In a recent post, psychologist Doug Weiss shared six essential steps on how to quit porn. This was in partnership with Covenant Eyes, an initiative designed to help people live free from pornography.
Covenant Eyes
The same concerns that many individuals have today were present when Ron DeHaas founded Covenant Eyes almost 20 years ago. He wanted to provide solutions to these problems:
“Can I teach my children to use the internet with integrity?”
“How do I guard my own heart and remain pure online?”
“How do I serve as an example to my family and church?”
So, he initiated Internet Accountability to provide people with the tools they need to safeguard themselves and their families from internet threats after realizing the threat that online technologies offer without effective monitoring.
6 Essential Steps To Get Free From Porn – Part 1
In a recent post, Dr. Doug Weiss shared six steps on how to quit porn:
1. You need to want to stop watching porn.
“The first part to quitting porn is you really have to want to quit porn. You need to be sick and tired of porn and the sickness that it causes you in order to quit. If you are not committed, you will only be quitting until the next time you look. Deep inside you have to want to stop.” – Dr. Doug Weiss
These are the questions you can consider:
“Would your marriage be better?”
“Do you want to find freedom from guilt and shame?”
“Would you free up wasted time to pursue your more fulfilling hobbies and dreams?”
2. You need to be willing to quit porn differently.
“You have to be willing to do things you haven’t done before. Seriously, if you keep trying to quit porn the same way, you’re likely to fail again. To stop watching porn for good, you have to give up what you’ve been doing and do what you have to do.” – Dr. Doug Weiss
To stop watching porn, you must stop doing whatever causes you to do so. What are your most vulnerable times? And instead of allowing it to consume your time, meditate on what was written in Romans 12:2. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV).
6 Essential Steps To Quit Porn II – Part 2
3. You need to be brutally honest with someone about quitting porn.
“You have to tell someone else about your struggle and desire to get free. This person may be a male friend, your wife, a person of clergy, a life coach, or a 12-step group person. Somebody has to know the truth about your porn usage for you to get and stay free.” – Dr. Doug Weiss
You don’t have this alone. Have someone to journey with you as your accountability partner, and be honest with your progress. Remember, healing starts with confessing. The moment you invite someone you trust to journey with you, your breakthrough also starts.
4. You need to get rid of all your porn.
“Next, you have to do what I call “clean house.” You have to get rid of the porn you have. Throw away the discs, magazines, anything you have used as pornography, and make sure to dump and clean out your computer. This is just a start; you have to clean house regularly. ” – Dr. Doug Weiss
Are you familiar with this verse? “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13, NLT). It was the apostle Paul who wrote this when he expressed that he would press on in knowing Jesus and the calling He had set before him.
READ: TOP 9 CHRISTIAN MOVIES OF ALL TIME
Is God calling you to a new level of sexual purity? Then, get rid of those “triggers” and pursue God instead.
6 Essential Steps To Quit Porn III – Part 3
5. You need to block porn from coming back in.
“The next step is you have to block entry points. This means have a porn blocker and accountability software like Covenant Eyes on your phone, computer at home, and at the office. If you have people sending you compromising emails, block them. Unsubscribe from porn websites. You may have to decide if credit cards are a problem. You know how porn is coming into your life. If you had a gun to your head you could block entry points in a minute.” – Dr. Doug Weiss
Porn is more accessible than ever. That is why intentionally blocking these websites is an essential part of quitting porn. Make it unavailable and uneasy to access by blocking any content that tempts you to compromise.
6. You need a friend to hold you accountable.
Accountability is very important in every aspect. You have to be accountable for yourself, for the people around you, and for your relationship with God, your Creator. He created you to be pure as His dwelling place and temple. To live in His will, you need others to help, encourage, and support you.
Quitting porn is not easy. Everyone who is suffering from it knows this for a fact. But you don’t have to do it alone.
So, to encourage you, remember that “God began a good work in you. And I am sure that he will carry it on until it is completed. That will be on the day Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6, NIRV).
Reference | Covenant Eyes
Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
