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NEW - Addiction Support Automated Taglist
by tommy
Last post
 October 4th
...See more Welcome to the NEW Addiction Support Taglist This thread is an auto-updating list. The list is regularly updated by forum leaders and can be found below. Having issues? Reply below and someone will help you! Why should I join the taglist? ✔ Never miss out on sub-community check-ins, discussions or events ✔ Get tagged and notified by community leaders whenever a new relevant thread has been posted ✔ Become a more active member of the community. What do I need to do? ✅ To add yourself to this taglist, press the Post to Thread button below and write the exact words Please add me. ❌ To remove yourself from this taglist, press the Post to Thread button below and write the exact words Please remove me. ------------------------- Current taglist as of 1st July (updated by @tommy)
Porn and Masturbation Addiction
by Nishantv
Last post
 October 24th
...See more I am 19 yr old male. Can't sleep without porn and masturbation. I am a nerd introvert. I can't focus on my studies due to messed up sleep schedule. I have shifted from porn to erotic novels in search of realistic sex. I am worried i will not be able to enjoy real life sex. Please help me
Porn addict
by healme2
Last post
 October 13th
...See more I’ve been addicted for more than 10 years and idk how to stop
Overcoming Pornography Addiction
by Overcomer
Last post
 October 9th
...See more Hello I'd like to talk about something that doesn't get talked about much.. and which, I believe, is one of the biggest problems in the world today. Pornography Addiction! Since the birth of the Internet.. this has been a growing problem.. and the world is becoming more and more sexual. This is mainly focused on the Christian Community.. but this is for all who have a problem with Pornography. You may not believe in God.. but read through this anyway. I can tell you this.. God CAN and WILL deliver you from your struggle, He can and WILL break the chains over your life, and give you an amazing LIFE. I have seen it in many people's lives.. but more importantly... I have seen it in my own life. Anyway.. There is a growing number of Christians who are struggling with Pornography. Perhaps you reading this are one of them. Perhaps as you are reading this.. it will be like reading the story of your own life. I want you to know.. there is hope!! You can overcome!! Let me share with you a part of my own life. I am not afraid to tell you about it. Many people already know about it anyway.. but there are still many that don't... Who I don't actually want to know.. but too bad. I would like to tell the world about it, in the hope that they, or even you, will find the hope and tools you need to be set free. So.. I was addicted to Pornography for many years. It is a sad thing to have to tell you that.. but I am not doing it for myself. I am doing it for you! I am putting my life on the line to help you overcome something that I overcame. So lets go back to when I was watching pornography.. no more then a year ago. I always hated myself after watching pornographic material.. but.. I also loved doing it. Sin wouldn't be such a big temptation if it wasn't enjoyable. But.. ultimately.. sin will lead to destruction. I would go to church.. still believe in God.. but I would have another secret life at home. I loved God.. but I also loved sexual sin. It had become an idol in my life and was taking the place of God. I would run to it for comfort instead of running to God. I don't actually know exactly how many years it was. Perhaps 5 years. I do remember, It really took a hold of me in 2012 and wouldn't let go. During these years was when I would say I became a porn addict or rather a sex addict. That doesn't mean I have had sex with many women.. I am actually still a virgin. Praise God. But I was far from pure. My heart and my soul was tainted. I invited the devil into my heart through my eyes and he had a field day with me. I decided enough was enough, and I was going to do whatever it took to break the addiction. I signed up for the Valiant Man course. It helped me immensely.. I recommend it to everyone. I was still struggling though. The problem was.. I hadn't admitted to myself that I was a sex addict. The thought of admitting that, was absurd to me. I was so self-righteous and proud to admit that I was that far gone. When I finally admitted that to myself... healing started to take place. I knew the next step I had to do. I needed to tell someone else that I was struggling. I was fighting it on my own, thinking I was strong enough. That I could beat this thing. Once again.. I was proud, and very wrong! Near the end of 2013 I heard a friend of mine speak about his past struggle with Pornography. I decided that I would tell him I was struggling. I got the courage to tell him. That very point of humbling myself and telling someone that I had a problem.. and no longer keeping it a secret inside of myself... was like a burden lifting from my shoulders. And I finally had the strength to beat it.. knowing that someone else was fighting with me. We prayed together and things started getting better for me. It wasn't an immediate healing from addiction. Addictions are strong things. Sex has the same effect as taking cocaine. Because of the release and build up of dopamine in your system. It really is that serious of an issue. Being such a huge issue like this.. You need to make HUGE steps to overcoming. If you are