"So how can I put this into practice? How do I assure that my inner strengths find expression in a positive and constructive way?"
"A wonderful question, as usual. And like always, I would like to bring a parable to try and answer the question: A sick man arrives at the emergency room in a life-threatening state with symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath and his situation is deteriorating by the minute. The best doctors gather around him immediately, and decide he is suffering a heart attack. They perform a catheterization, and on the heels of that procedure they roll him in for emergency bypass surgery. The surgery is a success, and after a period of recovery the patient is ready to be released from the hospital - but not before he gets detailed guidance from his doctors on anything that could be dangerous to his condition, as well as instructions on how to ensure healthy blood pressure, which medicines to take every day, and how to lead a healthy life style from now on - including prevention of stress, a regimen of exercise and a fat-free diet.
"Why do you think it was so important for the doctors to give the patient such detailed guidance on how to live? After all, they already dealt with the disease and he's being released already from the hospital?"
"Well, obviously", said Yerachmiel, surprised even by the question, "they want to make sure it doesn't happen again".
"Right", I replied. "In other words, you're basically claiming that had he been more careful to lead a healthier life style in the first place, and he would have found ways to release and prevent the build up of pressure inside his body, his disease could have very well been prevented in the first place. Correct?"
"For sure", answered Yerachmiel, "everyone knows that a stressful and unhealthy lifestyle are from the top causes of heart disease."
"Exactly", I agreed. "This means that a heart attack is not the reason for his disease, but rather a painful end result to having lived a misguided life style over time!"
"For sure", he replied.
"Now", I continued, "let's see how this parable can help us understand better the phenomenon of Lust. Uncontrollable sexual drive is similar to a heart attack. In this case too, if we don't stabilize the condition of the patient, he won't survive even in the short term. And even once his condition is stabilized, he needs a quick and comprehensive treatment, otherwise he won't be able to survive in the long term either. But then, when he finally begins to feel a lot better - to the point that he might even mistakenly think that he has been completely healed and has put it all behind him - precisely then, he must learn that he needs to change his life style completely around, and that he can never rest on his laurels.
"Back when we first started our talks, you were in a situation where the most critical thing was to stabilize your condition, because without that it would have been impossible to make any progress. Now that you are starting to feel a lot better with yourself, this is the time to deepen your self-awareness and start recognizing the many unique inner strengths that you possess. With proper guidance and much prayer and help from above, you will be able to channel the strengths you have in a positive and constructive manner, and return once again to a path of fulfillment and inner peace. For example, like you said yourself how managing the Otzar Hasefarim helps you a lot in coping with the lust".