Addictions and Complusions

The subject of the addiction or compulsion is the object of this post. Addictions in themselves are not the subject.

The required elements for a mortal sin can cause problems in examining oneself when influenced by habit.

All humans have habits and are subject to concupiscence, but there is a special disease which not all share, and that is compulsions, which are also the subject of medical treatment. In the realm of chemical substances, the term "addiction" is used to describe compulsive use of substances which are often harmful, serve no purpose, and yet, which are are used because of a very strong compulsion to use them.

Addiction has been used to describe other behaviours, particular behaviours which involve distinct chemical responses in the human brain. Whether it is appropriate to call such behaviour "addictive" is not important. The fact that certain, normal, activity can create a pathological pursuit which is never actually sated. That is, there is an intense feeling of need (like hunger) which cannot be satisfied. We get hungry, we eat, and we are not hungry. This is natural. Likewise, the human sex drive, survival responses, and other activities which are biologically rewarded can become severely disordered beyond concupiscence. There is a lot of science and chemistry behind how it works, but it is very clear that one's normally rebellious flesh can become severely diseased by having a very strong, unrestrained, unsatisfiable, and harmful perversion of an essentially good appetite.

Most "addictions" are not that obvious and may confuse the people who have them. Regardless of the medical classification, it is important to identify any behaviour or drive which is a result of an abnormal condition. If one suffers from a psychological or biological addiction or compulsion, if it is not identified, it may lead one to despair at one's inability to exercise one's will as one wishes.

Some times of actions which may commonly become the subject of compulsive behaviour would be (in no particular order):

• Internet use, video games


• Gambling, risk taking behaviour


• Eating, drinking


• Exercise, grooming, and activities related to one's appearance


• Shopping, collecting, hoarding


• Drug use (including legal drugs, or drugs found naturally)


• Self harm


• Sexually stimulating activity including pornography and self-abuse


• Other behaviours

These activities are based on a good desire when ordered and can be influenced by concupiscence. However, our flesh is rebellious. Our biology may develop an inordinate desire to satisfy the desire, and lead one to be driven to satisfy it. Temporary relief does not satisfy the desire. People may end up spending an extremely large amount of time looking at pornography with no end, or hoarding certain items, or any item, without restraint, or doing some activity without mind of limits, etc.

It is probable most addictions and compulsions are started in ignorance or even in sin and develop into a greater disorder. It starts in satisfying the urge or in a choice to start. People who start these activities do so lawfully or unlawfully. But, whatever the action, once there is a disordered desire for it to this degree, it is by natural harmful. Exercise, dieting, shopping, and the like are all relatively normal good things. It is good to keep one's body healthy and to obtain what one can use for a good use, but they are also activities which if done out of compulsion will result in harm. A person with a disordered urge to exercise will do so to one's detriment. Normally, people exercise because they enjoy it, they improve their physical abilities, or to reach a certain goal. Abnormally, it is done because one is compelled to, even if one does not enjoy it, one is physically harmed or degrades in ability (one of the reasons why people start using performing enhancement drugs without any logical incentives), or it otherwise becomes a problem in one's life.

Some activities may be more likely to result in compulsions than others, and some people may be more likely to develop compulsions. What matters to individuals is if one exists or not. How common or probable it is is not important.

There are two responses a rational person could have to such a disease:

• Accept it


• Resist it

People may accept the disorder and defend it. This is common in activities where the harm is not obvious or the addiction is very common. I have seen this in people who have addictions to tobacco or pornography. Since the object is common and not illegal, it is mentally easy to accept it and cooperate with the disorder. Any resistance would be external. One may not use the drug at times because of other people, but not because one has chosen to reject it in oneself. This may result in obvious problems with other people (hiding, lying, stealing, etc) yet the object of the disorder may be embraced.

Or, a person can resist the disorder. Setting the will against the flesh is what we are all called to do, and it is not easy. Addictions and compulsions are much harder to resist to the extent where they may be overpowering and one cannot see how to resist. If one has never experienced this, one may think to deny such a thing exists, but it certainly does exist even if one has not experienced it. These are temptations which are beyond normal to where I think it is possible they are in fact not something which one could resist fully.

The cost of accepting is death. The reward for resisting is life:

James 1:12-15
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him. Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. For God is not a tempter of evils, and he tempteth no man. But every man is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured. Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. But sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.

Given that a mortal sin requires knowledge and will as well as the meeting the grave matter, it is probable that many acts done out of compulsion are not mortally sinful even if they be a grave matter.

Compulsion is not an excuse for sin. It is commonly mentioned in people who have a habit of self-abuse, but the act is still as disordered as it ever was and if the act is accepted, then one sins to the extent one cooperates with the disorder.

We cannot know our judgement, but from Faith, we are given Hope by God. If this Hope is rejected, then one has despaired, which is against God.

Resisting compulsions may seem to be futile. One feels distressed and not particularly happy when it is resisted, and if one falls, one may feel even worse. This "pain" or "greater pain, but with a disordered temporal satisfaction" is not something which one can naturally overcome. We easily resist doing something that hurts, such as touching fire. There is no need for reward of any sort to not touch fire. However, if one is in cold water, then running onto the hot sand may seem like a good idea and bring a little satisfaction at least. Such is the resistance against addiction and compulsion. Ideally, one could fully will not to engage the activity and live in accordance with that choice. But that is not the way it usually is. After rejection, the compulsion remains. I cannot help but think of this "super concupiscence". It is the same battle, on a different scale, but the price is the same.

Because it is essentially the same, the ways of overcoming are similar.

The importance of avoiding the Occasion of Sin is paramount. If one cannot restrain oneself with using a credit card, shopping by some means, or collecting an item, etc, then it is better to completely forsake it.

Mark 9:46
And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:

This is not always possible (see the part on the inability for most to actually avoid all proximate occasions of sin and the example used in scripture is supposed to show the importance forsaking the object of sin not a call to self mutilation), but the extent to which it is avoidable may be underestimated. We often view things which we have often had available as being necessary. Most of the time, we can forsake something without any issues except for the resistance to giving up the object. For example, for people who habitually watch TV shows, there will likely be no problem if the ability to watch the TV show is completely removed after it is removed. It is the removing that is the problem. How many sins would we avoid if we just were able to avoid the occasion?

One should seek spiritual direction and, if useful, psychological or medical help for overcoming these sorts of problems.

However, the price is high and easily forgotten. The prize is large, but out of sight. The action may be forsaken, but the compulsion remains. It is not pleasant, but this pain will be worth it. How many think it would be good to be a martyr, yet find it difficult to accept the discomfort, pain, and trials which do not get such acclaim?