. And yes, the buddhist have also problems to deal with masturbation and porn addiction. But there are a lot of recommendations and techniques to help the addicted to get rid of his or her affections. My point is not praising buddhism above any other way of thinking, what I want to communicate here, is that we have hope. We can find steps in all our traditions, or even in therapy. The point is to move forward and not being overcome by the guiltiness. Guiltiness only re enforces our low self esteem. Regret on the other hand, gives us the power of not just standing there feeling sorry for our selves, but to do something to repair the damage inflicted into us and others.

]]> By: BrotherinChrist http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-137 BrotherinChrist Sun, 06 Jan 2008 06:42:42 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-137 First of all, I would like to thank God for giving the author of this page the courage to step out and publish their testimony as a way to help others in need. It is yet further evidence that God can use any distorted situations in our lives and apply it as a blessing to others in need...only God can do this! I am a graduate of Theological College; a current counselling trainee and a follower of Jesus Christ... I also have an addiction to pornography and mastarbation. I am determined to give this back to God. As so many of us I came from a non-Christian background. Sexual immorality was normal and acceptable consequently, the seeds of inequity were sown into my life at a very early age. When I gave my life to Christ as a teenager, I backslid quite a few times into old habits and routines. In my early twenties I gave myself an ultermatum...death or to do what I now is right, namely to fulfil God's purpose in my life. I recommitted my life to Christ and God took away my addictions...I can't explain it, but to say there was Divine intervention. However, after I was saved, during the weak times in my life I made a sequence of selfish decisions which re awaked the desires of my flesh inevitibly leading me back down the carnal, immoral and doomed path. This is the path to destruction if we follow it and refuse God's grace before we die. Not because God chooses to destroy us, but because a gracious God has given us grace-restored free will and respects our choice. (Even if that means we refuse to follow the best way an All-knowing and All-power God receommends). If He didn't respect our choice, we wouldn't have free will. We always have a choice, and God can help us make the ones that don't offend Him and lead to the truth which ultimately stes us free from all addiction and selfishness. My story doesn't end here though... There have been many times when I have lustfully viewed internet pornography and mastabated since my days at Theological College. I think that lust can be a particular weakness for men. I find the most tempting times for me to be when I am alone, stressed out, depressed or bored! I know that I should ask God for help, but the addiction snuffs out the warnings of the Holy Spirit, and I use my freedom of choice to voluntarily transgress (delibrately choose to do the wrong thing). After each time the feelings of guilt and self hate are overwhelming, to the point of giving-up; which was what I was about to do before I found this site. In a fallen world even those who have faith can be weak, and if we give the ruler of the air an inch, and he will take a mile. I know I have one purpose in this life, and that is to glorify the One who created me in His infinite love and grace. A note to those brothersandsistersinChrist out there: as this site stated, God's mercies are renewed each day and His forgiveness extends to the truly repentent. Don't be quick to judge, but fast to love as brothers and ambassitors of Christ if you know someone with an addiction or you're too embarassed to talk about it to anyone. You can always talk to God, he will love you the same no matter what you have done! God made us, He doesn't get surprised, but He does want us all to have a healthy relationship wih Him, which is why Hesent His Son Jesus Christ to take away the sins of the world. God's grace and forgiveness can be extended to the foulest of wrongdoer if we accept Him genuinely. This site touched me what has it done for you? First of all, I would like to thank God for giving the author of this page the courage to step out and publish their testimony as a way to help others in need. It is yet further evidence that God can use any distorted situations in our lives and apply it as a blessing to others in need…only God can do this!

I am a graduate of Theological College; a current counselling trainee and a follower of Jesus Christ… I also have an addiction to pornography and mastarbation. I am determined to give this back to God. As so many of us I came from a non-Christian background. Sexual immorality was normal and acceptable consequently, the seeds of inequity were sown into my life at a very early age. When I gave my life to Christ as a teenager, I backslid quite a few times into old habits and routines. In my early twenties I gave myself an ultermatum…death or to do what I now is right, namely to fulfil God’s purpose in my life. I recommitted my life to Christ and God took away my addictions…I can’t explain it, but to say there was Divine intervention.

However, after I was saved, during the weak times in my life I made a sequence of selfish decisions which re awaked the desires of my flesh inevitibly leading me back down the carnal, immoral and doomed path. This is the path to destruction if we follow it and refuse God’s grace before we die. Not because God chooses to destroy us, but because a gracious God has given us grace-restored free will and respects our choice. (Even if that means we refuse to follow the best way an All-knowing and All-power God receommends). If He didn’t respect our choice, we wouldn’t have free will. We always have a choice, and God can help us make the ones that don’t offend Him and lead to the truth which ultimately stes us free from all addiction and selfishness. My story doesn’t end here though…

There have been many times when I have lustfully viewed internet pornography and mastabated since my days at Theological College. I think that lust can be a particular weakness for men. I find the most tempting times for me to be when I am alone, stressed out, depressed or bored! I know that I should ask God for help, but the addiction snuffs out the warnings of the Holy Spirit, and I use my freedom of choice to voluntarily transgress (delibrately choose to do the wrong thing). After each time the feelings of guilt and self hate are overwhelming, to the point of giving-up; which was what I was about to do before I found this site. In a fallen world even those who have faith can be weak, and if we give the ruler of the air an inch, and he will take a mile. I know I have one purpose in this life, and that is to glorify the One who created me in His infinite love and grace.

