HAS SOLO SEX MASTURBATION GOT YOU DOWN?

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Those  consumed with fantasy, be it romance novels, pornography, movies, etc.,  that fuel this behavior, thus achieve what they seek: 'A relationship  with their self'.  Void of intimacy, longing for closeness, and a love  only God can fill, they are lost in a void of emotional and cognitive  dissonance, as they struggle to  survive in a sea of stress and anxiety.  When sex consumes you, only sex  will serve as a false substitute to complete you.  Your free will  choice to seek God in forgiveness, and end this self destructive cycle  of pain, shame, and remorse, is a choice God will bless." - Synthia  Esther

* If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - 1 John 1:9

* He  forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases; he redeems my life from  the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. - Psalm 103:3-4

* But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall  mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and  they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31

* Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your  hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. - Psalm  42:11

* Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28

* I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my  fears.  Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered  with shame. - Psalm 34:4-5

It  is God desire that your sexual addictions and obsessions end, as these  lust idols and temptations are taking His place within your soul (mind,  will, and emotions). God created sex within the bonds of marriage to be  filled with love and an intimacy, shared between husband and wife  (Heb.13:4).  

Satan seeks to destroy that bond and your marriage.  If you  are single, the bonds of sexual intimacy are meant to be saved for the  marriage bed only.  Those who compulsively masturbate often have a  difficult time ending their troubling habits.  God is a source of  strength to those who seek His word, will, and ways, when desiring to  halt the cycling power of addiction. 

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DOPAMINE – THE MASTER MOLECULE OF ADDICTION AND PORNOGRAPHY'S LINK TO ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

By Synthia Esther

5/28/2014 .  Updated  - August 1, 2021,

Scripture Reference: Colossians 3:5, 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8.

Colossians 3:5,  “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:  sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is  idolatry.” - NIV

Colssians 3:5,  “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,  uncleanliness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and  covetousness, which is idolatry.” (KJV).

When  viewing pornography and masturbating a man forms a fantasy, pseudo  relationship within his mind. Fueled by lust with results of sexual  hyper stimulation, a porn addict comes to know first hand, no pun  intended, that his ability to achieve a hard erection and orgasm is an  easy goal. His grand slam solo sex life leaves not an ounce of doubt in  his mind. Thus, the tempters relationship snare is set when the bait of  pornography becomes one's source of sexual gratification.

 Ultimately,  pornography is covetous, idol worship. As pornography viewing,  masturbating and orgasm, becomes one's life focus, source of comfort,  companionship, and support (Colossians 3:5, 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8).

Cyber  representations of sex do not include the male-female attraction bonding  God intended and serve to desensitize one's ability and desire to bond  in a committed loved based relationship as two become one flesh. Self  discipline is exchanged for self indulgence. Service to self is of  foremost importance to the blind mind caught in the web of sex and  pornography addictions snare.

 It is a fact of life that any good  relationship requires a lot of work. The sex addicts' relationship with  pornography is no exception to this rule. Pornography viewing time,  attention, desires, grow to fuel the need to develop and achieve new  sexual plateaus levels. These obsessive, escalating desires feed a cycle  of repeated self gratification, satisfaction, and stress relief, which  serve to change nero-chemical brain function. 

Logic is long gone  under the grip of such powerful, mind altering, neuro-chemical changes.

 I  have witnessed this sex sin grip first hand (no pun intended), , as I have seen Ryan, my ex, go  into a “sexual dissociated trance” when even thinking about viewing  pornography!

 He too experienced erectile dysfunction due to  pornography viewing and masturbating addiction. Several women I have met  in sex addiction support groups admitted witnessing this same evil,  intoxicating, cause and effect while confirming sex and pornography  addicts made “horrible lovers”.  Vast witness and testimony made in  online forums and blogs by partners of sex-porn-masturbation addicts  confirm these same "horrible lover" complaints. 

When viewing porn,  the mind, body, soul of the sex addict seemed to be taken over as if  possessed! When we live outside of God's will, we suffer (John 10:10).  And for many men, suffering the result of erectile dysfunction due to  one's pornography addiction habits is now a clinically proven result of  indulging in this sin's pleasure. Going limp, unable to preform like the  self proclaimed studs one views in pornography productions can often  leave a man with serious insecurities.

 Likewise,  when a man can't finish the sexual act some woman are plagued with self  doubt thinking they are the cause. To paraphrase what several woman  have admitted to me before dialing the number of the nearest plastic  surgeon, “Maybe if I looked as hot as Ms. Porn, he could maintain his  erection and our sex life and relationship would improve”. 

ED issues aside,  even if a woman were to have larger natural breasts than Annie Hawkins  Turner (aka Norma Stitz – USA), or augmented breasts as big as Maxi  Mounds, with a derriere as large as Kim Kardasian, a sex fantasy addict  would not be sufficed for long! Further more, it doesn't matter how hot  or beautiful a woman may be in accordance with psycho-social standards,  sex addicts desire escalating, new experiences. Often having had sex  with a woman one time, the thrill of the ritualistic, sexual hunt is  long gone. As has often been admitted to me by many pornography, sexual  fantasy addicts. 

“What we seed we feed, and what we feed escalates, and we eventually become.” - Synthia Esther.

As addiction needs  continue to escalate an addict often becomes desperate, willing to  exchange most everything to stabilize their withdrawal pain. Bernell  Christensen, “Giving Up Everything for Porn – It's in Your DNA”, is  quoted as stating, “Research shows that many of the same  neuro-chemicals, biological and emotional processes activated during  [actual] physical sex are also tripped by porn viewing.”

 Which confirms  God's mind set, and spiritual revelation as well, “...anyone who even  looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery (Matthew  5:27-28). 

