I have become a prisoner in my own life. This prison is a second-by-second assualt on my soul, a day-to-day degradation of the self.The escape from sexual bondage certainly has many possible routes. I would guess that some of the possible pathways become more clear once we have gotten out of the prison and put some significant distance between it and us. I am not there yet, not by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do have some advice and some things to consider that I believe are practical pieces of information. Take them for what they are worth.
- Pray consistently.
- Find a place of peace where you can escape and be alone. In this fortress no sinful thoughts are allowed to linger.
- Find a partner who you can talk to regularly about your addiction and your recovery. Make yourself accountable to that person and be 100% open and honest about everything.
- Be vigilant. Never for a moment think that you are cured or past the stage of relapse.
- If possible, remove all triggers from your life. If having a computer in your home is dangerous, get rid of it or install software that reports your web activity to your partner. If cable television or pay per view channels are a problem, have them disabled.
- Recognize how valuable you are and how much God loves you. Make a list if necessary and look it over regularly.
- If you have a spouse or significant other, you must find a way to disclose your behavior to them. This must be done with care and tact. Without their support and understanding, your are likely doomed to failure. They may not be the best choice as your recovery partner, but they must know of your struggles. It may also be necessary for both of you to get treatment together for full and lasting recovery, especially if their actions or treatment of you are one of your triggers.
- If you have friends or people that you hang out with that hinder your recovery, distance yourselves from them.
- Join a church small group and let them help you.
- Realize that multiple addictions in your life may have formed a complicated web of triggers. Without dealing with the full Hydra that controls your life, you will find recovery difficult.
- Take pride in who you are.
- Celebrate even little victories in your life. Make a conscious effort to list several good things that happen to you each day.
- Keep a journal to track progress. You may be doing better in your recovery than you imagined. If nothing seems to be changing, review what you have tried and devise a new approach.
- Don't substitute one sinful or hurtful behavior for another.
- Don't let a momentary relapse or indiscretion cause you to crumble. Pick yourself up and continue moving forward. Talk to your recovery partner.
- If your addiction is caused by trauma inflicted by another, find a way to forgive them. Let the hate and anger and disappointment be acknowledged and then cognitively and actively let it go. Don't let what has happened in the past take away your future.
- If you can't stop your sinful activities cold turkey, then work your way toward recovery more gradually. A journey of a thousand miles begins with but one small step. Take that small step.
- Take an active role in your recovery.
(Part 4 of 5)
