Tips on Stopping Lustful Thoughts?

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Melodeonist

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I tried searching, but most of the other threads were also about self abuse and impure images. I NEVER intentionally look at impure images and I never commit self abuse. However, I struggle a seemingly daily battle (sometimes even more than daily battle) with impure thoughts.

I have a very good imagination and I also have a near photographic memory. This is a great gift from God, but Satan tries to use this against me by making me remember impure images I saw before I was Catholic. Satan also tries to make me get aroused by nearly anything from female smiley faces to empty space in drawings/products vaguely resembling females.

I try to resist lust best I can, but sometimes it takes me a while to realize what I’m doing. I realize all one needs to do is to try to stop lust the best they can, but I feel I need some tips on how to do that. For example, I often get aroused by nothing. Although arousal is not a sin of itself, I feel that arousal can easily plant the seeds of impure thoughts in my mind. As previously mentioned, I have a very visual mind that can conjure up images very easily. Should I get an impure image in my mind, I often try to shove it out by thinking of something that is not related to it such as say a golf course. The problem with doing this is that the impure image may “visit” the new thought that I tried to kick the bad thought out with.

One thing I noticed is that my issues with lust are on and off. It seems some months/weeks I have a very easy time dealing with lust, but other months/weeks I almost have no control over lust.

Anyone got some tips for a visual person for dealing with lust? Thanks! 😃
 
Melodeonist said:
I tried searching, but most of the other threads were also about self abuse and impure images. I NEVER intentionally look at impure images and I never commit self abuse. However, I struggle a seemingly daily battle (sometimes even more than daily battle) with impure thoughts.

I have a very good imagination and I also have a near photographic memory. This is a great gift from God, but Satan tries to use this against me by making me remember impure images I saw before I was Catholic. Satan also tries to make me get aroused by nearly anything from female smiley faces to empty space in drawings/products vaguely resembling females.

I try to resist lust best I can, but sometimes it takes me a while to realize what I’m doing. I realize all one needs to do is to try to stop lust the best they can, but I feel I need some tips on how to do that. For example, I often get aroused by nothing. Although arousal is not a sin of itself, I feel that arousal can easily plant the seeds of impure thoughts in my mind. As previously mentioned, I have a very visual mind that can conjure up images very easily. Should I get an impure image in my mind, I often try to shove it out by thinking of something that is not related to it such as say a golf course. The problem with doing this is that the impure image may “visit” the new thought that I tried to kick the bad thought out with.

One thing I noticed is that my issues with lust are on and off. It seems some months/weeks I have a very easy time dealing with lust, but other months/weeks I almost have no control over lust.

Anyone got some tips for a visual person for dealing with lust? Thanks! 😃
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Unfortunately I forgot to add that my lustful thoughts are usually triggered by either my mind, or images I accidentally run upon. They are almost never triggered by real people.
 
Well, you sound pretty durn normal to me there, kiddo. 👍

Forgive me for how stupid this is going to sound, but the way to stop lustful thoughts is to stop them…and move on.

Yeah, they’re going to return, and the younger you are (perhaps) the more frequently they’re likely to return. And then you stop them again. I usually just reply to these images/thoughts with “Blah, blah, blah, thanks for sharing.”

The thoughts are invasive, yes, and often come out of nowhere. And yes, sometimes I can even start entertaining them before I realize what I’m doing (bad habits formed over many years of rejecting God). So what? Shake it off and move on.

You are so very young, my dear, and God bless you for fighting the good fight now. But the more energy you spend addressing and thinking about this struggle, the more the struggle will be present to you. What I mean is, give these thoughts and images as little of your energy as possible. Something pops into your mind, and you mentally reply, “Whatever, dude, I’m busy.”

Sometimes I’ll even literally shake my head to get a quick sense of shaking the thought away.

And yes, even at 49, this single woman still has this same struggle.

We’re all in this together, dear, and we all stand together – usually in the confession line. 😊

Now go think about something else. 😃
 
Please see a counselor.
Smiley’s?
:eek:

Keep busy with good things, and the evil things will go away.
Pray the St. Michael prayer often.
 
Never take counseling advise from someone on the internet. It can be very destructive.

Don’t go to the internet seeking advice on such matters.

You sound normal to me. For goodness sake, you’re human, man!
 
Obsessing and over worrying about these things can actually increase temptation.
 
Gertabelle said:
Well, you sound pretty durn normal to me there, kiddo. 👍

Forgive me for how stupid this is going to sound, but the way to stop lustful thoughts is to stop them…and move on.

Yeah, they’re going to return, and the younger you are (perhaps) the more frequently they’re likely to return. And then you stop them again. I usually just reply to these images/thoughts with “Blah, blah, blah, thanks for sharing.”

The thoughts are invasive, yes, and often come out of nowhere. And yes, sometimes I can even start entertaining them before I realize what I’m doing (bad habits formed over many years of rejecting God). So what? Shake it off and move on.

You are so very young, my dear, and God bless you for fighting the good fight now. But the more energy you spend addressing and thinking about this struggle, the more the struggle will be present to you. What I mean is, give these thoughts and images as little of your energy as possible. Something pops into your mind, and you mentally reply, “Whatever, dude, I’m busy.”

Sometimes I’ll even literally shake my head to get a quick sense of shaking the thought away.

And yes, even at 49, this single woman still has this same struggle.

