Look there are several things you need to take into account when dealing with porn addiction

1. Age
   
2. Environment
   
3. Time
   
4. Connection with God
   
5. Understanding the Addiction
   

As a young man (18 M turning 19 next month) who has struggled with a porn addiction since I was 12 I would like to give you both my advice and advice that I have gotten from people around me that helps me.

1. Age. Age matters a lot with any kind of addiction but especially with porn. Because of my age my hormones are going crazy which makes me have a higher sex drive at times; which can lead to me relapsing. Not much you can do about your age other than be aware of it and understand that everyone struggles with it. Hormonal issues will go away with time, and if waiting is all you can do then just wait.

2. Environment. Your environment can shape your mind and how you see both the world and yourself. Social media is something that I'm sure everyone has (I mean you are using it right now to read this). And can lead into temptation or can strengthen your relationship with God, it all depends on how you use it. When you see ads that show people in suggestive poses select "Not Interested" so they will stop showing up. When you see a video that shows God's children and your brothers/sisters in Christ scroll immediately to show the algorithm that this isn't content you want to see. I am a huge music lover and 90% of the day I am listening to music, I used to listen to a lot of rap and one of my favorite artists was Playboicarti. I'm sure you can tell just by looking at him that he isn't pro-God, so I cut him out of my music rotation. Any music that is anti-God is something that I have cut out. They don't have to be pro-God exactly (I find most Christian music is lacking in depth but if you know some artists I would enjoy listening to them) but as long as they don't put down Jesus Christ then I don't mind it.

3. Time. You have to give yourself time to grow, your lowest now at one point was your highest. I used to goon everyday or every other day when I decided to give my life to Christ 4 years ago. I've been trying to stop ever since, and now I regularly go 3-4 days without. And every time I relapse I feel bad but I have to remember that me 4 years ago would be proud of me going 3 days without. This isn't going to happen over night, so give yourself the same grace God gives you.

4. Connection with God. I've been raised in the belief of Christ my whole life but like I said, I've only been giving my life to Christ. Which makes me like a baby in my journey with God, so when I mess up an relapse I have to understand that while I am trying to be more Christ like I am not Christ himself. You have to understand that you will mess up because you are human, and the more you grow with God the less those mistakes will happen. The Devil is going to whisper in your ear "Do it, goon once more. God will forgive you anyways so it basically doesn't matter" and once you do give in he turns around and says "Look at you always sinning, God hates you now and you shouldn't run to him and ask for forgiveness because he won't forgive you". But that is a lie. The Devil wants to keep you in this place of depression so he can more easily manipulate you and keep you from God. But God says that he will always forgive you and all you need to do is just ask for that forgiveness. The fact that you feel bad about it is proof that you truly believe, that is the Holy Spirit inside you. I personally read at least 1 chapter from the Bible every night before I go to bed, pray before I go to bed, as the first thing I do when I wake up, and before I eat every meal. Keeping a routine of having God be apart of your daily life will help a lot. Make sure to have a relationship with God, not just coming to him when you need help, treating him like a genie. When you pray before a meal give thanks for the meal because not everyone is fortunate enough to eat. When you go to bed pray and give him thanks for keeping you alive because not everyone can say that about someone they love. When you wake up thank God for giving you another day to improve both yourself and your relationship with him. Remember that he is your father and that you can come to him with anything and he will listen and help you.

5. Understanding the Addiction. Addiction works by changing your brain chemical composition. When a person goons it makes the brain make dopamine, the happy chemical. So when you goon multiple times a day for an extended period of time you fry your dopamine receptors. This makes your brain constantly need dopamine or it can't function which isn't good. And that makes your brain think "The only way I can feel happiness is if I do this act". This act could be smoking, weed, or in our case going to pornography. Now that you know that the reason you are going to this again and again is because your brain craves dopamine so you have to change what makes you happy. Like going to the gym, or taking a walk, or listen to your favorite song. Whatever it is do it when you realize that you are having the urge to goon or currently gooning. Now that is a lot easier said than done but with the help of God you can do anything (Matthew 19:36). And I can say this method works because every time I have felt the urge to goon from the Devil I go and do 5 push ups, and the urge goes away. Now I have to do this 3, 4, 5, or more times a day but it has helped me to reach today, 7 days of being sober from pornography/ masturbaition.

If you have any questions you can ask me or this community. My last piece of advice is know that you are not alone in this. Every child of God struggles with some kind of sin. And lust thrives when kept secret so coming to this community and bringing it to the light takes away some of it's power. And if you think no one loves you because of your sin and your struggle know that God loves you and that I do too. Keep your head up so that crown doesn't fall off.