thank you
moving ahead slowly with allot of pressure

What type of pressure? From work? From your wife? From the yetzer Hara?

yh

MD, did you see yesterday's Chizuk e-mail (#438 on this page)? I think it was one of the most powerful e-mails in a long time - if you can relate to it in a deep way.

It would be very good MD, - perhaps LIFE SAVING - if you could join an SA group in your area. They are very zealous about guarding the anonymity of the members. You don't have to worry anyone will find out, and your wife anyway knows. I highly suggest this for you if you want to stay clean in the long term. This is the most sure and proven way to success, according to Rabbi Twerski - and he repeats it again and again. Just yesterday I just happened upon a nice article in aish.com by Rabbi Twerski on addiction. And at the bottom it says:

The ultimate distinction between man and animals is not that man is more intelligent, but that animals are creatures that have no choice over their behavior. They must do whatever their bodies demand. They cannot choose what they should do. Man has the ability of self-control, to choose one's behavior, even in defiance of physical urges.

If a person loses one's ability to choose and is dominated by urges one cannot control, one is indeed an addict. Losing the ability to choose is losing the uniqueness of being a human being, and robs one of the dignity of being human. We pride ourselves on liberty and view slavery as evil because it dehumanizes a person. And that is exactly what happens when we relinquish our ability to choose.

Addicts may indeed have psychological problems, but these cannot be effectively addressed as long as the addiction is active. Control of the addiction is rarely achieved solely by psychotherapy. Participation in a support group comprised of people who have successfully overcome their addiction, such as the 12-step groups, is vital. Psychotherapy is a valuable adjunct.

Chart updated. Please con-firm and hold-firm!

Go ahead Update again

Rabeinu Guard, do you know if the right kind of groups exist in E'Y?

Good Question. Ask Net, he was in the groups...

I am not 100% sure. I have a cell phone number of someone, but I tried calling now and got no answer. If you find out more info, please let me know.

I updated your chart MD, to 41 days. But it should be already 48 days by now, so let me know... If yes, you are a step away from your last record. That's amazing!

We'd love to hear from you more often tzadik.

Thanks for updating, I am BH succeeding. You are not seeing me around so much due to the fact that I almost don’t have access to the net, it already a long time since I saw our forum.
I hoped to catch up on all my friends here, to hear were they are up to and be Mechazik one another, however the time does not permit, sorry erev pessach pressure
The Seder is the easiest time to crawl out of this garbage, with the power of preparation and Tefilloh, let’s utilize the opportunity.
Good Yom Tov friends.

Is today my 50th day?
If yes it should be crucial day
Twice, I fell on this day
Please Hashem help me pass through

Mazal Tov MD on 50 days! It's not just that you hit your record, it's also a very symbolic day in this struggle, as we discussed before about the 49 days of Seffirah which led to Kabalas Hatorah on the 50th day... Leaving the impurity of Mitzrayim took 7 weeks (like the 7 days of Niddah - see the Ohr hachayim Hakadosh). That is perhaps why Hashem brought you to fall. Maybe you weren't ready at that stage for kabbalas Hatorah. But if you get through today and Pesach, you will have proved that you are truly worthy of Yetziyas Mitzrayim and Kabbalas Hatorah!

It is good you did not have much access to a computer. If you can continue that way, it is probably best - even though it is hard for US, since we miss you! :-)

But if you DO have access to the computer over Yom-Tov, make sure you only use it when other people are around, and only with a good filter. And please read the Chizuk e-mails of the past few days, they are very powerful and will give you some great perspective to come to the seder with.

We have been discussing in the recent e-mails about the very core of the 12 Steps, how they work, and how they relate to us as Yidden. And we are also tying them in with the lessons of Yetzias Mitzrayim...

I feel Hashem has given me a lot of Siyata Dishmaya in writing the e-mails of the recent days B"H... In response to today's e-mail someone wrote us (edited a bit):

[color=blue][b][i]Another excellent e-mail! I want to show the past few e-mails to Rabbi Wolfson. I spoke to him already about your site for like 10 minutes and his face was glowing. He said "menei ubei shadi bei narga"...

I have a friend who asked R' Mattisyahu Salomon Shlita, how does one become a kadosh. The first step, he was told, is that you really have to want to truly be a kadosh.
With your words in today's e-mail, I can understand it better.

Another Rabbi I'm in touch with told me yesterday that he already referred a few boys to your site.

Your emails are helping my avoda tremendously (actually by making it less 'avodah' i.e. easier, less fight). Please keep it up.

My wife actually asked me before shabbos why I've been in such a good mood the past three weeks!

Bhatzlacha

On an unrelated topic, Rabbi Wolfson is an adom gadol ad'meod.  Rabbi Wolfson is the mashgiach of Torah V'das and has a big kehillah known as Emunas Yisroel in Brooklyn.  Rabbi Wolfson is known for his in-depth study and shiurim in the area of emunah u'bitachon.  For those who are interested, you can find 24 free 1/2 hour shiurim on the topic of emunah here.  These shiurim are unrelated to Internet addiction, but are certainly inspiring and well worth the time spent listening to them.

Congrat's MD ... tizku leylech m'chayil el chayil

I'm really pressed for time of late, but how can I let someone's 50th day pass without a hearty mazel tov!  MD, you are an inspiration for us all, and not only because of your achievement in reaching 50 day.  The way you get up and dust yourself off after a fall is great chizuk!

50 days!! wow!! on my 5oth day i was still on the roller coaster - hold on tight!!