Abstinence
Abstinence is the practice of self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol, drugs, food, or other comforts.[citation needed]
Because the regimen is intended to be a conscious act, freely chosen to enhance life, abstinence is sometimes distinguished from the psychological mechanism of
Abstinence in religion
Abstinence may arise from an
In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, amongst others,
Judaism
For
Christianity
In
In many
Orthodox Christians abstain from food and drink from midnight on the day they receive Holy Communion, and abstain from meat and dairy on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year, as well as during Great Lent. During Great Lent, Orthodox Christians practice sexual abstinence.[12]
The
Latter-Day Saints abstain from certain foods and drinks by combining spiritual discipline with health concerns. Mormons also fast one day a month, for both spiritual and charitable reasons (the money saved by skipping meals is donated to the needy).
Islam
For
Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism
In
Medicine
This section needs more primary sources. (November 2017) |
In medicine, abstinence is the discontinuation of a drug, often an
Types
Drugs
In the context of drug use, individuals may, at some point, decide to abstain from taking the drug following chronic use. Addicts engage in chronic drug use, followed by periods of abstinence, then in many cases relapse.[16] Addicts decide to abstain due to the negative consequences that are often associated with the drug. Depending on the individual, abstinence time may vary. In many cases, individuals relapse, and the cycle begins anew. There are several forms of abstinence that exist. Two common ones are forced and voluntary. Voluntary abstinence refers to an individual actively choosing to stop taking the drug. Forced abstinence occurs when an individual is removed from the drug environment. This makes them unable to have access to the drug. An example of forced abstinence is in-patient rehabilitation treatment, or incarceration. There are three main triggers of relapse: stress, drug re-exposure and drug associated cues.[16] An individual may relapse if they are presented with a stressful situation that compels them to re-administer the drug that they used to take. If the individual is in an environment where they are in contact with the drug, they may feel compelled to engage in drug-taking behaviour (for example, someone who is practicing sobriety that finds themselves in a bar and re-engages in drinking alcohol). Finally, drug associated cues can be the environment in which the person used to administer the drug, or the smell of a cigarette.[citation needed]
Individuals report that when engaging in abstinence, the longer they are not taking the drug, the more they crave it. [17]
Food
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. A fast may be total or partial concerning that from which one fasts, and may be prolonged or intermittent as to the period of fasting. Fasting practices may preclude sexual activity as well as food, in addition to refraining from eating certain types or groups of foods; for example, one might refrain from eating meat. A complete fast in its traditional definition is abstinence of all food and liquids except for water.
Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes meat (including
Tobacco smoking
Smoking cessation is the discontinuation of a smoked or vaporized substance, such as tobacco or anything containing nicotine.
Alcohol
Teetotalism is the practice and promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages.
Some common reasons for choosing teetotalism are
Contemporary and
Pleasure
A general abstinence from pleasures or leisure, either partial or full, may be motivated by ambition, career or general self-respect (excluding the point of view that even the latter examples may be regarded as sources of pleasure).
Sexual abstinence
Caffeine
This systematic review highlights the effectiveness of caffeine abstinence for improving sleep quality.[20]
Organizations
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Narcotics Anonymous
- Pagans in Recovery
- Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust(RAPT)
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-4129-0916-7.
In this subset of abstinence-only education programs, young people vow chastity until marriage and wear a "purity ring" to demonstrate a commitment to sexual abstinence.
- Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. 2016. Archived from the original(PDF) on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-6506-8.
In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, there is a list of "Days of Fasting, or Abstinence," consisting of the 40 days of Lent, the ember days, the three rogation days (the Monday to Wednesday following the Sunday after Ascension Day), and all Fridays in the year (except Christmas, if it falls on a Friday).
- ^ Carota, Peter (7 February 2014). "Holy Communion Fast For Traditional Catholics". Traditional Catholic Priest. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ John Wesley (1825). The Sunday Service of the Methodists. J. Kershaw. p. 145.
Days of Fasting or Abstinence All the Fridays in the Year, except Christmas-Day
- ^ The Discipline of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (Original Allegheny Conference). Salem: Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection. 2014. pp. 37, 44.
- ^ "Why don't Catholics eat meat on Fridays?". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
Abstinence is one of our oldest Christian traditions. "From the first century, the day of the crucifixion has been traditionally observed as a day of abstaining from flesh meat ("black fast") to honor Christ who sacrificed his flesh on a Friday" (Klein, P., Catholic Source Book, 78). ... Since Jesus sacrificed his flesh for us on Good Friday, we refrain from eating flesh meat in his honor on Fridays.
- ^ "Lent: Daniel Fast Gains Popularity". HuffPost. Religion News Service. February 7, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
In some cases, entire churches do the Daniel Fast together during Lent. The idea strikes a chord in Methodist traditions, which trace their heritage to John Wesley, a proponent of fasting. Leaders in the African Methodist Episcopal Church have urged churchgoers to do the Daniel Fast together, and congregations from Washington to Pennsylvania and Maryland have joined in. For the fourth consecutive year, St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C., will observe Lent this year with a churchwide Daniel Fast. Young adults in the congregation tend to keep the fast more rigorously than older ones, according to Pastor Paul Milton.
- ^ Hinton, Carla (20 February 2016). "The Fast and the Faithful: Catholic parish in Oklahoma takes up Lenten discipline based on biblical Daniel's diet". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
Many parishioners at St. Philip Neri are participating in the Daniel fast, a religious diet program based on the fasting experiences of the Old Testament prophet Daniel. ... participating parishioners started the fast Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10) and will continue through Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
- ^ "Daniel Fast – Lent 2021". St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "40 Day Journey & Daniel Fast". Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. 17 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
Our family and friends are encouraged to take this journey during the season of Lent. This is a time we as Christians mature spiritually the 40 days before Resurrection Sunday. The Daniel Fast begins Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021 and ends on Resurrection Sunday, April 4, 2021. Our common practice is 6 days on and 1 day off.
- ^ Menzel, Konstantinos (14 April 2014). "Abstaining From Sex Is Part of Fasting". Greekreporter.com. Greek Reporter. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Fundamental Beliefs". 2005. Archived from the original on 10 March 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-07.
- ^ Tähtinen, Unto (1976). Ahimsa: Non-Violence in Indian Tradition. London. pp. 107–111.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Walters, Kerry S.; Lisa Portmess (2001). Religious Vegetarianism From Hesiod to the Dalai Lama. Albany. pp. 37–91.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ PMID 23903334.
- PMID 26068175.
- ^ "The Vegetarian Society - Definitions Information Sheet". The Vegetarian Society. Archived from the original on 1999-11-28. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
- Compact Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the originalon 2006-03-17. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
a person who does not eat meat for moral, religious, or health reasons.
- ['meat' is defined as 'the flesh of an animal as food']; see "Meat". Definition of meat from Oxford Dictionaries Online. Compact Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the originalon 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- ['meat' is defined as 'the flesh of an animal as food']; see "Meat". Definition of meat from Oxford Dictionaries Online.
- PMID 19120728.
External links
- Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. .
- Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. .