serious.. I suggest even demolishing your computer. It is so easy to find sexual content on the Internet. But the Internet is not the problem.. not having the temptation of the Internet would help you though. The real problem lies inside of yourself. So here's what I want you to do if you are struggling with this. 1. Admit you have a problem and need help. Admit to yourself that you are a sex addict. Write it down even. 2. If you can.. do the Valiant Man course. - if you are a man. Although.. girls should do it too in my opinion. At least watch the free starting video. - http://www.lifekeysonline.org/valiant-man 3. Tell someone about it. In person. Do not fight this alone any more!! Don't keep it a secret any more. Secrets inside of us have power over us, we think we can beat them alone.. but they haunt us and won't leave us alone. Letting it be out there and in the open destroys it's power over you. Get someone to be accountable to. Even tell a large group of people about it. People you see a lot. Not a stranger. Tell your parents or family member!! If your afraid of what they will think.. Don't be.. Everyone has and have had the same struggles... If you feel you will get in trouble!! GOOD!! lol. Discipline is the best medicine around!! When you tell them...You will feel awkward to begin with... but you will be surprised the support that is around you... and maybe surprised at others you may help to also admit they have the same struggle as you. 4. When the urges and temptation comes.. FLEE! Immediately find something else to do. The best thing is to get down on your knees and pray. Speak in Tongues if you can. It is powerful. Another thing to do is.. find something that will keep you really busy and preoccupied. Make no time for it. It's when we are bored and alone that we are most vulnerable. 5. Delete everything on your computer that has sex in it. Movies. Music. Get rid of anything in your house that has any sexual content in it. Do whatever it takes!! Make it impossible to look at pornography.. take a baseball bat to your computer if you think you have to! 6. This one is a bit full on.. sorry in advance... Try and stop yourself from Masturbating so much.. You might be doing it quite often. perhaps even every day.. It's not healthy. Try going a few weeks without it. Practise self-control. The longer you go without it.. the better you will feel inside of yourself. But I understand that Pornography is accompanied by masturbating. Practising self-control with masturbation is something to try later on. Deal with the pornography first. This is unorthodox.. and not a method I would try first... but.. if you feel the urge to watch pornography and you know you are going to, go and masturbate first instead. That sounds bad.. but you are going to do it anyway while watching pornography. It's better to go and masturbate.. then to pollute your heart and soul and mind with bad images. After you masturbate.. you won't feel the need to be sexually aroused by pornography. It's done and it's dusted. But yes.. Masturbation is not good. It's a separate issue to deal with later on.. Right now.. I want you to deal with watching pornography. 7. Think about the people in pornographic pictures, and videos. They are real people that are just as much in need of God's love as we are. I remember starting to look at them, not as an object for my own selfish pleasure.. but as a lost child of God, who needs God's love, just as much as I do. Looking at them the same way God looks at me and looks at them, I could no longer treat them as an object for my pleasure.. but as a person who is lost, broken.. or perhaps even being forced to perform sexual acts. We don't know their stories.. but when I started thinking of them as people WITH a story.. it became impossible to watch them... It started to deeply sadden me that I would use them for my own selfishness. I wish I could save the people in pornographic videos and lead them to a God who loves them. 8. Think about your future spouse. Think about your spouse or partner you have right now. You are hurting your future spouse and you are hurting your current spouse or partner. Your sexuality is meant to be shared with them and only them. Can you continue in what you are doing, knowing that you are hurting them. I couldn't. 9. Remember that everyone sins, and all have been forgiven and given the power to overcome through Jesus Christ. 10. Resist the Devil!! When the urges come.. you tell that lying good for nothing snake to get lost. You have authority over him. Use it!! Put him back in his place.. UNDER YOUR FEET!! If you want to talk to me about it.. I am here for you. Please don't hesitate. I will help you fight this!! I know how much it is hurting you right now... But I can tell you now.. I am free of it. And I can help you be free of it as well. Only by the power of Christ can this be done. I speak deliverance over you and I break the chains of addiction over your life. In Jesus Name. God loves you my friend. Simon Please be free to Share this if you want to. http://www.lifekeysonline.org/valiant-man 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Matthew 6:22-23 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like those who do not know God. James 4:7 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 5:16 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Also read Romans 8 "Break Every Chain" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uu2RDZdaxc "I Surrender" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcnfT4arZtI "You Are For Me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbSMfL5LuSo "Broken Things" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rwgKv-6cj8
