August - 05
Q: Is it OK to use medication as an aid in overcoming Sexual Addiction?
I have read many stories of otherwise good people struggling with this problem. There seems to be a common and disturbing trend in all of their stories. They want to overcome their addiction, they pray to be delivered, they make good use of the sacraments, and they attend Mass regularly. Many of these good people even fast. Despite all of their sincere efforts, none of them seem to experience any lasting victory over their problem! Many experience numerous, smaller victories which are only transitory in nature. I am one of these people.

My question is this: Can complete mastery be achieved by attacking the problem not only with spiritual exercises, but also with medication? The editor of another Catholic website similar to this one believes that medication is a necessity in overcoming this problem. Do you concur? Thank you.  Aaron

A:  Dear Aaron,

My first suggestion to you is that you prayerfully re-read the questions you yourself submitted and think about what it is that you see.

I, too, have struggled with these issues, just as you describe. What is it exactly that you are describing?

The answer is “the Cross.”

This addiction, for those who struggle with it, is a cross, a cross that Christ Himself has asked us to carry daily for the rest of our lives.

If we fight the good fight, as St. Paul says, and work to carry this cross while keeping focused at all times on the goal, which is Jesus Christ, then we, along with our pains, sufferings and, yes, even our failures, go to serve and glorify Almighty God.

On the other hand, if we give into our sinful inclinations with nary an effort to please God, then the consequences of that choice become apparent as well.

In other words, we can accept and take up the cross that Jesus asks us to carry, or we can run away from it. The choice is up to us.

This is a matter of free will, a personal, intelligent and premeditated choice which no doubt affects our own salvation.

Yes, medication can be used to overcome this addiction, but keep in mind that it affects the "free will" aspect and lessens or mitigates the positive spiritual effects, the graces received that otherwise may work to our greater good.

Medication masks some or all of the pain caused by our cross. Which, then, is more pleasing and acceptable to Christ - to share freely in His suffering, to share in the role of Simon of Cyrene, throwing our best efforts forth to please Christ, or to drown our pains, struggles, failures, our opportunity to fall, with narcotics and chemicals?

God gives each and every human being a cross to bear. To many, He gives several crosses. Sexual addiction is but one of those crosses.

How we approach our cross, the effort we put into bearing our crosses, regardless of the number of times that we fall, will serve us for good or ill at our judgment, depending upon our free will, our personal choice – our willingness to embrace or deny the cross.

To quote the great Carmelite Saint, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross –

"Ave Crux, spes unica." - Hail the Cross, our only Hope.

Fraternally in Christ,

Paul Rasavage
for the Serenellians
and www.PornNoMore.com