My Story of Overcoming Porn and My Ultimate Goal

It all started at the age of 12. I was in a sex-ed class in elementary school and the teacher was showing us pictures of half-naked models in various magazines.

At the age of 12, I didn’t know about porn addiction or the foul effects it would have on me. I had no clue what I was getting myself into but from that day curiosity led to an internet search which progressed to an addiction from which there seemed no escape.

My story is no different from everyone else who has suffered from an addiction to porn. It starts with curiosity and has no end to the depressive impact it has on you.

In my teens, I never thought of it as a problem although I knew it was wrong. When I was 18, I began to realize how big a problem it had become. At that point, it seemed impossible to give it up. It made me depressed, I felt like a zombie — lifeless. I couldn’t enjoy life to the fullest because at the back of my mind this addiction was waiting to control me.

No matter what I did, my mind almost seemed to have a mind of its own. Like a plane on auto-pilot, I was drawn to a destination on the internet that I did not want to be in.

One thing that changed when I was 18 was my desire to overcome porn. That was when I told myself that no matter how many times I fail, I will emerge victorious once, and that is all it would take.

Six years later, I can confidently say that my new years' resolution had been achieved. In those six years of struggle, I got kicked out of my dream program, I was in credit card debt, I seemed like a failure to those around me, I had no direction in my life, I gained 50 lbs, and I barely had $100 to my name.

Arguably, it was one of the most trying times of my life. I felt like there was no way out and that there was no hope.

In the last six years of struggle, I also managed to join the military and have a stable job & income, I lost about 30 lbs of weight, I am finishing my final year of university, I hosted a running event with over 200 people, I saved $10,000 in the past year, I became the president of my youth organization, I started this blog to help others, and I now have my own place to call home.

By the age of 25, I had lost it all and gained it all. I experienced the lowest of lows and bounced back. I almost lost hope but regained it completely. I went from being depressed to marching on toward my goals and achieving more than I could have imagined.

Addiction to porn sucks, but it taught me that there is no limit to what you can achieve. Once you have learned to overcome yourself, the world becomes your oyster.

Become like a soldier, no matter how much pain and difficulty you endure, keep marching on. Just as a soldier will push his limits to achieve the objective he has been given, so too must you endure trial and tribulation until, alas, success is within your grasp.

Now I will continue marching towards a higher goal. My desire is to help everyone else who is suffering from porn to overcome it. Although this industry may never be eradicated, we will put a dent in its impact.

Better yet, the biggest impact will be on yourself.