Pornography is stronger than heroin

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Do you go to Adoration? That helps too.

But yeah, I second the Rosary. I have a couple porn images that are hard for me to shake and since I started praying a lot of Rosaries and asking Mother Mary for help and going to Adoration, the idea of them has just gotten less and less appealing. Not totally unappealing yet, but much less appealing than they used to be.

I also don’t want to slip up because if I get out of a state of grace I can’t earn the daily plenary indulgences I’m trying to get for souls in purgatory. i feel like I’d be letting them down. Between that and having to explain to a priest in the confessional that I “fell off the wagon” sexually (I find this embarrassing, though I have done it when necessary), it’s enough to keep me pretty much on the straight and narrow.
 
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I’m glad to report back that I renewed my consecration to Mary, and I just finished praying the Rosary for the first time in a while!
 
Hey OP, this might not help you now, but keep in mind that in about twenty years or so, the natural aging process and decline in the amount of testosterone your body produces will make it much easier to break that habit.
 
Hey Spyridon,

I’m the same age as you and I’ve dealt with this problem most of my life as well.

I’m not a Theologian (and I want to stress that), but this is what worked for me:
  1. Fear of God.
  2. Frequent Confession.
  3. Returning to the Church and going to Mass regularly.
  4. Praying the Rosary regularly.
  5. AVOID AVOID AVOID the near occasion of sin. It’s not enough to try to avoid the sin, you have to avoid putting yourself in situations where you could be led into sin.
For point #1, Our Lady of Fatima warned “More souls go to Hell because of the sins of the flesh than for any other reason.” There are only Ten Commandments, yet two of them deal with sex. There are numerous Bible passages instructing us upon how we should handle our sexuality. The point is that this is an issue God takes very seriously, and thus so should we.

It’s tempting to be lax in this area considering how little modern society seems to care about chastity, purity, and modesty, but God does not change. When we turn away from Him, we risk separating ourselves from Him eternally. And all of us are a bad car wreck or an angry lunatic away from meeting God. Don’t put this problem off, conquer it now.

Point #2 really helped me. Don’t forget that Confession is a Sacrament and that you receive grace from God when you are absolved. But part of the deal with it is that you must denounce your sin and you must resolve to sin no more (see the Act of Contrition). And if you truly resolve to sin no more, it means keeping yourself out of situations that could lead you down that path.

Point #3 is like point #2. We are called to examine ourselves and make sure we are worthy before receiving the Eucharist. That was another thing that hit home. It wasn’t enough to avoid porn, I had to also avoid lustful thoughts and keep them far from my mind. The Eucharist is obviously another Sacrament, and if you approach Him with reverence, humility, and deep respect, God will help you with your struggles. Make use of the Sacraments!

Point #4 should be obvious. Prayer is one of the most effective ways we have in combating sin, and the Rosary is one of the most effective prayers. I have been helped so many times by praying the Rosary. Try praying a Rosary every day. Also, please read up on the 15 promises of the Rosary if you haven’t already. It truly is a gift from God. Now that I think of it, I need to do a better job praying the Rosary, myself.
 
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(continued)

Point #5 really requires you to search your soul (at least it did with me). There are many things I’ve had to give up, even fairly tame things by modern standards, simply because I know that if I go down that road it will lead me to sin. It’s a bit like how an alcoholic needs to avoid bars. And just like some people don’t have a problem with alcohol, some people don’t have a problem with lust. But I do, and I know I do. If you feel something is starting to stir up sinful thoughts, get away from it and make a note that you can’t handle being around that. Say a prayer to God. Ask for Mary’s intercession. Ask for the intercession of a saint. But do not think you can handle it on your own. Recently I thought I could handle something I knew led me down a bad path, and it did. As my confessor told me, “you’re playing with fire.” And indeed I was. It was completely not worth it. Abandon near occasions of sin and turn your heart to God.

