I learned the hard way that porn addiction is progressive and destructive. For several years I couldn’t stop looking at sexually explicit material — hard-core porn, to be honest. But by God’s grace, I’ve been set free and have been clean for over two months. Please tell others that there is hope in the battle against pornography addiction!
ANSWER:
Congratulations on the progress you’ve made in the battle against pornography addiction!
Your success is a sign of hope for others who wrestle with similar addictions and who desperately want to know it’s possible to be set free. Each of us can become a new creation in Christ — no matter who we are or what we’ve done. If it’s happening for you, it can happen for others, too.
At the same time, you probably also want people to know that recovery demands serious commitment and dedication.
Healing from pornography addiction takes time
The healing process can be slow, painstaking, and incremental. Success depends on accountability and a lifelong decision to safeguard pure thoughts. However, this can only happen in partnership with other people.
Do you have a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or a support group that can come alongside you and hold your feet to the fire when necessary? You can’t expect to win this fight alone.
Why not? Because sexual addictions are rooted in the fundamental human craving for relationship.
The powerful effects of porn
Porn is powerful because it offers a counterfeit form of intimacy and attachment.
Because of this, we need to follow up our earlier praise with a word of caution: If your basic need for intimacy isn’t met in a legitimate way, you’ll fall back into negative behavior — despite your best efforts to resist it. (Thirty, sixty, or ninety porn-free days don’t necessarily prove that you’ve overcome your addiction once and for all.)
Our advice, then, is to keep up your defenses. Get professional counseling. Learn about healthy emotional, physical, and spiritual intimacy. Do everything you can to nurture deep, meaningful relationships with the people in your life.
Whatever it takes, free yourself from the lie that depersonalized sex can ultimately satisfy the longings of the human heart.
We’re here to help
Call our Counseling department for a free over-the-phone consultation. Our licensed Christian counselors would welcome the chance to talk with you about these thoughts at greater length. They can also give you referrals to intensive counseling programs for porn addicts or a list of qualified therapists in your area who specialize in treating sexual addictions.
And if you haven’t already, install accountability software. That’s not the ultimate answer to the serious and complex problems at the heart of pornography addiction, of course. But it can play an important role in helping you keep tabs on your online activities.
If a title is currently unavailable through Focus on the Family, we encourage you to use another retailer.
Digital Pornography Addiction: What You Need to Know and Where to Find Help
False Intimacy: Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Addiction
Overcoming Sexual Brokenness (resource list)