Could I be possessed?

[Shameless]

I have been struggling with sins of impurity for 20+ years now, I’m married and I have kids. My wife knows about this problem and has been a great help. Yet the situation has improved it is still there and actually gotten worse the last week or so. I’ve heard radio shows that hint on the fact maybe I could be possessed or something else. I got started in all this impurity when I was very, very young. I have gotten a lot of good advice from people but if I can’t get myself to pray during a temptation how will I ever overcome this? I looked into the Catholic Therapist thing there is no one around me, the closest is about a 3 hour drive each way. How does one know they are possessed or opressed or what ever the demons do? Should I call my diocese or just talk to my priest? What should I do? I wear a St. Benedict cross/medal, miraculous medal,etc I thought the devils were afraid of these things and that made them stay away, it’s not working. Maybe there is a way to retrain my mind, is that possible? Well that’s it I’m rambling now. Thanks!

 

[asteroid]

Possessed? Almost certainly not.

Two recommendations - the first a couple of good books that helped me a lot in many areas of my life. They are not by a Catholic author so others may warn you off. Basically they are based on who we are, our identities in Christ, and learning to live according to who God says we are, and learning to believe that we are who God says we are. It’s sort of a Christian version of Cognitive Behavioural techniques and is great. The books are by Dr. Neil Anderson and are “The Bondage Breaker” and “Victory Over the Darkness”. He basically believes in what he calls “Truth Encounters” - when dark or false thoughts arise, challenge them by positively thinking or speaking the truth as God has revealed it. The books are not a cure-all, they take a lot of hard work, but the ideas are good (unless you read the anti-Anderson web sites). Here’s part of who we are in Christ:

ficm.org/whoiam.htm

There are probably similar Catholic books around - but I’m only just in RCIA so I don’t know them. There are similar non-Catholic books too but those are the ones that helped me a lot and some of the books are pretty poor. Actually - reading up on Cognitive Behavioural Techniques is recommended too for retraining patterns of thought.

Second recommendation - don’t fight temptation if possible. Instead, flee. When you say you cannot get yourself to pray during temptation this is false. By force of habit and repeated thinking it you may believe you cannot get yourself to pray at these times. In fact you can pray at these times. But getting over the firm belief that “I can’t do it” and actually doing it will take determination. I’ve been in that situation - not necessarily the same temptations - but the situation of believing “I cannot pray” at such times. It is hard work breaking out of it. You CAN pray at these times. That’s the truth. Believing it may be hard to do but it is the truth. (unless dissociation is a problem for you?)

Fleeing - don’t fight temptation by a mental struggle against tempation. You will lose. We all lose that one eventually. Fight by prayer, by going over your identity in Christ, by having a Bible on you at all times and reading it at the first sign of temptation (Read “The Way of The Pilgrim” for that idea - and others). I’m sure other people have much better ideas than me here. Get a little wooden box, fill it with good things - photos, writings, scripture etc. When temptation comes, open the box. Hard to do but it gets easier.

Fleeing - if temptation comes through reading things, don’t read. If it comes by watching things, don’t ever watch (easier said than done I know especially with the sort of things on free-to-air channels in the evenings these days). If it comes by thoughts coming into your head and being entertained, that’s harder - you can’t just throw your brain away like you can a book.

…continued (sorry about the length of this!)

 

[asteroid]

…continuation

If unbidden dark, tempting thoughts come they come from two sources - ourselves, and demons. If from ourselves they can be overcome by learning to do all of the above. It’s hard work (have I said that too much), long-term, and even after years and years the temptations and thoughts can arise again. Like an alcoholic with alcohol, if we’ve lived with struggles in a particular area for years and years, that area will still be an area of weekness in the background - even if we haven’t had a drink or sinned for years. If the thoughts come from demons - oppressing us, not possessing us - that’s actually easier to deal with - if living in Christ the best we can we have the authority in Christ to tell them to naff off and if we learn to stand in the truths that God says about us that gets easier. The struggle with ourselves is harder than the struggle with the enemy.