We’re all in this together, dear, and we all stand together – usually in the confession line. 😊

Now go think about something else. 😃
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Yup, I’m with Gertabelle here. Say a Glory Be and move on.
I’ve heard it put this way; Jesus said “Get behind me Satan.” He didn’t debate, He didn’t argue, He didn’t pause, He just threw the devil over His shoulder and carried on. The same too with Mary; she crushed the serpent’s head without any qualms. As soon as it showed up she smashed it like the very first game of Whack-a-Mole. Don’t dwell even on keeping them OUT; just move on entirely. Don’t give any piece of this any of your time; yes, pray for healing, yes, pray for help, but don’t fret about it; Punch it in the proverbial face, give it to God, and carry on with life.

Praying for you!
 
Thanks for the replies! I think my problem is that I dwell not on the thoughts per se, but rather on keeping them out. This thinking seems to bring the impure thoughts back.
 
PraiseChrist said:
Obsessing and over worrying about these things can actually increase temptation.
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This, 100%.

The best solution is not to freak out and try to “block” impure thoughts, but to accept that something has popped into your head of it’s own accord and ignore it. Instead, deliberately think about something else, like a math puzzle or a riddle, or go and do something engaging.
 
There isn’t an easy way.

You’re wired for it. It’s in your DNA. It’s in my DNA.

The only way to stop is to stop. Easy, huh?

There are methods for managing intrusive thoughts that involve the opposite of what you’d expect. You allow yourself 15 minutes per day to entertain your intrusive thoughts. You force yourself to think of nothing but the intrusive thoughts for those 15 minutes. For the rest of the day, you stop yourself from thinking about them.

Believe it or not, after a while, it begins to work. You can start to gain control over them. And you can reduce the 15 minutes to 10, then fewer, and fewer.

Now, people may object to allowing oneself to engage in lustful thoughts (a sin, right). And I’ve never tried this method with lustful thoughts, but it did work for me with regard to other intrusive thoughts (that were unpleasant and not sinful).
 
Melodeonist said:
Thanks for the replies! I think my problem is that I dwell not on the thoughts per se, but rather on keeping them out. This thinking seems to bring the impure thoughts back.
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Exactly… try not thinking about something and that is what one ends up thinking about.
I may not have the photogenic memory but i too have the same imagination it seems. What i did/do is offer these ‘memories’ to the Lord to purify in the fire of His loving mercy.
When i get these lustful thoughts which are triggered by the ordinary (like how the hills look in the field), i laugh at myself and say wow man you are messed up and laugh at myself some more. Then quickly put my mind on more serious things.
 
God permits sexual temptations in people as a means of perfecting them: making them better husbands, fathers, brothers, priests, workers, etc. You should not be alarmed for having these temptations. Sometimes, temptations can be an answer to our prayers, though God himself does not tempt, he knows there are inevitable situations in life where temptation will come.

For men, this especially will mean avoiding sexual gratification as a ‘quick fix’ drug. We can compartmentalize ourselves very easily, which is a strength in many ways, but it also means becoming aroused outside of the romantic context comes easier. If you go back and journal when you have temptations of impurity, it’s almost always going to be when, for some reason or another, you are feeling blasted. 99% of the time any man is caught up in impurity, it is because he is in pain, and he is finding the wrong kind of escape from it.

So, for strengthening yourself, this means finding alternative means of dealing with blasted states of minds: anxiety, fatigue, apathy, discouragement, anger, loneliness, envy. Sex is the easiest ointment from this pain, even easier than alcohol, which involves a trip to the store. So, any alternative is going to involve more planning and consideration. Spiritually healthy alternatives could be any number of things, but basically, you need to take care of yourself and treat yourself kindly. On one pole there is presumption, where we treat sin as though it were not sin. On another pole there is debasement, where we beat ourselves up over our fallen nature. In between, there is Christ.

There are also two universal alternatives: 1) Prayer (Connect with God) and Fellowship (Connect with others). Whatever other means you use of feeding your soul & emotional state, these two should always be used.
 
If no one has mentioned it, prayer is your most powerful ally in over coming sinful memories. Some or all of the great catholic mystics had the same problem stemming from humans attraction to sin on their journey to holiness. The same journey that we are or should all be on. What’s not possible for us is possible for God.
 
Dave Roberson book free PDF . walking in the spirit walking in power. Apply and it will change your life .holy spirit will change you
 
I’m 56 and still have issues with impure thoughts … I use the line I read in the bible that Jesus used … Satan get thee behind me … then I repeat the name of our Lord Jesus Christ over and over until I feel the thought is totally gone.
 
Hawkmaid said:
Yup, I’m with Gertabelle here. Say a Glory Be and move on.
I’ve heard it put this way; Jesus said “Get behind me Satan.” He didn’t debate, He didn’t argue, He didn’t pause, He just threw the devil over His shoulder and carried on. The same too with Mary; she crushed the serpent’s head without any qualms. As soon as it showed up she smashed it like the very first game of Whack-a-Mole. Don’t dwell even on keeping them OUT; just move on entirely. Don’t give any piece of this any of your time; yes, pray for healing, yes, pray for help, but don’t fret about it; Punch it in the proverbial face, give it to God, and carry on with life.

Praying for you!
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I agree with this. In my own experience unwelcome thoughts aren’t to be feared, indulged or ignored. They are to be mentally addressed. This means recognizing the thought, not trying to hide from it or fearing it. It then means making a mental act of rejecting it. That can be ‘get the behind me Satan’, or ‘this is silly’. Whatever the address it is a recognition of the thought but also a rejection of it. At least for me this has be helpful.

Another thing you can do is something physical. For me doing something active such as washing the dishes and doing it very mindfully, that is paying attention to it, is helpful. A real quick technique is to splash your face with cold water or even take a cold shower. There are physiological affects of this that tend to snap you out of whatever you are thinking.
 
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