Lust Addiction
Have you experienced problems related to "acting out” on lust-related behaviors (masturbation, pornography, reckless sexual encounters, sexual infidelity, paying for sex, etc.) within the past twelve months? Have your lust-related behaviors created problems at home, specifically concerning romantic relationships? Have you attempted to stop engaging in certain lust-related behaviors on your own for a significant length of time but were unable to do so?
Lust addiction affects countless people all around the world from all walks of life and all faith backgrounds. When struggling with an addiction and compulsion like this, it can feel that nothing will bring the healing and freedom you desperately seek.
You are not alone.
CIR can help you gain freedom from lust addiction. Still, despite a desire to begin recovery, there are many barriers to change that can make this journey a challenge. Denial, shame, fear, resentment, self-pity, selfishness, and pride are some of the potential obstacles that can keep us isolated within ourselves and unwilling to take the steps to receive God’s healing.
CIR’s Three Rings of Healing: Fellowship, Freedom, & Faith
Recovery isn’t only about overcoming lust addiction (or any other addictive substance or behavior) but, rather, is about living with the freedom and joy that God desires for His beloved children. The solution CIR offers integrates three rings: fellowship, freedom, and faith. While these rings are separate and distinct from each other, they overlap to provide a holistic solution. Each one is necessary, and together they support your healing and freedom from lust addiction.
Fellowship: We don’t find healing alone—we do so in a community of fellow travelers. Just as we are connected as members of the body of Christ, so too are we connected in our healing journey from addiction.
Freedom: We find freedom, first and foremost, by grounding our trust in God and His grace. However, this entails doing our part to be receptive to that grace, which is where the wisdom of the Twelve Steps of recovery are key.
Faith: Through CIR retreats, spiritually-enriching books, faith-related resources, and connecting with a vibrant community of fellows committed to Christ, we strengthen our relationship with God. The principles of 12-step recovery are integrated with the wisdom of Catholic tradition to enable healing, freedom, and joy.
The solution we are proposing is not a new one—it’s one many have followed to find true healing. It relies on the wisdom of 12-step recovery and the grace-led tradition of the Catholic Church.
Admitting We Have a Problem
For any healing to begin, we must admit we have a problem. You are the only person who can identify yourself as someone who lives with lust addiction.
While many experiences are similar among those who struggle with lust-related addiction, some patterns may be different from one person to another. For instance, some engage in frequent pornography use in ways that, while spiritually and psychologically harmful, seem to allow them to function normally in everyday life. Others engage in reckless or illegal sexual encounters, risking tremendous harm to themselves and their loved ones, especially a spouse or romantic partner. Often, such behaviors lead to dishonestly, lying, and deceitfulness, which prevent a healthy and thriving relationship with others, whether romantic or otherwise. Further, due to the generally private nature of sex-related behaviors, deep-seated feelings of shame, guilt, helplessness, and self-loathing can make seeking help especially difficult.
Perhaps for some time, others, such as a spouse or romantic partner, have shared their concerns about your unhealthy and harmful behaviors, which can often be hard to receive while caught in the downward cycle of addiction. Perhaps you’ve known for some time that you have a problem but are not sure what to do. In moments of clarity, however, we might take an objective look at our lives and see that there is a better way.
Take the below assessment to determine whether you likely have a problem with lust addiction.