Of the most powerful messages I have learnt in regard to overcoming an addiction, is to replace the feeling that this act will provide pleasure, and realise that it only causes pain.
Thus, when in a situation where there is a need to satisfy an urge, realising that there will be no pleasure gained can help alleviate the intensity of the urge.

That being said it is a process, and progress not perfection, but over time we can change the way we relate to an urge and, please God, overcome our addictions.

Let us avoid the pain.

doesitmatter wrote:

We cannot avoid pain in life, life is full of pain, for example not looking on inappropriate things is painful, but it is such an enjoyable sweet pain,
Vs The pain of giving in to lust is feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, it's pain without any meaning

Oh I see you are new here welcome to the club,
It's a good enjoyable place here, people are always ready to help you here

Doesitmatter - great point. We say on Yom Kippur v'lo shaava lanu. It was not worth it. We don't say we did not enjoy, but if you were to compare what we gained with what we lost, clearly we are in a lot more pain then the little pleasure we think we got.

The question for everyone - how when you are about to look at something you should not, do you remember the big picture and say this is on balance pain not pleasure.

Ezra wrote:


I will not even get into the answer regardin' addiction. The answer simply is: we see the pleasure in front of us and it is much more enjoyable.

(Ask a smoker; ask an overweight person; ask anyone on this planet)