Christensen  explains, “Porn viewing releases many of the same chemicals triggered by  street drug use. Over time, these chemicals change the brain in  significant ways. Basically, the frontal lobes shrink and become  increasingly handicapped. This is part of the brain that controls  reasoning, logic, values, goals, self  discipline, self-restraint and will power. At the same time, the Limbic  System of the brain has one narrow focus – the intense pursuit of  instant pleasure and reward at the cost of everything else... Bent on  getting the pleasure rush of porn...this is what the Limbic System says  to the Frontal Lobes – I don't care if you lose your job, your marriage,  your future or anything else! I want what I want and I want it NOW!”

Dr.  Abraham Morgentaler, Director of Men's Health Boston and Clinical  Professor of Urology at Harvard Medical School, confirms the erectile  dysfunction – pornography use link, “It's hard to know exactly how many  men are suffering form porn-induced ED. But it's clear that this is a  new phenomenon and it's not rare.”   Dr. Oz agrees, and devoted an  entire television show in 2013 addressing ED dysfunction due to  pornography use.

DOPAMINE RELEASE - THE MASTER MOLECULE OF ADDICTION

Dopamine release is  often cited as “the master molecule of addiction”. Leading sexual  addiction expert, Dr. Patrick Carnes, has written many books concerning  sexual addictions cause, effect, the Dopamine molecule connection, and  neurological changes within the brain.* In order for the addicts brain  to protect itself from the continual, over load of Dopamine production,  decreased Dopamine reactions occur. What was once exciting is no more,  thereby igniting the addicts desire to view more erotic, deviant porn,  thereby achieving the high longed for. Shame, guilt, remorse, follow,  which fuels the need to feed the seeded ritual pattern escalating the  cycle of addiction. 

Gary Wilson, “Your  Brain on Porn”, “Why Do I Find Porn More Exciting than a Partner?”,  explains: “Over time, this dual-edged mechanism has your reward  circuitry buzzing at the hint of porn use, but less enthused when  presented with the real deal.” The Italian Society of Androgyny and  Sexual Medicine, survey of 28,000 men, with head Carlo Foresta confirms,  “It starts with lower reactions to porn sites, then there is a general  drop in libido and in the end it becomes impossible to get an erection.”

Dr. Tyger Latham's  article in Psychology Today, published May 3, 2012, Therapy Matters,  “Does Porn Contribute to ED?” further substantiates the porn- erectile  dysfunction link. Dr. Latham is a clinical psychologist specializing in  men's issues, trauma, sexuality, and gender, who confirms several male  clients where concerned that their ED might be related to their frequent  reliance on pornography when masturbating. While Dr. Latham use to  think that a man's ability to get an erection and orgasm while viewing  pornography was by definition a rule out for ED. He now concludes such  clinical opinion to be “erroneous”, as anecdotal evidence lead him to  think otherwise. 

PORNOGRAPHY - FANTASY SEX ADDICTION IS A THRILL THAT KILLS YOUR SEX LIFE, FUELED BY AN INFLUENCING SATANIC SPIRIT (ACTS 5:3)

Science confirms  God's word concerning the addiction process being similar to a mind  altering, drug experience. A person is tempted when drawn away and  enticed by lust. Lust conceived and not placed under the authority of  Jesus Christ our Lord, will ultimately lead to death (James 1:14-15).  Death to one's soul (mind, will, emotions) when unable to stop acting  out their vice of addictions snare, releasing the Dopamine longed for  and desired. Which in turn contributes to loss of virility, and erectile  dysfunction. Death to one's spiritual connection occurs when the Holy  Spirit of God is quenched and Satan's influencing spirit is welcomed  (Acts 5:3). Death to relationships, jobs, security, self esteem, …. the  list is long and wide.

RECOVERY

A clinical  psychologist may help a person sort through some of life's problems, but  only God can heal a broken heart. By the powerful help from God's Holy  Spirit, one can over come their addiction to sex pornography and  masturbating reversing spiritual depletion and erectile dysfunction.  Perseverance to flee when comforted by sexual temptation, puts your walk  behind your talk, for faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). As  such, as confirmed by many psychologists, going “cold turkey” completely  eliminating pornography viewing and masturbation, can help short  circuit the chemical process of lust addiction. 

Biblical strategy  in defeating the addiction to lust informs us to remain alert (1 Peter  5:8), resist the devil (James 4:7), stand strong and firm (Ephesians  6:10-11), take God's escape route as provided (1st  Corinthians 10:13), lean on His word (John 1:1), and armor (Ephesians  6:10-18, Romans 13:14). God's word was used by Jesus to defeat Satan in  the wilderness (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). As Paul confirmed, “We are more  than conquerors” in this life (Romans 8:37) If we do what Jesus did when  tempted, we will defeat the enemy. 

IN CONCLUSION 

According to God's  word, addiction is activated by free will as one seeks to fulfill  emotional and spiritual needs through a person, place, activity, and/or  thing, which becomes an idol in one's life, causing dysfunction and  ultimately, death. Science has now proven the mind is altered by sex and  pornography addiction cycling habits, producing long lasting, chemical  changes within the brain which can lead to male erectile dysfunction. We  know recovery from addiction to be possible by repentant, perseverance  in temptation, leaning on God's word and the spiritual armor He  provides.  And acceptance of His grace, mercy, and love (John 3:16-17)  which covers all past sin, guilt, and shame. Choice not chance  determines your success in reversing sex and pornography addictions  snare.

Additional Reference Notes:

* This is a very brief summary and personal overview of Dr. Carnes work and research. 

COPYRIGHT - SYNTHIA ESTHER.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.