Distraction vs. Surrender
 
 
  Breaking Free Chizuk #1894  
 
 
In Today's Issue
   
Announcements: Guest Speaker on Duvid Chaim's Call July 19th
Testimonials: Feeling the Closeness
Text: The Identifying Characteristics of Sex and Porn Addicts
Daily Dose of Dov: Distracting Myself vs.Giving It Up
 
 
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Announcements
 
 
Guest Speaker on Duvid Chaim's Call July 19th
 

Save the Date!

This Coming Thursday

July 19th at Noon EST

Special Guest Speaker - Dr. David Lieberman

Testimonials
 
Feeling the Closeness
 
By GYE Member

I started when I was around twelve years old - I was having a lot of issues in school. This went on for two or three years after I got married. I knew I needed to change, so I started reading articles on GYE and gave a lot of money to them and it helped, but I wasn't completely free. I kept on falling. I knew that in order for me to be able to break free, I would need to take my recovery to a higher level. I tried putting filters on all my devices to stop watching movies, but I still had the lust issue. So I started implementing things to really help me. I would cry to Hashem for hours a day because I knew that He is the only One who could help me. I completely stopped watching any shows or movies, even clips. I would ‘guard my eyes’ and wouldn't look at any woman, even if she was Jewish and Frum. After weeks of implementing the above, I felt like a new person - I didn't let the lust get to me. I also started learning, forcing myself to learn for an hour straight or sometimes hours straight (using your mind for Torah cleans it out from all the dirt you have there, say the Seforim). I must say, it's now 4+ years and I wish every Yid would feel like I feel when I pray or learn. Take note: it only gets worse the older you get. I have seen people over 60 addicted to this.

Now, I could sometimes just start crying from happiness and closeness to Hashem. It's the greatest pleasure a person could feel. I feel like a free man and a real Jew. I no longer have to hide anything. All Jews that are addicted should see the truth and become completely free of this.

Text
 
The Identifying Characteristics of Sex and Porn Addicts
 
By Robert Weiss, LCSW, CSAT-S

Medical and psychological professionals generally identify addictions and compulsions to repeat a pleasurable activity based on the following three criteria:

Read more
Daily Dose of Dov
 
Distracting Myself vs.Giving It Up
 
Instead of being focused on the problem, how do I focus on the solution?
 
By Dov

Avraham wrote:

I t ried to distract myself by learning and going to a shiur... distracted myself for a bit. That lasted till like 5PM. I tried hard. I feel like I'm too focused on the problem and not living in the solution. How AM I supposed to live in the solution?


Dov Responded:

Sorry I cannot tell you exactly what to do, but I can share what works for me and if you want it, you'll take it.

"Distracting myself" will not - repeat, not - work in the long run. It is actually completely missing the point.

The only thing that works for me is giving up my right to look at porn and masturbate, period. Just for this day, or just for this incident. The 'distracting' method is just running away - and we cannot run away from ourselves . The lust itself is not out there, of course, nor is it on the computer . Our problem is that the only lust there really is, the only lust we need to reckon with, is the lust that is in ourselves . I need to quit asking G-d to "take it away so I don't have to give it up! ", as the White Book puts it. There is no easy way out.

But the difference between this and the old and useless way of "just fight it - don't give in!" is that I surrender to the fact that I am unable to win, period. Because it's the truth. So I give it up before it destroys me. I have had enough and am willing to have Hashem take away the compulsion - and the pain of not getting my fix.

The problem - the real problem - is that we know that once the obsession and adventure with lust is taken away, we will soon go out of our minds. The porn, lust, and masturbation has actually never been our real problem! Life without it drives us crazy - the lustaholism is just a symptom and a learned coping mechanism that we are prone to. Our real problem is sobriety! Living without the option of being able to escape into the sweet, warm, accepting, exciting yet predictable world of porn whenever we need to - is simply terrifying.

And that's where the other steps come in...

 

Avraham Responds:

These are my thoughts as I wrote them down after thinking about what you wrote and trying to bring this mindset into action:

The idea of admitting powerlessness and submitting to Hashem does not only mean realizing that this will kill you. It means realizing that you do not have the ability to lust. My day does not have room for it. My life doesn't have room for it. My loved ones don't have room for it.

So the moment I start grappling with lust and start calling out that I'm in trouble I've already crossed the line. I'm trying to control my lust. I'm trying to be in control. I'm not admitting powerlessness.

When a triggering image draws my attention, the reaction shouldn't be "Oh No! This is triggering I'm going to fall I need to call out!" that's already giving the image power over me. And I am using out my power over myself to become attracted to it.

Rather, if I see something triggering I should turn away and not give it the time of day to take rent in my brain. I simply can't afford to become lustful.


Dov Responds:

To me, your words are 'spot on' and exactly the only attitude that works for me, too, so far, be"H.

And after actually reacting the way you describe to stuff I pass (whether they 'pass me' physically as images or mentally as euphoric recall), I give credit to Hashem completely and think something like, "amazing that a guy like me would actually be able to have that attitude! Thank you Hashem!"

Do you think you may have a porn addiction?
 

Do you have a problem with obsessive and compulsive porn use? Have you seriously tried the tools on GYE and feel that you are not getting better? Maybe it’s time to consider joining a 12-Step program.

Porn Anonymous (PA)
If you’re compulsively acting-out with pornography and masturbation we suggest you explore joining Porn Anonymous (PA). If you need help deciding whether to join PA, call Michael at 347-699-2368, or email help@pornanonymous.org to schedule a time to talk. For more information visit pornanonymous.org (Hebrew: p-a.org.il / Yiddish: pa-yid.org).

Sexaholics Anonymous (SA)
If your compulsive acting-out has progressed beyond the screen (with other people, paid sexual services, etc.) we suggest you explore joining Sexaholics Anonymous (SA). To figure out if SA is for you, call Dov at 917-414-8205, or email Dov at dov@guardyoureyes.org to schedule a time to talk. For more information visit www.sa.org.

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