I'm still unshure if I'm sinning

[scapularkid8]

I’m recently struggling with habitual masturbation. I’m not (thank God) doing it anymore, except for the awkward time right after and somewhat before (? ) waking up. I don’t know if this is a sin or not. At the time, I’m conscious of what I’m doing and I know I’m doing it, but I’m on the first open-eye-auto-pilot state that a lot of us are in before actually “waking up”. I don’t want to reason away any sin I might be committing, but I don’t want to be scrupulous about it. When I do it then, it does seem significantly different than when I’m “awake” and consciously making the choice to masturbate. I pray for forgiveness afterward and seem to fall asleep again without really being able to focus on the prayer or what i just did…

I don’t know. Maybe I’m just over thinking this. Thanks for your much-appreciated (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[teachccd]

This is probably best dealt with in the confessional. The gray area lies with whether or not you are conscious enough to stop the act once you realize what you are doing. For example if you say," well I started it so even though I know what I am doing I might as well finish" then you might enter into sin. HOWEVER, it is imperative that you seek confession not because you are scrupulous but in the off chance that your “not being fully awake” might be a tiny substitute for committing this act later. You and God only know this and you must be honest with yourself.

If you are truly in a state where a conscious decision cannot be made then obviously no sin is committed…teachccd

 

[Feedmysheep]

Can you give full consent of will while partially sleeping? I’m not so sure.

However, take it to the confessional, if for no other reason than to reap the graces given there to aid in your battle. There’s no scrupulosity in receiving graces.

And it IS a battle. Can you imagine a warrior saying, “I’m not sure if I’m armed well enough, but I just don’t feel like walking down to the armory to get additional weapons.” ?

 

[Starwynd]

I’d recommend getting some professional help.

If it’s that important to you to quite, and you can’t stop, then there’s some sort of underlying problem that’s influencing it in some way.

 

[RedSoxFan]

I’m recently struggling with habitual masturbation. I’m not (thank God) doing it anymore, except for the awkward time right after and somewhat before (? ) waking up. I don’t know if this is a sin or not. At the time, I’m conscious of what I’m doing and I know I’m doing it, but I’m on the first open-eye-auto-pilot state that a lot of us are in before actually “waking up”. I don’t want to reason away any sin I might be committing, but I don’t want to be scrupulous about it. When I do it then, it does seem significantly different than when I’m “awake” and consciously making the choice to masturbate. I pray for forgiveness afterward and seem to fall asleep again without really being able to focus on the prayer or what i just did…

I don’t know. Maybe I’m just over thinking this. Thanks for your much-appreciated (name removed by moderator)ut.

Look if I was a drug addict and said “hey, I’m not really an addict. I only smoke before bedtime.” You would most likely say to yourself “yeah whatever buddy.”

Sounds like to me, and I might be wrong, that you kind still like sinning because it’s fun, but you are trying to find a way to do it so you are not to blame. The short of it is you can’t. You’re aware of when you are doing it, so it is a sin.

You can break yourself of the habit, you’ll just have to work on it even more so. Pray the rosary and ask Mary to pray to God with you too.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

Strap a rosary to your hand before going to sleep. Hold onto the cross of Christ. This is a tough challenge, don’t despair. The sin is bad, but turning away from the struggle is much worse. I think many have left the church because they lost the battle to master their sexuality and despaired.

 

[DL82]

It sounds like your body is somewhere between waking and sleeping, maybe partly a dream-state, but also partly aware.

I also agree with the rosary thing, or maybe a picture of Christ or Our Lady above your bed so it’s the first thing you see when you wake. Try setting your alarm to get you up a half hour earlier if this happens consistently at a certain time each morning. Then get out of bed right away and pray. If all else fails, sleep with your hands wrapped in a towel!

Of course, you also have to look at what else in your life is making you act this way, just stopping the act will get you so far, but no further. How do you look at women? When you see an attractive woman on the street, do your eyes follow her, do you focus on a particular body part? When you are on the internet, even if not looking at porn, do you look at suggestive pictures of social contacts on facebook or myspace? Do you watch suggestive videos on MTV? What are your thoughts like? Do you pray away lustful thoughts when they come to you? What do you focus on when you think of your future as a married man? Being able to help your wife and children to progress together in holiness, or do you just think of all the great sex you’ll have?

It’s a struggle, but it’s truly amazing what God can do!

Almost forgot, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING - give thanks to God for giving you the grace to stop committing this sin at other times in the day, and for all His other graces in your life!