Bonus advice: Pray a novena to St. Rita (she’s the saint of “impossible” causes and I believe has really helped me with some things I thought were impossible). Ask God for great graces. We often ask for material things, don’t forget to ask Him for His grace! Finally, ask God for perfect contrition. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, maybe just add it to the end of some of your prayers.
 
Matthew 7:1-5
Look it up. I suggest you spend more time studying the words of JESUS CHRIST. Before you start with quotes from St. Paul. Furthermore, perhaps a study of the culture of Corinth during the time period would be beneficial.
 
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I had the same problem while married to my ex.
Stopped right after I moved out. Never felt the urge again. Thank God.

Is your wife aware of your problem?
 
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Would it help to be more deliberate in your use of the internet? So for instance, if you often start viewing pornography after a few hours on youtube, maybe the discipline has to start sooner. Maybe you should set a timer so that you only use the internet for a specified period of time and get what you need to get done sooner. Then have a plan to spend the rest of the time doing something with your wife and family. More scheduling of your time is my advice. Take up a particular hobby such as woodworking. How do you know you’re spending enough time on hobbies? Check receipts. If you haven’t spent any money on hobbies this month, that’s not good. Also check receipts for money spent on sports facilities, ie. tennis, swimming, working out. If the balance is zero, you may have too much time on your hands.

I give practical solutions because I think it’s hard to pray. Though I agree with prayer in theory.
 
Why don’t you cancel your internet? Easy solution too. If nothing else has worked for you, you can always do this.

You can change your life.

The internet is an easy doorway. It is akin to living inside a strip club or a brothel and covering your eyes and trying not to look. If you can’t give it up when it is only a button click away then cancel your internet and come back later when you have strengthened yourself. It is an option.
 
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I think if I could not overcome pornography by other means, then a more extreme means would be to disconnect your computer from the internet or get a whole new computer all together with no internet.

Even more, few of us have any absolute need for a computer at all. I often think how beautiful it would be to live a more austere life with no computer or tv. Maybe I can still wiggle my way into a more austere cloistered contemplative community.

Pretty extreme. But there is a lot of good spiritual books to be read out there. 🙂

As others have said, I think praying rosaries and eucharistic adoration, both daily if necessary would send the devil running for his life.
 
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Yeah. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like without the internet. I wonder what i would do…
 
@HisMercy has given good advice which is sufficient to this post and the rest as well ,

i would only add ,lust is a one of the 7 most deadliest sins,which i too struggle with ,it’s also an evil spirit in Hosea 5:4 Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God.For the spirit of whoredom is within them,and they do not know the Lord.

Only by relying on Jesus and Mother Mary can we over come these desires, not in day ,but keep praying and persevering to be Holy Psalms 119:9-11How can young people keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.10 With my whole heart I seek you;do not let me stray from your commandments.11 I treasure your word in my heart,so that I may not sin against you.God Bless
 
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This is impractical. I wish I could do without internet, but it’s impossible. Every agency expects you to have it. It is in fact a great poverty to not have it. You can’t deal with any government agencies, utilities, or job requirements without it. Besides, how would Spiridon have gotten your advice without it?
 
🤔…

Is this a trick question?

I would not say that it is impossible, but indeed it would be difficult. It’s only a thought. I think if I was addicted to pornography, something drastic would be in order, but it was just a thought. There are other things that are more practical to try first, to be sure.
 
There are some good websites, I think, but I don’t know them off the top of my head that offer help of various kinds for people struggling with this addiction.

I will pray for you at adoration, Spyridon.
 
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Lara said:
This is impractical. I wish I could do without internet, but it’s impossible. Every agency expects you to have it. It is in fact a great poverty to not have it. You can’t deal with any government agencies, utilities, or job requirements without it. Besides, how would Spiridon have gotten your advice without it?
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It definitely would take an adjustment for myself. I would have to change the way I handle my finances. The answer to your question is straightforward. He probably would not have needed to ask for advice about pornography since he wouldn’t have such easy access to it.
 
If it’s such a strong addiction then it needs to be treated as such with a psychologists help ?
 
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