I also think there are levels of addiction, but you are right, there are some who don't.

Eventually, I got to a point where it didn't matter. The only question that matters is "is it working or not"? If what you are doing is working to keep you sober, sane, and happy - great! If not, maybe you need a different approach.

Stressing over "am I an addict or not?" can just be a distraction.

I agree with Gibbor.
I would say that there are different levels of lust compulsion. Compulsive because its hard to control it.

Let me ask you a question like this: Do you ever get angry? Have you ever gone a year without getting angry? Imagine you spent an entire year never getting even a little angry even once. That would be an amazing accomplishment no! Yet we don't look at doing that in the same light as 'overcoming our yetzer hara'. I bet there are some sober people on this web site who can stay clean from 'sex addiction' over a year, but can't say that they were angry-free for an entire year.

Its cause we view lust (as an aveirah, appropriately) as a deficiency that cuts to the core of us questioning our existence. While anger doesn't have as much of a self-pitying effect. Some people don't even feel bad for lusting. Seems like you're in the crowd of those who does, at least while your not acting out.

So, yes, i think there are different levels of lust compulsion and this can be aggravated by human symptoms like depression, self-pity, need for comfort/soothing; to add to all that there's a lot of forum information on the chemical stimulation resulting from porning/masturbating.

But I do think there is another breed altogether which is the addict. I am not one but there are enough people posting that they are addicts so i believe they exist. And Dov has mentioned that true addicts are far and few between and I could believe that too.

I think all men lust for women in different levels. Some its barely if not an issue at all, and some its somewhat an issue in the teenage years, and some it remains a big issue for life. And its pure lust, not addiction. And when we try to stop, well we can all admit that in the middle of the act we want it so bad. So it is more compulsive than addiction. that doesn't mean that its not challenging and requires tremendous strength and trust in hashem to deal with and live realistically with.
If men didn't have lust why would they want to have sex with their wives (aside from the mitzvah of having children,which is not the only basis for having sex) They would just sit in yeshiva and learn toirah all day long. But we weren't made that way (clearly )

Honestly, going back to the anger example, focusing too much on wether your an addict is more detrimental than helpful. I know that firsthand because after being clean for almost 3 months at one point, i tried to convince myself I wasn't an addict. More like I tried to prove it to myself.
This was very unhealthy, as i never tried to prove I was above anger. I accepted that I could sometimes get angry, but I dind't make a 90 day chart and post on online forums about my rare moments of anger. But i did make a big deal out of lust, possibly too big of a deal in an extremely unhealthy way.

The real idea beneath all of this is that real life is not about making charts and counting your days clean. You clearly don't do that for anger, jealousy, arrogance, and a host of other middot.

So we do count our clean days for lust/addiciton/porning/masturbating. Its clearly different to us, but we cant make it too different to the point that it takes over our lives and removes us from reality.

What a rant Hope i said something helpful for myself and for you there.

24 days clean, but today I reached another milestone as well- 50 days on GYE! Since I've joined, I've only fallen 3 times. That's it- 3 times! 51 days ago, I would never have believed it possible- I had fallen two times on the same night, I couldn't control myself, I had turned into an animal. But now, I feel like a human again. Yes, a human who has problems with lust, but a human nevertheless. And for that, I will thank Hashem, always, constantly. Onwards to 90 and beyond, and to the geula sheleima together with all of the choshuve yidden here on GYE. You're all tzaddikim, and Hashem loves each and every one of you! And of course, thank you so much to Guard and all those who run this heilige organisation. You have literally changed my life around.

Congratulations and thanx for being an inspiration to all of us.

Hatzlacha

MT

Mazel Tov KUTGW!!!!

Mazel Tov Zvi, you bring a smile to my face. To 90 and beyond

Oh wow. Talk about complacency leading to the yetzer hara attacking you. I'm still clean B'H, not that I deserve to be. I slipped though, and I think it was because of two things:
Firstly, after 25 days clean, I got very complacent. It has been relatively easy for the last few weeks, and I forgot to take any safeguards, and I was relatively easy pickings for the Yetzer Hara. So, I have to learn from this, NEVER to be complacent. However long I'm clean for, 25 days, or (one day IYH) 25 years, I have to remember that intrinsically speaking I am a luster, and I always have to be careful as such. I think I should put some sort of reminder up on my bedroom wall reminding me of that.
Secondly, I've been stuck inside revising for my exams. I'm quite a restless person naturally, and sitting still for long periods of time doing something I don't particularly enjoy means that a lot of energy builds up inside me. For the first couple of days of the week, I was revising in my garden, and that was enough to get my energy out- fresh air helps. Then the weather turned atrocious (summer in England isn't known for it's amazing weather ). So I had to go inside. Then this happened. So unless the weather improves I'm going have to go and revise somewhere else, be it in school or in the library.
However, B'chasdei Hashem I'm still clean- the Ribono Shel Olam's given me another chance!

im a little late but congrats on everything
and how about putting up a poster of reb guard on the wall? or shimshon haggibor...
but seriously maybe put a gadol picture up and that can remind you about this without anyone knowing.

Not a bad idea... I've already got a picture of Rav Scheinberg up, but it's quite small and it's been there so long I can't imagine it'll have much effect. I think at the next oppurtunity I'll put up a nice big picture of Rav Nosson Zvi (it's probably Tzvi, but i'm biased ). Thanks inna!

Shimshon Hagibbor was not shomer his eynayim so he lost them. Lets hope we don't have to go so far.

Nothing much to report- still clean Boruch Hashem! There was a bit of time on Shabbos when I felt weak, but it had passed by Motzei Shabbos. Today has been relatively uneventful. So still going...

Berov shevach ye'hodaya to Hashem, I have now reached 30 days- a whole month clean! I can't really think of a better way to go into Shavuous, to be honest...
Have an amazing kabbolas hatorah everyone! IYH this should inspire us all to even greater heights.

Mazal Tov KOC - Keep on Climbing!

I need advice, help, anything. Somehow, on my laptop, Google, Google Images, and youtube were unblocked. I told my dad, and he told me that he can't deal with it right now, "Just control yourself for 10 minutes." Shkoyach. I told him about my problem a while ago, but it's clear he still doesn't understand. And he still hasn't re-blocked it. So now, I've got a computer at home full of the potential to access anything- anything! Yes, there's accountability software installed on my laptop, but it's hopeless and barely reports a thing. Today alone I've come this close to falling, and tomorrow, when after my exam in the morning I'm home alone for 5 hours- I'm a gonner! I can't do this! I'm not ready for this test! I thought I was sorted with the filter, the Internet wouldn't be a major problem again. But no! Suddenly this happens. Why? Why? Why? I can't cope with this, it's impossible.

First of all relax. Getting yourself worked up and excited by it will not make it any easier to deal with.

If you have an unblocked computer at home, and you can't deal with the temptation, than maybe you should make sure that you are not home alone for 5 hours after your exam in the morning. Go to the library, go out for a walk, hang out with friends, go to the local beit medrash. Whatever your thing is, just don't be at home with that temptation.