Great to hear your enthusiasm! One day at a time!

Hatzlacha!

So last night I really felt the Y"H putting the pressure on me. It really felt like I was boxing with someone and I had to keep putting pressure on my opponent or I'll fall down. It made me realize that expecially in this matter, we have to be active and constantly participate in removing this disease from our body and mind. Thankfully I decided to go to sleep before the lust became too strong, and Baruch Hashem, it worked. Tomorrow will be my birthday. I'm really happy that with Hashem's help, hopefully I'll be able to celebrate my birthday while being two weeks clean. Once we realize how much potential and control we have, we become unstoppable. What strategies do you guys use when you're suddenly overcome with lust? I'd love to have more tips. Sleeping seems to have worked but that's not the most practical one. We have to remember that with each passing day, with only Hashem's help, we are slowly cutting away at the root of the disease. However, we can never fully cut it out, so we must don our armor daily for protection, and for a better life. I hope you all have a wonderful Purim and keep and fighting and never forget that we only have to cry out to Hashem, and he will take the poison from us. Have a Happy Purim.

Sincerely, Drew

For the most part, stay busy with positive stuff and stay out of the ring with the Y"H. One the fight starts - it's hard to win. Make gedarim.

Forgive my rudeness, but what are gedarim?

fences.

Pray
Call people
Breathing meditation

Fences, huh? Let's see what I have so far. Most of the time when I use the internet, it's for work or something Torah related. Hmmm.... I guess I don't really have that many fences. While I do call people and obviously pray,the meditation one seems interesting. Do you do this yourself serenity? If you do, how do you go about it? Maybe I'll just sit down and make myself more fences. I'm still curious what people do with the extra time, so I'm open to suggestions for new hobbies. May Hashem continue to help take away the lust each day, so that I can live a life of joy and meaning. That's extended to everybody btw.

Sincerely, Drew

Happy Birthday

hey drew welcome and happy birthday
you mentioned a hobby its really cool to find something else in life to have that keeps you busy. instruments are great cause they give you the ability to get all the emotion out. it really helps if your an emotional guy. listen im still knew so i dont know if im right but for me my hobby wasnt about finding something to do for a few min a day so ill be busy. it was about making my life more fun fulfilling or more fun etc. i know hobby dont necesarily do that but what i found is that when im involved in lust im consumed by the guilt and im always afraid about the next time i wasnt able to function and do what i wanted in life. MY LIFE WASNT GOING WERE I WANTED IT TO. i couldnt just sit and do something awesome like a hobby serenly. after being on here i realized the major role my lust was playing in my life so i decided to do what i wanted to do and do with my life what i wanted without fear or guilt thats were hobbys helped i realixed im doing something that i always wanted to do somehow for me that was much deeper and it helped me a lot more . it also it makes you much more relaxed. thats just my opinion i dont really know what im talking about. i wish you much hatzlocha im totally blown away when you said you went to sleep love you man really your an inspiration take care keep on trucking and again a really happy birthday
p.s.if its your hebrew birthday its a great time for tefillah

Drew wrote:


When I find it (the extra time), I'll let you know.

b'hatzlachah

Gedarim are boundaries, mental, psychological and physical that you impose upon yourself so that you won't be mentally or psychologically triggered to do down the two rabbit holes of porn and masturbation. You can set up a variety of boundaries that can help you from when you get up to go to sleep.

Many of us have weight problems-try working out at least one night a week and walking as much as possible.

My breathing meditation is pretty simple. I just breath in through my nose and out through my mouth and focus on my breath.

Free time, what's that?

Here is some stuff:

Give kids that are in a rehab rides to AA meetings
Brought a AA meeting to a Rehab
Go to a lot of meetings
Do step work
Workout regularly
Do a lot of stuff for my family (rides, cooking, errands, this that)
Spend time here
Started a new 12 step meeting
Journal
Sleep
Volunteer at soup kitchen and a kids meal program
Hike
Swim
Meet up with program people for lunch or coffee
I did an 8 week mindfulness based meditation group
Go to museum
A lot of snow shoveling
Go to recovery retreats from time to time
I like to ski, but haven't in awhile
summer, i take long bike rides
Eat
I like to fish, but haven't much past couple years

cordnoy wrote:
I think your hobby is being busy .

What an amazing Purim this is turning out to be. I've stopped counting the days and started living real life. I just want to thank all of you for being so supportive and kind to me throughout this journey. You've helped more than you realize. In my humble opinion, I think one of the reasons that this disease is so widespread is because the public doesn't view it as a cancerous tumor that must be removed right away , rather it's viewed as a way to alleviate stress or as a benign activity of society. We are constantly being exposed to this wherever we go. Now, maybe some people can have a bit of lust and walk away. I know I cant. It is because the objectification is everywhere; it's because society doesn't treat women with respect, and causes them to dress and act the way they do, that we must strive to go to the opposite side of the spectrum, to be the shining example to everyone else. Now you might ask me, how can I do this when I fall sometimes and end up indirectly view women as objects?! It's precisely because of this, that we have the potential to outshine everyone in this matter. I apologize to anyone who may be offended by this rant, but i felt like I just had to get this off my chest. May we all have the merit to live sober free lives and respect everyone. Thanks for the support. Hope your Purim was just as amazing as mine.

Sincerely, Drew