I’d just like to share my story here and let you all know that recovery is possible.
I have always been a good person, but around 13 years old, I became addicted to pornography and I just couldn’t stop. I’d be preoccupied all the time with viewing it at any time I could. It was around 16 when I finally realized that it was a problem and that it made my everyday life a prison. I wanted so badly to escape, but I just couldn’t break free on my own.
I’d grown up in a religious home, but had stopped attending church around 10 because I just didn’t see a reason to go.
But as time went on, it got worse and worse and I realized that I could still go back and that they would never reject me or judge me and since my mom never stopped going, that made it very easy for me to feel like I was able to.
I had a spiritual experience prior to this that led me to want to be a better person. To be happier.
So in accordance with that, I trusted that I could start again. In a small class of young men and myself, there was a lesson about the dangers and destructive patters of pornography and then I finally realized that this was really wrong. Not just a small, minor problem that I could continue without harm. So I fought like a lion to overcome this. I failed and failed, time after time. But I still had hope as I followed the steps of an addiction recovery program that was published by my church. It was finally at the end of March in 2014 that I viewed pornography for the last time and I’ve never done it since. I not only feel free from this and more like myself, but I am happy. Truly happy. I stand as a witness that you can be free from addiction. You can be free as long as you admit that you, of yourself are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable. Humility is the key to sobriety. I promise that you can have a rush of hope and peace flood into your life as you exercise your choice to make a change and to better yourself and just take it one day at a time.
Great share Nathan, thank you for your honesty. You sound like you have a solid base for recovery. I agree that humility is the key and admitting my powerlessness over alcohol/drugs as well. I practice the 12 steps of AA and a recovery class at my church that is spiritually based in order to learn how to change my thinking, learn how to live life on life’s terms and build strong sober relationships. Sobriety is so much more than simply not acting out our addictive behaviors, it’s about changing our perception, our thinking, usually about everything, at least for me. Thanks again for sharing. Stay strong, stay sober🌹
Thank You for sharing. I have now since January 3 have not have into pornography and masturbating. I thank God each day I don’t give into my addictions. As I see the numbers get higher I praise God for his grace to keep me strong in the mist of temptation. Thank You for reminding me that with God I can overcome .