Dear Counselor,
I am a teen who is troubled by multiple sexual temptations and activities. What solutions are there for me???  Is this "sexual addiction" ???  What is the cause? and What is the cure??

- Anna 

Dear Anna,

Thank you for writing. Obviously, there are no easy answers for sexual addiction. I would say that underneath the drive and lust is a deep thirst.  A seemingly unquenchable thirst for something to satisfy, something to take away pain, something to bring excitement.  That might not make sense, but in any addiction there is emotional pain that needs numbing, a psychological and physiological need for a high, and a deep spiritual thirst for answers to life and relationship with God. You are looking for answers to your deedpest needs in all the wrong places.

In the Bible, Jeremiah 2:13 God says, "My people have committed two sins: they have turned from Me the living water and dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water."  Who quenches the deep thirst for something satisfying in life?  Only God.  People try to fill that thirst with everything but God and they dig trenches, bigger, longer and wider, trying the same things that don't work, don't quench their thirst. Jesus said in John 6:35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."(NIV) and in John 6:51 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live    forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."(NIV) So you have fallen into a trap and gotten hooked physically in addictions and the temptation gets so great that you need supernatural help to escape. You need to begin with God.

When a person trusts Christ as their Lord and Savior, he or she can be set free because Jesus says in John 8:36 "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (NIV) and in  John 10:10 "I have come to give you life and give it more abundantly." Jesus sets people free and answers the pain in their lives....where am I going when I die and what am I living for on this earth?  He also gives power to overcome the temptations and the addiction when a person surrenders his or her life to Him. People need spiritual change from the inside out.
Here are some steps to help set you free from sexual addiction:
1. Finding Freedom in Christ: Start by learning who Jesus is and what He can do to set you free from this sin/addiction by reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament. I would be happy to send you one if you do not have it. Freedom from any bad habit or addiction comes when you begin a relationship with Christ. Scriptures say:
Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Gal 5:1
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34-37 NIV
Jesus wants a personal relationship with you. It is through Him and His power that you will ultimately find true freedom from and victory over this addiction.
2. Finding Freedom through counseling and support: You can truly benefit from counseling and 12-step support groups. Through counseling and support groups you can to discover what is underlying this issue for you, how to prevent it and overcome it. What needs are you trying to fill? How can you resist this temptation and start living a healthier, happier life?
Resources can be found in our web site such as: 
Overcomers Outreach, Inc: 1-800-310-3001; 1-714-491-3000
Outreach: Workshops and support groups: 1-601- 844-5128; 
Email: outreach@casr.org
Teens: Christian Answers for Teens
Youth Crisis:  AACC
  His Mansion:  1-603-464-5555 personnel@hismansion.com
   Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-Hit-Home

Look for more help through 12-steps support groups and counseling in your location. A therapist can help the family members approach the person by using a "family intervention". Please contact AACC for a referral to a professional in your area in the Christian Care Network
But nothing takes the place of fervent prayer for this teen's spiritual condition. I hope this is helpful for you.

God bless you! 

Lynette

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