Recovering from porn addiction: the long road
After realizing the negative consequences of porn addiction, an addict may consider seeking recovery from porn addiction. When you admit to yourself that you have a problem, this is the first important step in recovering from this devastating addiction. But if you don’t admit to the fact that a porn addiction is harming your life, the road to recovery is nowhere to be seen. The addiction will increase a little more and become a more progressive disorder.
Recovery from porn addiction, like other forms of addiction, is a long road that addicts must travel. It would be helpful if an addict found a trusted friend and someone they can talk to about their problems. It helps to have someone you make a promise to and tell that person if you need more help in your recovery. Accountability is key in any addiction treatment program. Having a good mental program is another step in the recovery process. When the temptation of pornography arises, the addict is advised to fight those thoughts and channel the mind to think of other pleasant things like beautiful scenery, the girlfriend or boyfriend, and even food. An analogy puts it this way: you cannot prevent a bird from perching on your head, but you can prevent it from building a nest. Thoughts can enter your mind unsolicited, but you cannot allow them to stay. In this way, the addict will eliminate the temptations from his body in due time. Refraining from sex will also help the recovering addict. It is a way to get rid of the pornographic images that you became addicted to.
Exercise and other productive forms of activity also aid in recovery from porn addiction. Sweating with a good exercise will release endorphins that the mind needs to clear negative thoughts or temptations. Meanwhile, learning to play a musical instrument drives thoughts away from pornography by introducing another skill that the brain has to work on. Aside from these, perhaps the most important step on the road to porn addiction recovery is thinking about the benefits for yourself and the people you love. Gain benefits such as spending more time with your spouse, having more time to play with your children, enjoying the great outdoors and the company of good people, and of course having a clear sense of morality in your life. The aforementioned steps can only be achieved with total success only if the addict comes to admit that he cannot do it on his own. Only by surrendering to the power of the One who created them can an addicted person find the way to freedom. Christianity can often seem critical of porn addicts, but the truth of the Bible is that Jesus said, “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” ( John 3:17). Healing, love, power, and a second chance at a new life are available to you today through Jesus Christ. All you have to do is ask.
