The Addicted Spirit
There are 1.5 billion pornographic Internet downloads a month. There are 68 million pornographic search engine requests each day – 25% of the total search engine requests are for pornography. Or how about this stat, 90% of U.S. children ages 8-16 have viewed porn online – most while doing homework. (Pornography Statistics)
In response to this pornography crisis we now have thousands of addiction interventions including exclusive treatment programs, a variety of internet filter options, numerous books and podcasts. All of these resources are aimed to help individuals overcome a pornography addiction.
Just this week I was counseling with another couple with a porn problem. Financially, they were very well to do – the biggest house in the neighborhood, all the toys and cars, etc. They were married in the temple 3 or 4 kids ago and never missed Church on Sunday. They looked great on the outside. But, they were about to lose it all, plus each other. The wife’s first words to me were, “I hate him. I want a divorce!” The culprit – her husband’s years of Internet pornography viewing. Like many of my clients, by the time I see them, most have already tried numerous interventions. They have been to counseling, read books, been threatened by their spouse, used Internet filters, tried to improve self-discipline, and even visited with their Church leader. The end result, the healing had not been complete. They have come away still with a pornography problem!
Over the years, I have learned programs don’t cure! In particular, traditional pornography addiction interventions, alone — rarely permanently change a serious porn addiction. Certainly programs and interventions help. They can provide relief. They can educate about resources and techniques. But over time, they are not powerful enough to single handedly conquer the individual’s addicted body, mind and spirit. Elder Boyd K. Packer reminds us how powerful the enemy really is “Addiction has the capacity to disconnect the human will and nullify moral agency. It can rob one of the power to decide.” (“Revelation in a Changing World,” Ensign, Nov 1989)
There are several reasons why traditional pornography interventions – alone – don’t cure. One of the main reasons is the failure to address the significance of the “addicted spirit.”
The logic is simple:
First: “The Spirit and the body make up the soul.” (D&C 88:15). The spirit and body are more like skin and muscle than a glove and a hand. One can hardly discern the difference between them.
Second: “The spirit is influenced by the body and the body by the spirit…” said President Brigham Young. (Discourses of Brigham Young,sel. John A. Widtsoe [1941], 69–70) Generally, any experience the body has the spirit has also, and vice versa.
Third: “Addiction to any substance enslaves not only the physical body but the spirit as well.” (Addiction or Freedom, New Era, September 1989) said Elder Russell M. Nelson.
The conclusion is obvious: The spirit becomes addicted and also needs “treatment.” I’m talking more than just a few visits with the bishop and compliance to routine counsel such as “read the scriptures, attend church ….” With serious addiction problems a “mighty change of heart” (Alma 5: 12-14) is required in addition to traditional professional interventions. Complete recovery is evidenced by true confession, sincere prayer, and the acceptance of the Savior’s atonement.
The spirit must be healed as part of addiction recovery for an individual to experience permanent change and have “…no more disposition to do evil…” (Mosiah 5:2)
dr. rick
PRINCIPLE: Abstinence from pornography is not recovery. Permanent behavior change requires treatment of the spirit.
Links for additional information:
“Psychologist at BYU’s Education Week speaks on addiction” Mormon Times Deseret News, 2009
“Addiction Recovery: Healing One Step at a Time,” Ensign, Jun 2009