A note to those brothersandsistersinChrist out there: as this site stated, God’s mercies are renewed each day and His forgiveness extends to the truly repentent. Don’t be quick to judge, but fast to love as brothers and ambassitors of Christ if you know someone with an addiction or you’re too embarassed to talk about it to anyone. You can always talk to God, he will love you the same no matter what you have done! God made us, He doesn’t get surprised, but He does want us all to have a healthy relationship wih Him, which is why Hesent His Son Jesus Christ to take away the sins of the world. God’s grace and forgiveness can be extended to the foulest of wrongdoer if we accept Him genuinely. This site touched me what has it done for you?

]]> By: antonios http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-136 antonios Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:50:43 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-136 watching Jesus on the the cross saying the final NO to sin,bringing salvation to the human race by His death and ressurection, sets me infront of a delema, for what, why did it happen. The scriptures say it happened for me and all of mankind, to follow Him and the freedom from all addictions this fleshly world provides. If we truly believe, the prower of His NOcan be available to all of us who are addicted to pronography and masturbation and any other kind of addictions. they are actually all the same, the make us slaves since in the things we obey we are slaves to. It is up to us if we truly want to be liberated from our addiction and The heavenly Father wiil surelly help us. our faith will be victorious because it is possible.Jesus made possible for all of us. May he give us the power to stay steade in our desision to remain free and clean, for He does nott want us slaves but lords. it was a relief for me to now that there is a sight that reffers to such problems and offers the help and guidence needed. Thank God, thank you, o Theos na se evlogei,( God bless you). watching Jesus on the the cross saying the final NO to sin,bringing salvation to the human race by His death and ressurection, sets me infront of a delema, for what, why did it happen. The scriptures say it happened for me and all of mankind, to follow Him and the freedom from all addictions this fleshly world provides. If we truly believe, the prower of His NOcan be available to all of us who are addicted to pronography and masturbation and any other kind of addictions. they are actually all the same, the make us slaves since in the things we obey we are slaves to. It is up to us if we truly want to be liberated from our addiction and The heavenly Father wiil surelly help us. our faith will be victorious because it is possible.Jesus made possible for all of us. May he give us the power to stay steade in our desision to remain free and clean, for He does nott want us slaves but lords. it was a relief for me to now that there is a sight that reffers to such problems and offers the help and guidence needed. Thank God, thank you, o Theos na se evlogei,( God bless you).

]]> By: Brian http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Brian Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:39:48 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-135 thank you whoever wrote this i just did somethingiwas addicted to andi knew ikept falling and i went to get my bible but then just got onto the computer againand searched and ifound this site as the first result ithink it is God interveining im savin this to myfavorites andcoming back ever day until imdone withthis horrid addiction. thank you whoever wrote this i just did somethingiwas addicted to andi knew ikept falling and i went to get my bible but then just got onto the computer againand searched and ifound this site as the first result ithink it is God interveining im savin this to myfavorites andcoming back ever day until imdone withthis horrid addiction.

]]> By: How Long Does it Take to Overcome Addiction? « Pornography and Masturbation Addiction Help http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-134 How Long Does it Take to Overcome Addiction? « Pornography and Masturbation Addiction Help Wed, 29 Aug 2007 06:05:10 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-134 [...] can encourage you but they cannot give it to you. On a religious note I will say that developing faith in God helped me to develop faith in myself. I still had to make the decision but my religion certainly made that [...] [...] can encourage you but they cannot give it to you. On a religious note I will say that developing faith in God helped me to develop faith in myself. I still had to make the decision but my religion certainly made that [...]

]]> By: How to Overcome Internet Pornography Addiction « NewLifeHabits.com http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/comment-page-1/#comment-133 How to Overcome Internet Pornography Addiction « NewLifeHabits.com Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:52:33 +0000 http://newlifehabits.com/2007/08/14/importance-of-spirituality-for-the-addicted/#comment-133 [...] 10. Renew your inner strength and motivation every day – If you are religious then read the scriptures or religious books of hope. If you are not religious then read motivating books like “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. Whatever you choose make sure it is not giving you some misleading, quick fix, self help advice that will take you off the road of steady progression. You need to renew your inner strength on a daily basis to maintain a positive attitude and motivation to keep going. [...] [...] 10. Renew your inner strength and motivation every day – If you are religious then read the scriptures or religious books of hope. If you are not religious then read motivating books like “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. Whatever you choose make sure it is not giving you some misleading, quick fix, self help advice that will take you off the road of steady progression. You need to renew your inner strength on a daily basis to maintain a positive attitude and motivation to keep going. [...]

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