- Addiction:
- -noun: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma (emphasis added)
The above link and definition are taken from Dictionary.com. Just as any other drug can swiftly and silently take control of our lives, so can pornography. I have seen men I knew loose contact with friends and family so they can have more time to surf the web for porn.
Men like Michael Leahy who lost it all due to what he calls “The Crack/Cocaine of Sexual Addiction: The Internet.” Leahy is a respected author and also does debates with Ron Jeremy across the U.S. Check out his book “Porn Nation”. (There is also a Student Edition).
As I stated in Ch.1-“It’s Just Sex”, studies have shown that porn is more than just consumption by the eyes and ears, it is a chemical experience. As with any addiction there is only hope for recovery if you admit you are indeed addicted.
Let me also speak to those who may not be addicted but be in contact with someone who is. Are you fostering an environment where your closest friends and family feel they can confide in you without fear of judgment? Porn survives, nay, thrives on starting and remaining secret.
The anonymity and affordability offered by the internet has conjured up an entirely new set of addicts. This article from a 2001 edition of Christianity Today states that 33% of clergy and 36% of laity state they have visited a pornographic website. Now, I believe, just like other addictions, these numbers are conservative to say the least.
What is more troubling is the clergy and laity numbers are virtually identical. That means just as many pastors and deacons visit porn websites as do their flock. Yet, when is the last time you heard of churches offering professional and pastoral counseling specifically geared towards porn addiction?
Most churches offer marital counseling, alcohol and drug addiction counseling, pregnancy counseling, etc… all of which are terrific , but we also need to bring this issue of porn from darkness to light. We need to be addressing the radical and very real dangers that face both the individual and society as a whole when it comes to the issue of pornography.
If you yourself are struggling with an addiction to pornography, I will be compiling a list of resources that can assist you in overcoming your weakness, but they are only tools. You will need prayer, scripture and most of all an accountability partner to whom you can speak openly regarding this addiction.
Ch. 7 will be some personal testimonies from both addicts as well as models who were in the industry.