Am I weird for feeling like this?
by Azvamath
Last post
 October 1st
...See more For context I am 13 at the moment and have been exposed to porn for over two years now. I feel like I matured much faster because of it and can't look at myself in the same way as before anymore. I wonder if any other young teenagers have been exposed to pornography from such a young age and what can I do to stop my addiction of watching porn almost daily?
Been addicted for over a decade
by SuperMog7
Last post
 September 19th
...See more I've been addicted to porn and masterbation for over a decade now. I've watched all kinds of videos, pictures, and even stories of various things. I've been *** every day, sometimes more than once a day. It's been interrupting my life and my realationship. My reward system in my brain is fried, I have desetisation and damage to my groin. I've given myself PIED. I don't have a support system besides my wife. She knows and is encouraging me to seek help besides myself, white-knuckling this addiction. I've been clean for almost a week, but the urges are daily. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated.
Sex sex sex
by ariellmt
Last post
 September 16th
...See more Oh sweet beautiful sex. It's always and I mean ALWAYS on my mind. Generally speaking this isn't too much of an issue for me personally. I make sex jokes, think about sex, masterbate alot. Alot. Doesn't bother me. So long as I'm getting some. But I'm in a relationship where we have no sex. We haven't in over a month. It's affecting everything in my life. I'm over eating, I'm depressed, my self esteem is down, I'm masterbating 2x as much, I can't concentrate on most things, at least without significant effort to clear my head and focus. And I'm being a massive C*NT to everyone. I've had people tell me my attitude has gotten really bad. My mom literally tells me I need to go get laid so I'll calm tf down. I'm literally laying in bed with my boyfriend right now and before I opened this app I was looking at vibrators so I can go do curbside pickup on my way home. I can't think about shit else. It physically hurts when I'm turned on. I'm getting very bored with my toys and honestly I'm worried I'm gonna end up hurting myself in order to keep it interesting. Last week I actually passed out from choking myself during masterbation. (This isn't something I'd normally do during masterbation but I'm just so bored) I'm not sure what to do. I'm not a cheater, I've left relationships before because we didn't have enough sex and I'm trying really hard not to keep doing that. Not to leave, not to cheat and every day it just gets harder. What do you do in this situation?
Sex Addicted and Cheating
by resourcefulGrapefruit8213
Last post
 September 5th
...See more I am newly 18 and have been struggling with hypersexuality and sex addiction since i was 13 (5 years). When i was 12 i experienced some sexual trauma with a family member and following shortly thereafter i became obsessed with sex and ***. I got into multiple relationships just for the sex and even though i was very emotionally connected to those people after the intensity of the relationships would start to diminishi would begin flirting and touching other people trying to find someone new. I have almost no friends left due to me either attempting to or successfully having sex with them. My current partner is amazing and i love them but i dont know how to stop myself from seeking out sex or sexual gratification from others whether in person or online. 
One Week Porn Free!
by DragonsRKool
Last post
 August 26th
...See more One whole week porn free again. The only advice I can give is to keep trying and remember your motivation. Been trying for 3 years and my last streak was a month. My longest voluntary streak is 2 months.
Masturbate? Yes or no?
by Pudgy
Last post
 August 26th
...See more Hey everyone I have a problem and need some advice. I have been watching porn and masturbating for a very long time now at least 5+ years. Over time the amount increased to once a day and sometimes multiple times a day when I’m stressed. I have joined to help me stop or at least decrease the amount. So far gone over a week without relapse which is better than I expected for my first time Here is the problem. I have a very important exam coming up in a month. Basically if I do not do well and not pass I will not get a good job. I have been studying very hard to pass but ever since stopping fapping my concentration is not good. This exam costs a lot of money and my family has great expectations. What should I do? Should I fap and regain my study habit and concentration to help me pass this exam or continue no fap and risk poor study and failing exam?
Porn
by TinyJR1
Last post
 August 20th
...See more I have questions for other with porn addiction.. I’m told that I watch what I want to have. Personally I don’t think that’s true.. so what do you think? And thank
Sex addiction
by LilBlondeBaby17
Last post
 August 20th
...See more i have found that I am attracted to guys twice my age and wanting unhealthy sex relationships with them even meeting an older guy from an online chat for sex. Not sure what to do about it but think talking about it is a good first step.
Sex Addiction
by queenboss1101
Last post
 August 20th
...See more Hi I suffer from sex addiction. I’m looking for daily listener