We all struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. Of those three, the flesh is hardest to win. Nearly all of us continue all these struggles until we reach heaven.

Sorry to go on so long. Hope some of the above is helpful and not much of it is counter-productive. Be assured - you’re are almost certainly not possessed, but struggling.

Blessings

Asteroid

 

[martino]

I agree with the last person in that you are not possessed by the devil. Maybe “obsessed” but defnintely not “possessed.” However I even have doubts about obsession, but I am far from being an expert on this topic.

Sins of impurity are tricky because there are sooooo many different ways to trigger them. The first thing you should do if you have not already, is to rid your life of anything that could possibly trigger your mind to impure thoughts. That is where the battle is, if you can fight off the thoughts then the actions will never manifest themselves. But before you can even stand a chance in fighting off the thoughts you must first limit them to some managable level, and this is done by removing every occasion of sin from your life, as much as possible anyway. Any visiual stimuli must be removed, these would include but are not limited to: pictures(magazines and such are filled with sensual images), tv (even the commercials appeal to our sensuality), movies, websites (even presumably harmless websites are notorius for posting sexual images), and music that contains sexual language. Without any of these things you would not experience nearly as many temptations, and that is your opportunity to begin the healing process. Take advantage of these moments of peace and pray to God for the grace to fight any and all temptations. They will become fewer and farther between, all the while you will begin to grow and strengthen your resolve to fight.

The absolute key is fighting the little things that ultimately lead us to sin. If we cannot fight against the smallest temptation how are we ever going to be able to fight the larger ones? So even if it seems petty to avoid…let’s say a panty hose commercials, it is actually essential to the battle, because that is where it all begins. If the devil can convince us that “its just a harmless commercial” then he has already defeated us because at that moment we forfeit the battle and stand no chance of fighting anything!

 

[rayray81]

If your family computer is in its own room move it to a much more public part of your house, like the living room. Make sure the monitor is visible to the rest of the room. Have a reason to be getting on the computer, like checking email, or the CA forums, and once you have done that, get off the computer! Don’t get on the computer when your the only one home or awake! I don’t know if you are addicted to internet porn or not but if you are that should help deter you from that.

Pray to God not only to help you stop commiting the sin but to help keep you from doing what ever is leading you to commit it.

Keep a journal with you and write everything that happened to you that day to see if you can figure out what is triggering you to commit the sin. Then you can try and adjust your life so you no longer encounter that trigger.

Peace!

 

[puzzleannie]

a persistant sinful habit is a spiritual problem, not demonic possession, and the cure is waiting for you in the healing power of the Eucharist and in the confessional. Go now, go weekly if necessary and take the priest’s advice, and on the basis of “if thine eye offend, pluck it out” get rid of whatever in your life is your temptation, including and especially TV, computer and bad friends.

 

[Teresa9]

puzzleannie:

a persistant sinful habit is a spiritual problem, not demonic possession, and the cure is waiting for you in the healing power of the Eucharist and in the confessional. Go now, go weekly if necessary and take the priest’s advice, and on the basis of “if thine eye offend, pluck it out” get rid of whatever in your life is your temptation, including and especially TV, computer and bad friends.

Dear friend

Tha advice Annie has given you here is top advice, everything you need to do to solve this cycle of sin is within her words. You are not possessed, you are suffering a cycle of sin that started somewhere in your past, sin breeds sin and becomes habitual until we feel it is insurmountable, but it isn’t, in Christ Jesus all things are possible. Tell Jesus every detail of your struggles and ask Him to set you free from this. Then make every effort yourself as Annie has advised, you may see a small or large change to this problem, but one thing is certain, if you do this with a heart full of love for Jesus and with a sincere effort from yourself…you will see this change for the better for you, your soul and your salvation. Don’t worry if you backslide, you are human and a sinner, but God will crown and reward all of your efforts and intentions and your true and sincere repentance.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa