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Addiction or Compulsion

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A platform of recovery for Jews who find themselves struggling with addictions to pornography, masturbation or other sexual problems. Post anonymously about your struggles without fear of anyone finding out who you are. Ask questions, post answers and be inspired! Get tips and guidance from the experts who moderate this forum, as well as from fellow strugglers.

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TOPIC: Addiction or Compulsion 243 Views

Addiction or Compulsion 07 Sep 2011 17:25 #117966

Yosef Hatzadik
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Is it an ADDICTION or a COMPULSION?

Among the differences are that an addiction is progressive while a compulsion tends to stay at the same level.

Does anyone know about any more distinctions between the two?

Dov has repeatedly stated his belief that many (or most) of the GYE Members are NOT bona-fide addicts. We do find ourselves stuck in the mud, though. Are we trying to cure the wrong sickness when we are focusing on it as an addiction?

It is likely that many of the same tools which work for addiction recovery will also work for compulsion Recovery. Chief among them being the group support & 'reaching out'. That we must recognize & admit the problem clearly is also a given.

Does anyone have any info to share, please?

Yosef Hatzadik's Ha'oros
Tov veyoshor Hashem al kein yoreh chata'im baderech!

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Re: Addiction or Compulsion 07 Sep 2011 20:33 #118038

Yossi.L. Current streak: 2 days OFFLINE Platinum Boarder Posts: 339 Karma: 0	Reb Yosef, Can you explain in more detail the difference between an addiction and a compulsion?
	Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 07 Sep 2011 21:17 #118053

Yosef Hatzadik OFFLINE Platinum Boarder A GYE'er since 2010 Posts: 2986 Karma: 10	I cannot. :-X That is why I started this thread. To give all of you guys who are bored something to do! ;D Google, Bing, Yahoo, Altavista, Dogpile. :-\ Do research in this rather than in....... :o
	*Yosef Hatzadik's Ha'oros* *Tov veyoshor Hashem al kein yoreh chata'im baderech!* Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 11:05 #118105

shteeble OFFLINE Platinum Boarder Posts: 2024 Karma: 30	Careful Yosef, I don't want you getting an addiction/compulsion to starting new threads. :o
	some of my threads Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 14:42 #118118

Yosef Hatzadik OFFLINE Platinum Boarder A GYE'er since 2010 Posts: 2986 Karma: 10	Shteeble wrote on 08 Sep 2011 11:05: Careful Yosef, I don't want you getting an addiction/compulsion to starting new threads. :o Don't worry. If there aren't any serious responses to this query i plan to remove this thread. (Just like I deleted the other thread I started.)
	*Yosef Hatzadik's Ha'oros* *Tov veyoshor Hashem al kein yoreh chata'im baderech!* Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 16:08 #118134

shteeble OFFLINE Platinum Boarder Posts: 2024 Karma: 30	haoimer echeteh v'ashuv...
	some of my threads Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 17:13 #118147

gevura shebyesod
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I'm not a doctor or "sickologist" or anything but here's my 2 cents:

A compulsion is purely mental/psychological. But after doing something so many times the brain actually becomes hardwired with physical changes (neurotransmitters, serotinins, whatever fancy words.....) and the body learns to physically crave the "rush" and to physically resist not having it (withdrawal). That's when it becomes addiction.

And as Dov pointed out in your other thread, once that has happened, even if someone works through the withdrawal and successfully stops the behavior, if they ever go back even a little the addiction can quickly come back full force, because those physical changes can never really be fully undone. Hence "once an addict, always an addict".

Gevura!

!אנא עבדא דקודשא בריך הוא

וּבְיָדְךָ כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה וּבְיָדְךָ לְגַדֵּל וּלְחַזֵּק לַכֹּל

"If it would be so easy there wouldn't be a GYE, but if it would be impossible there also wouldn't be a GYE."
"Sometimes a hard decision leads to an easier outcome."
- General Grant

My story: guardyoureyes.com/forum/19-Introduce-Yourself/111583-hello-my-friends

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Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 17:36 #118154

gibbor120 OFFLINE Platinum Boarder NEVER EVER GIVE UP! Posts: 5251 Karma: 166	Just like if someone has diabetes, they can take insulin and live a normal life, so can an addict. Just make sure to remember to take the insulin.... whatever that is for each person.
	My Home \| My Links \| Dov Quotes \| Dr. Sorotzkin \| Handbook \| Additional Tools \| AA Audio \| Shalom Bayis \| Skep's Tips Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 18:22 #118163

Yosef Hatzadik
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Gevura ShebYesod wrote on 08 Sep 2011 17:13:

And as Dov pointed out in your other thread, .......

Here is that post:

dov wrote on 08 Sep 2011 16:56:

If I am included in 'anyone', then here is all I have to share on that:

It seems that some decent people who are apparently only compulsive, eventually become addicted.

And it also seems to me that once someone is addicted, then reverting back to any compulsions automatically reconstitutes their addiction, no matter how many years of recovery and clean time they get. So maybe they do indeed change and downgrade to 'compulsives' in recovery, but it makes no practical difference at all, because their addiction gets turned back on and they are no longer just 'compulsives' then. So the adage "Once an addict always an addict" is not really true, I believe. But once the guy uses lust, his (or her) status tends to change back to '100% addict'. For I do not believe in a '50% addict', at all.
He is either powerless and will lose (so he is an addict), or he doesn't really need G-d or any people to help him (for he is not an addict and has enough power), and will win.

Any addict who has discovered that no matter how 'sober' he may be, his entire attitude toward schmutz converts to the good 'ole worshiping nuttiness as soon as he actually uses porn in the slightest, will agree with me, I bet.

Hoping that is helpful (it helps me!)

Ciao!

Yosef Hatzadik's Ha'oros
Tov veyoshor Hashem al kein yoreh chata'im baderech!

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Re: Addiction or Compulsion 08 Sep 2011 21:49 #118221

Yossi.L. Current streak: 2 days OFFLINE Platinum Boarder Posts: 339 Karma: 0	Gibbor120, Just to add to your beautiful analogy: just as diabetes doesn't go away completely, so too your addiction dosnt go away. And the second you stop taking your insulin, or the second you start thinking you have completely uprooted your addiction, you get sick! Yossi
	Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 09 Sep 2011 04:23 #118252

Gaveup OFFLINE Expert Boarder Posts: 121 Karma: 0	Stop the word games! If you can't stop your a addict. If you could stop you have a bad habit.
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Re: Addiction or Compulsion 09 Sep 2011 14:40 #118282

ZemirosShabbos OFFLINE Platinum Boarder pass the compote Posts: 6153 Karma: 72	Chaim! so good to see you and you are saying very shtark have a great shabbos
	Sometimes life is like tuna with not enough mayonaise ~Inna beshem ZS Give, Forgive ~Cordnoy The reason I'm acting as if I'm pregnant, is because I'm expecting. I should be accepting. ~TZ Last Edit: by .

Re: Addiction or Compulsion 09 Sep 2011 14:48 #118284

gibbor120
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NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
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Yossi.L. wrote on 08 Sep 2011 21:49:

Gibbor120,

Just to add to your beautiful analogy: just as diabetes doesn't go away completely, so too your addiction dosnt go away. And the second you stop taking your insulin, or the second you start thinking you have completely uprooted your addiction, you get sick!

Yossi

I also beleive that just as someone can cause the onset of diabetes by eating junk, we can cause the onset of lust addiction by feeding our neshamos spiritual junk.