Level 0: No urges or cravings of any kind. No fantasies. No temptation whatsoever to think immorally or lust after anyone. Can look at anyone and everyone with perfect love. Jesus was is an example of such a person.
Level 1: Minimal desire to lust or fantasize. Very much like level 1, but temptation is low. Can look at anyone without any sexualizing whatsoever.
Level 2: Some sexual desire. Some lust, some fantasy. But non-addictive. Such a person in this level can entertain sexuality in a normal way. Even occasional porn use and other behaviors are available. The difference is sex does not consume the individual. A lot of people fall into this level. They can indulge in such behaviors occasionally without too many drawbacks. Such a person is considered a normie. But like alcohol, too much consumption can raise the person to a level of addiction.
A lot of recovering addicts wish they could be back to this level; to be able to consume their DOC in moderation. For myself, I have never really been at levels 0-2, ever. And I’ll probably never will be. That’s okay. If God’s grace was sufficient for Paul, it’s sufficient for me too.
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Level 3: No lust, no fantasy. Just an understanding that the danger of entertaining such will lead to compulsion. Although not partaking in lust, still acutely aware of the temptation all around and choosing not to indulge in it.
Level 4: Stronger temptation to indulge in lust or fantasy. But still holding back the urge. Perhaps letting a look or thought creep in, but not much and not often.
For me, other nonsexual things can put me into this level. Things such as overeating, playing to many video games, watching too much TV, episodes of anger can raise my toxicity level. As I mentioned before, it’s not the behavior so much as what happens in my mind. This is the last level in the yellow zone, what I consider the safe zone. Also, circumstances outside of my control can raise me to level 4. Stress from health issues, family, financial setbacks are such examples.
I’ve rarely been in the safe zone since I was an adolescent and discovered masturbation at age 13. Even during most of my time in recovery, my toxicity level has, almost always, been above level 5.
Level 5: Entertaining a slight bit of lust and fantasy. Although, most of the time, I’m maintaining custody of my eyes and mind, in this level, it’s not perfect control. I’ve entertained lust and fantasy maybe a half dozen times or less that day. But not more. This is the first level in the orange cautionary area. The higher I go in levels, the higher the gravitational pull is to level 10. In other words, it’s much easier for me to stay in levels 3 & 4 than it is to stay in levels 5 & 6.
Level 6: Entertaining some lust and fantasy. Although not completely consumed by lust, this level is characterized by numerous instances where I’ve fantasized and lusted after women.
Level 7: In this level, I’m experiencing periods of extensive sexual fantasy and continual lusting after women. I’ve completely lost custody of my eyes and mind at this point and I’m craving regularly. At this level, I’m also showing less restraint with what I allow myself to view on media. This is the first level in the red zone; the danger area.
Level 8: Constant craving, sexual fantasy, and oggling at women as in level 7. At this stage, I’m also getting aroused with media on my phone, TV, or computer. I’m dabbling with P-subs such as watching girls in bikinis or underwear. I’m basically walking the fence of my bottom line. And I get so aroused that I’ll be touching myself briefly at times.
Level 9: Same behaviors as level 8 except now I’m watching R-rated movies, typing in triggering keyword search terms such as sex or girls or certain body parts. Or I could be cruising areas of town where I’ve picked up prostitutes, or parking near a massage parlor, or viewing a sex site using a safe browser with no pictures, or researching or contacting an escort found online or in the yellow pages. At this time, my toxicity level is so high from all the ritualization, that I consider level 9 a reset, a slip.
Level 10: Full fledge relapse. Behaviors include masturbation (usually to orgasm), pornography, strip joints, X-rated bookstores, massage parlors, streetwalkers, escorts.