Addiction Support

Please note: bolded grey text is hyperlinked.

Welcome to Addiction Support! We are so pleased that you have stumbled across our little corner of the internet. Our community is here to support you through any recovery and/or pathway from substances to gambling, internet, self-harm, porn addiction, sex addiction, and more. All are welcome to participate whether you are a family member watching a loved one struggling or if you are struggling yourself. Feel free to discuss anything and everything related to addictions.


What are the different forum topics for Addiction Support?

Community Space: A place for you to introduce yourself and take part in our community check-ins.

Games and Icebreakers: A place for you to get to know other community members by participating in fun games!

General Addiction Support: Do you have a question or want to share more about your addiction? Do it here!

Journals: Want to share your story or involve us on your journey to recovery? Do it here!

Loving Those With Addictions: Got a loved one with an addiction? Share your story here!

Sex and Porn Addiction Support: Struggling with a sex and/or porn addiction? Discuss it here!


How can I help?

You can help us by simply responding to threads and sharing your story (if you're comfortable to). Alternatively, you may wish to join us as a Forum Leader. Check out this thread for more information.


Helpful Threads

Taglist: Do you want to stay up to date with our community? Then join our taglist to be notified every time a new discussion or update is posted!


Addiction Support FAQ

Are there any sub-community specific guidelines that we need to adhere to?

All sub-community specific guidelines can be found below and should be followed in addition to the general forum guidelines.


Help... I still have a question! 

You can ask your questions in this thread and someone will respond to you as soon as possible.

Community Guidelines

Remain professional, kind, and respectful towards one another. 
Even if you do not get along with an individual listener, it is up to you to act appropriately. If you must, step away and do not engage.

Prevent hurtful rumor/gossip spreading. 
Rumor: a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth.
Gossip: idle talk especially about the personal or private affairs of others

Aim to grow and learn as a Listener & person. 
In this light, learning to accept feedback thankfully.

Be aware of how to use the forum correctly and what may happen when you do not do so. 
See more detailed forum guidelines below.

Refrain from sharing personal contact information
including, but not limited to, social media accounts, home addresses, phone numbers, messaging apps/sites, or any other medium of contact off-site. Learn more about internet safety in this forum. If you use the scheduling tool YouCanBookMe, you are required to remove the email submission step. Learn how to do this here.

Maintain a confidential atmosphere. 
Between you and member/guests and between you and other listeners. All conversations between you and members are confidential. Do not share any chat details with any other listeners or members. Additionally, do not write or blog about any issues you are supporting people on.

Engage in healthy problem solving. 
This means problem solving with the goal to continue to make the community better. Engage in healthy debates and conversations which lend themselves to problem solving and working together. Read more on the topic of healthy problem solving in this forum.

Use proper conflict resolution skills with every person on the site 
Proper conflict resolution means dealing with conflict in a supportive manner that benefits both you and the other person involved. Read more on conflict resolution in this forum.

Respect boundaries of other community members. 
This includes a total ban on stalking and harassment of any kind. 

Choose not to engage in sexting or flirting. 
We have a zero tolerance policy for these behaviors. Even if it is consensual, it is not allowed on 7 Cups. Read more about sexting and flirting in this forum.

Never create second accounts on the site. 
Each person is only allowed one listener and one member account. There are no exceptions.

Protect your log-in information to all accounts on 7 Cups and not allow anyone else to use it besides the person whose name is in our system. 
We expect that you will be the sole user of your listener/member account. If it comes to our attention that another person has accessed your account, we will need to immediately close your account for security reasons. This includes log-in details for 7 Cups Admin accounts.

Do not engage in hateful behaviors of any kind. 
Showing hate towards any gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, racial or cultural background or imposing your view point on any of these items on another user is forbidden.

We now have a behavior point system.
We ask each user to live by the guidelines outlined in this thread. Each behavior mentioned will be assigned a behavior point, once a certain number of points are accumulated within 6 months, consequences will be enacted.

Read the 7 Cups Guidelines