niceguy, I like your perspective! Always accentuate the positive.
Thanks for the kind words.
May Hashem continue to give me strength...

Chazak V'Ematz!

"When you are in control, you are in control. When you are not, you are not." That is the simple answer.

This is a desire which is given to us, by G-d, and I do not think that anyone would claim to understand why it has to be this way. I have seen in sforim where the author says this about himself, not knowing why that is.

However, we also have a yetzer tov. There is a constant  battle going on between them. Moreover, it gets easier over time. I am under the impression that after the first 40 days or so, it is a different type of game. I hope to prove myself correct. This is true of other middos and behaviours as well.

It is wonderful that you are working on this now! I wish I had addressed this problem when I was younger too. I sometimes wonder what we can do to help young teens from getting addicted to masturbation in the first place? The availability of provocation/triggers gets more rampant each day with the internet, iphones, terrible billboards, the way women walk around (even very frum ones). This website is a start but there needs to be more, I think from the Rabeim & Parents. I wasn't talked to about this until I was caught 2 years after I was already addicted. I bet most don't realize it is an addiction similar to alcoholism. I didn't fully associate the two until I found this website a few days ago and I have years of misuse behind me!

nomer, you are so right. I just asked Rabbi Twerski if he could write us up an article about this very issue: "How do we protect our kids from this?"
I hope he finds the time to reply.