It is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought.
All addictions are cyclical in nature, with no clear beginning or end and one stage leading to the next (and then the next, and the next, and the next), leaving the addict stuck in an endless, downwardly spiraling loop. With sex and porn addiction there are six distinct stages in this cycle: (1) triggers (catalysts that create a need/desire to act out sexually); (2) fantasy; (3) ritualization (the process of moving fantasy toward reality); (4) acting out; (5) numbing (emotional distancing); and (6) despair (shame and remorse). As every sex and porn addict is aware, the despair stage morphs into the trigger stage, renewing the endless cycle.
Task for Today
Draw a diagram of your addictive cycle, listing specific thoughts and behaviors for each of the six stages.